Springfield at Whitney Oaks

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.

Whitney was completely enthralled with the beauty of the sprawling oaks and natural springs of the rolling Sierra foothills in Western Placer County, and decided to try ranching and farming instead.  Soon he was joined by his father and two brothers. Together they carved one of California's most productive and prosperous ranches out of the foothills, complete with four mansions and one of the state's first golf courses. He also built his own tennis courts, where he hosted several California state championships.

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.