OUR STORY

An orchard on
Portola Road.

Jelich Ranch, then and now.

  1. 1906

    Portola Valley, before the town.

    Alpine Road after the earthquake, three years before the Jelich family bought the ranch.

    Ground rupture on Alpine Road after the 1906 earthquake
    Alpine Road, 1906. California Earthquake Commission. Archive
  2. 1909

    The Jelich family buys the ranch.

    Walter Jelich Sr. purchases the property on Portola Road. The valley’s schoolhouse opens the same year.

    Portola Valley School, built in 1909, photographed in 1975
    Nearby Portola Valley School. Built 1909; photographed 1975. Jack E. Boucher / HABS. Archive
  3. 1912

    A landmark down the road.

    Our Lady of the Wayside is built, designed by architect Timothy L. Pflueger.

    Our Lady of the Wayside church, built in 1912, photographed in 1975
    Our Lady of the Wayside. Built 1912; photographed 1975. Jack E. Boucher / HABS. Archive
  4. 1913

    Trees that are still here.

    Some of the trees growing at Jelich Ranch today were planted in 1913. The farmhouse followed in 1915.

  5. 2000

    The house and orchard are restored.

    Cindie and Phil White buy the ranch. Their restoration includes the house, irrigation and more than 300 new fruit trees.

    Read the restoration story
  6. Today

    The Jelich Ranch pantry.

    Organic preserves and raw honey. We own and manage our entire supply chain in-house.

    Shop the pantry
    Jelich Ranch Santa Rosa Plum Jam
    Santa Rosa Plum Jam from today’s pantry.
History & photo credits

Early photographs show Portola Valley landmarks, not the ranch. School and church photographs date to 1975. Historical photographs are in the U.S. public domain; original records are linked in the captions.

Archived ranch history · Jelich family portrait in the town archive