Sheep grazed on San Miguel Island prior to 1850, but the ranching period expanded greatly when California pioneer George Nidever made his home on the island in 1850.
He spent nearly 30 years developing a working ranch with fields, livestock facilities, workshops and equipment. About 1906, Waters superintended the building of a remarkable ranch house. The Lester’s time on the island abruptly ended in 1942 with the death of Herbert Lester.
After Nidever, the Mills brothers and their Pacific Wool Growing Company turned sheep ranching into a more organized commercial enterprise. They constructed buildings near Cuyler Harbor and continued to graze livestock around the island. William G. Waters would become one of San Miguel Island’s longest-residing residents. It was built to withstand the island’s strong winds and was mostly made of salvaged shipwreck materials, including lumber from the J.M. Coleman. Its double walls, its many rooms, and its enclosed courtyard, reflected the extreme conditions of life on San Miguel. Herbert and Elizabeth Lester were living on the island with their two daughters when it drew national attention. Herbert Lester managed the ranch for Robert Brooks and he loved the remoteness of San Miguel. The family worked to make the rugged ranch house a home, planting a garden, keeping supplies and educating their children on the island. It was their odd way of life which drew visitors, researchers and adventurers. But there was a lot of hardship to offset the romance of island life. Supplies had to be ferried in from the mainland, the weather could wreak havoc on getting there, and the family relied heavily on their own ingenuity. Finally Elizabeth and her daughters left, closing one of the most colorful chapters in San Miguel’s ranching history.
