Whitney Oaks History |
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The land on which Whitney Oaks stands was once the ranch of the wealthiest man in Placer County, famed rancher and horse breeder J. Parker Whitney. In 1853 "J. P." Whitney, an Englishman, made his way up the dusty road from Sacramento toward the El Dorado gold country. He dreamed of getting in on the last of the California Gold Rush. The young entrepreneur tried his hand at mining, but soon other ideas captured his mind.
J. P. Whitney became one of Northern California's most revered ranchers and philanthropists. He used his wealth to help the poor and to advance many noble causes. Later he became a world traveler, but he always enjoyed returning home to the place that was blessed by "the greatest climate, healthfulness, fertility, and productiveness" of any place he had ever known. "Spring Valley Ranch" covered a vast 20,000 acres in the area now known as Rocklin and Roseville. |