Three horseback riders explore a rocky hillside
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OUR STORY

A long and
uniquely Californian
story
With its history, vastness and beauty,
there’s no place on earth quite like
Tejon Ranch
Established in 1843 as a Mexican land grant, this land has seen its share of trappers, settlers, outlaws and soldiers, as well as stagecoach lines and a short-lived US Camel Corps. (Alas, the creatures proved a bit undisciplined for the military.) Historic pioneers such as Jedediah Smith, Kit Carson and John C. Fremont explored Tejon’s frontier. With additional land grant purchases by founder General Edward Fitzgerald Beale, an explorer and historic California figure, the Ranch grew. And over the decades, raised crops and animals that included sheep, cattle and ostriches for their plumes. (A flapper-era fashion statement, but ostriches proved ornery too.) Now, a new chapter of the Tejon Ranch story begins.
Explore our timeline
Leader of the Native American tribe to first occupy the Tejon Ranch land

PRE-1700s

Native American tribes were the first to occupy the area where Tejon Ranch is now located: the Kitanemuk, Yokuts, Chumash, Tataviam and Kawaiisu.
Portrait of Captain Don Pdero Fages

1772-1776

The first Europeans travel through Tejon Ranch, Capt. Don Pedro Fages (a future governor under Spanish rule) and Father Francisco Garces. No other Europeans visit for another 50 years.
Portrait of Jedediah Strong Smith

1825-1837

Jedediah Strong Smith starts the flow of trappers, traders and explorers, including frontiersman Kit Carson.
Original Fort Tejon building on the Tejon Ranch property, now part of the Fort Tejon State Historic Park

1843-1854

Mexico establishes four land grants that would make up Tejon Ranch. Sebastian Indian Reservation becomes home to between 500 and 800 Native Americans displaced due to the gold rush. Fort Tejon is established by US Cavalry and grows to become the third largest settlement in southern California.
Portrait of General Edward F. Beale

1855-1866

General Edward F. Beale and Mary Edwards Beale acquire four land grants (ranchos), and the 270,000-acre Tejon Ranch is born. Sheep and cattle raising begin.
Exterior of the Beale Memorial Library building

1900

Dedication of the original Beale Memorial Library in Kern County, a gift from Mary Beale and her son Truxtun, in memory of General Beale.
Exterior of the Beale Clock Tower

1904

Truxtun Beale presents the 64-foot Beale Clock Tower, a gift to Bakersfield in memory of his mother. (Now at the Kern County Museum.)
Portrait of M.H. Sherman

1912

Harry Chandler, M.H. Sherman and a group of other businessmen buy Tejon Ranch from General Beale’s son, Truxtun.

1939-1963

The Ranch donates the site of Fort Tejon for the establishment of Fort Tejon State Historical Park and El Tejon School. The state begins construction on Highway 99, which would become Interstate 5.
Governor Ronald Reagan at Edmonton Pumping Plant

1971

Gov. Ronald Reagan flips the switch on at the new Edmonton Pumping Plant at Tejon Ranch, which at peak capacity pumps water to Southern California at a million gallons a minute.
Exterior of the New York Stock Exchange building with a large American flag proudly displayed

1999

Tejon Ranch Company begins trading on the New York Stock Exchange.
An electrifying sunset over the hills and valleys of Tejon Ranch

2003

Tejon Ranch announces its vision for the future, including significant conservation, a continued commitment to ranching and farming, and the environmentally sensitive development of a limited portion of the Ranch.
Image of the national veterans cemetery in White Wolf

2008

Five hundred acres of the beautiful White Wolf area of the Ranch is donated for the creation of the Bakersfield National Cemetery, “A Place of Honor for those who Served with Honor.”

2013

Approval of the Tehachapi Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan, which protects the California condor and 24 other plant and animal species on the Ranch.

2013

Mountain Village resort community fully approved.
Photo of all the various retailers at The Outlets at Tejon

2014

The Outlets at Tejon opens to huge crowds.

2017

TRCC begins significant expansion with three new industrial buildings added between 2017 –2022.

2021

Grapevine master planned community fully approved.

2021

Multi-family community next to the Outlets at Tejon fully approved.

What’s on our horizon

The vast majority of Tejon Ranch will remain wilderness and working ranch, where cowboys still herd cattle, and orchards and vineyards still yield their bounty. But we’ve begun developing, responsibly, a small percentage of our land to benefit today’s Californians.

A man gazes out from the porch at the breath-taking topography found at Tejon Ranch
Welcome home

A planned variety of new communities, deeply integrated with nature.

A woman in a yellow shirt and apron stands proudly in front of her restaurant
Eat, browse and be happy

Shops, restaurants and special gathering places for locals (and regionals, too). Some now, and much more to come.

A woman and her horse prepare for a morning ride around the ranch
Our wilderness is your wilderness

By foot or by hoof, fresh opportunities to explore and enjoy our land — with more on the way.

New ways to stay

Get ready for an exciting mix of hospitality options, from rugged to refined.

A man holds a cup of coffee in one hand and a laptop in the other, ready for the work day
More commerce, less commute

See ya, I-5. Work right here, thanks to current (and expanding) business opportunities.

A vibrant yellow meadow meets rocky terrain in the natural landscape found in Tejon Ranch
A wooded hillside overlooks a a running stream in Tejon Ranch
Sustainability is taking the long view       
(really long)

After 175 years or so, every project still begins with the same question: “Is this good for the land?” Tejon Ranch is a California treasure in remarkable condition — but not from being untouched. This is working land. Cared for with intention, and principles of good stewardship that inspired the creation of huge conservation areas. Plant and animal species conservation plans. Groundwater basins that are in safe yield. And environmentally sensitive practices, including water conservation in our ranching, farming and real estate operations. This approach is now guiding the thoughtful development of new communities to help solve California’s housing crisis. All communities will feature state-of-the-art water conservation measures, reclaimed water for irrigation, stormwater capture, and drought-tolerant landscaping.

We voluntarily agreed to develop only a small portion of our property, leaving hundreds of square miles of open land, where trees and other vegetation store 3.3 million tons of carbon. That’s like taking 2.5 million cars off the road for a year.

“The Earth is what we all have in common.” Wendell Berry Poet

The Tejon Ranch Company

Visionary thinkers founded Tejon Ranch. We promise to keep that vision alive, allowing our heritage to inspire a present and future that’s just as remarkable. With even greater benefit to the people of California. Today’s Tejon Ranch Company is a fully diversified real estate development and agribusiness company located on California’s historic Tejon Ranch.