This SLO County ranch — where outlaw Jesse James once stayed — is for sale for $38 million
A historic 14,750-acre ranch in San Luis Obispo County—where outlaws Jesse James and Frank James worked and lived while nursing bullet wounds from a bank robbery—is for sale for $38 million.
Along with fascinating history, the diverse ranch at 5909 East Pozo Road in Santa Margarita offers an expansive family compound with a main 5,500-square-foot, seven-bedroom, four-bath “hacienda;” a 4,400-square-foot bunk house; and a 2,000-square-foot guest home.
There are 3,300 acres for Bureau of Land Management cattle grazing, 280 acres of high-density olive grove (that’s 202,865 trees) and a state-of-the-art olive mill. The ranch produces the La Panza Extra Virgin Olive Oil brand.
La Panza, which also grows alfalfa and hay, is believed to be one of the largest ranches for sale in California.
“La Panza is clearly the largest ranch for sale in SLO and is in fact one of three of the largest ranches for sale in California,” said listing agent Lance Doré of California Outdoor Properties.
California Outdoor Properties also holds the listing for the largest ranch for sale in California, the N3 Cattle Ranch, which is 50,500 acres selling for $68 million.
Drury James, uncle of the infamous outlaws Jesse and Frank James, owned La Panza ranch in the 1860s, according to Doré. The brothers visited and worked on the ranch in 1868 when Jesse was recovering from bullet wounds from a bank robbery. He came to bathe in the sulfur springs at Uncle Drury’s Hot Springs Hotel in Paso Robles, Doré added. The brothers’ stay was without incident and they left a year later, Doré added.
Drury James is also credited as a founder of Paso Robles.
Other features of the enormous estate ranch include:
- Abundant water—50 wells, three reservoirs, natural springs, San Luis Creek and several smaller creeks on the land
- A helicopter pad
- 51 certified parcels protected under the Williamson Act
- Electricity, phone and cellular service
- Zoned Agriculture within the “La Panza Ag Preserve”
Interest in La Panza Ranch has been from a wide spectrum of potential buyers, Doré said.
“I have had calls from farmers, cattle ranchers, mining interests, family offices, high-net-worth individuals, Fortune 1000 corporations and foreign investors,” he said. “La Panza offers a great opportunity for a multitude of buyers that see the benefits and quality of the ranch.”
Also, a buyer looking to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city might come along.
“Estate ranches like La Panza are rare in the market and they are highly desired for the right buyer that wants space, amenities and a slower pace of life,” Doré added. “Hard to put a price on quality of life.”
The ranch is diversified with agriculture and cattle operations, with an abundance of water and good soils. The olive oil business is part of the overall production of the ranch, but a “tree to bottle” operation is unique, Doré said.
“La Panza has all the equipment and processes in place that creates their own unique brand,” he said. “The operation is capable of bottling up to 300,000 liters of high quality olive oil under the La Panza olive oil brand.”
He added that La Panza Extra Virgin Olive Oil was awarded the Silver Medal for its Outlaw and Chef’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil at the 2020 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition.
This story was originally published August 19, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
