Daniel and Nelson's wives and children, sisters Martha Olds Powell and 

 Emeline Olds Winans, and parents Daniel, Sr. and Lois settled there for at least 

 a short time. 71 



By 1858 the Olds family had settled into dwellings in three locations in 

 the Olema Valley. Nelson Olds and his young family occupied a house they may 

 have built at the present location of the Giacomini Ranch. The census of 1860 

 listed Nelson Olds at this location with his wife Lavina and three young 

 children, Kate, Nelson and Irene (Jennie). Three hired hands included Olds' 

 longtime friend John Nelson, former partner of William Randall to the south 

 and future hotelkeeper and stage driver in the town of Olema. Olds controlled 

 over 1900 acres, 50 of which were improved and growing winter wheat, peas, 

 beans, oats, hay, barley and Irish potatoes. The census taker counted almost 

 100 head of livestock, including 21 horses, 61 milk cows and cattle, 2 oxen and 

 13 pigs, all valued at $2,460. The entire ranch was valued at $6,250 with an 

 additional $300 worth of farm implements and machinery. Olds' personal 

 property was valued at $2,497. 72 



The correspondent from The California Fanner visited Nelson Olds' 

 ranch early in 1862 and found it under the charge of John Nelson, who had 

 recently left his partnership with William Randall on the ranch to the south. 

 The Farmer reported a great increase in livestock since the census a year and a 

 half earlier: Olds had 650 head of stock, including 100 milk cows and 50 horses, 

 although no butter was being made at the time. The next year Daniel Olds, Jr. 

 took over the land as his half in the brothers' land division. Nelson and his 

 family moved a short distance north not long after. 73 



In late 1864 Daniel Olds, Jr. sold 614.86 acres to his sister, Matilda C. 

 Wood, who subsequently married Albert Moore of San Rafael. From the mid- 

 18608 to 1871 Mrs. Moore leased the ranch to two dairymen from New York, 

 Norman Meriness and Garrett Lansing. In 1870 the two men made 2,000 

 pounds of butter from 65 cows, as well as raising oats, wheat and hay. 

 Meriness and Lansing left the ranch when it was sold by Mr. and Mrs. Moore to 



71 01ds family notes, Stewart Collection; Population Schedules, 8th and 9th U. S. Censuses, 

 1860 and 1870. 



72 Plat of Rancho Tomales y Baulines, 1858, PENS; Population and Agriculture Schedules of the 

 8th U. S. Census, 1860. 



73 The California Farmer. April 4, 1862, p. 1; Population Schedules of the 8th U. S. Census, 

 1860. 



171 



