About Us
Ranch History
A Pioneer Woman
In the early 1860's, German native Heinrich "Henry" Twisselman and his four brothers arrived into the San Francisco Bay as merchant seamen aboard a Danish whaling ship. After meeting his wife Elizabeth "Lizzie" Meng, a Switzerland native, the couple moved to San Luis Obispo in the late 1870's to establish Chorro Dairy, where Cal Poly State University now sits. Unfortunately, Henry passed away some short six years later of tuberculosis, leaving Lizzie and her five children. In 1884, Lizzie moved to join her family's homestead in the hills above Cholame farming grain and raising livestock, establishing what now remains Twisselman Ranch and making her one of the first pioneers of the California frontier.
The Historic Temblor
In the early 1900's, Lizzie's son Christian and his wife Nora purchased the Temblor Ranch, a historic stage stop and way station for Spanish missionaries, from Obispo Oil Company. The Temblor Mountain range lines the San Andreas Fault and creates the line separating San Luis Obispo County's eastern border and Kern County's western border. The ranch was passed down to their son, Carl Twisselman, and belongs to his children and grandchildren today.
Family Tradition Continued
Today, Twisselman Ranch spans across 80,000 acres and continues to be owned and operated by the Twisselman family. Agriculture continues to be the heartbeat of the ranch as it has over the past 130 years. The ranch operates today as a working cattle ranch and farming operation, and most recently agritourism - opening its gates for guests to experience ranching traditions through trail rides, pack train excursions, and guided hunts.
In loving memory of Kenneth C Twisselman
March 19, 1931 - September 14, 2020
In loving memory of Darrell Louis Twisselman
September 4, 1932 - October 23, 2022
