[The Biesler brothers] have since conducted it as a 

 dairy, taking pride in making it a model in all 

 respects, having an up-to-date separator run by water 

 power, and many other modern dairy conveniences. 

 Most of the dairy product is marketed in San 

 Francisco, where it commands a good price. The 

 Biesler boys, as they are familiarly known, are both 

 hard-working, industrious men, upright and honorable 

 in their business dealings, and in all respects worthy 

 sons of a good father. 47 



The 1920 census lists Fred Biesler at the ranch, with partners George 

 Hagmaier (Biesler 's second cousin) and John Krochler, an Austrian immigrant. 

 John H. Biesler died around 1922, leaving the property in Fred's hands. The 

 Dougan family rented the dairy ranch from Fred Biesler for about two decades 

 until 1948, when longtime Olema dairymen Elfie and Florentine Franzi rented 

 the ranch for a dairy. Florentine died in 1951, and Elfie died in 1967 after the 

 house burned. 48 



San Francisco contractor George Hagmaier, who had lived on the Biesler 

 Ranch to the north in 1920, purchased that 289.76-acre ranch from Fred Biesler 

 on October 28, 1937. Soon after, he bought the 179.15-acre Healion Ranch from 

 Arthur Healion's widow, Caroline, on May 2, 1938. Hagmaier went to work 

 improving the property, while residing for the most part in Alameda and 

 continuing in the contracting business. 49 



At the time George Hagmaier bought the ranch it consisted of about five 

 major buildings, including the Healion's large house, a smaller house for 

 workers, a two-story barn that had apparently been converted to a dwelling 

 with a garage on the bottom floor, a medium-sized milking barn, and a two- 

 room calf barn. All but the Healion house appeared to be from the Miller or 

 Bassi era. Hagmaier made many improvements at the Healion ranch during his 

 first years of ownership. The first year he tore down some of the old buildings 

 and built a bunk house and two tool sheds, and rebuilt the old wooden milking 

 barn after it burned in a dramatic fire in 1940. George Gomez managed the 



47 Guinn, Coast Counties, pp. 694-699; Agricultural and Population Schedules, 10th U. S. 

 Census, 1880. 



""Population Schedules, 14th U. S. Census, 1920; Bavwood Press. June 10, 1951. 

 49 Hagmaier era information from an interview with Daniel Hagmaier. 



134 



