Beginning in the 1850s, the Steele brothers pioneered one of the first large-scale commercial cheese and dairy businesses in California. They extended their operations from Point Reyes to Rancho Punta de Año Nuevo in 1862. This 7,000-acre ranch consisted of five dairies extending from Gazos Creek to Point Año Nuevo. For a century the Steele brothers' dairy ranches were of importance in California's agricultural development.

Citation from California Office of Historic Preservation