History
The ranch is on land that was part of the Rancho San Francisco land grant. It was named in honor of Francisco Lopez, the man credited with discovering gold in California, years before the discovery that precipitated the California Gold Rush.
Walt Disney bought the 315-acre (1.27 km2) ranch in 1959 for $300,000. Subsequent purchases of adjacent land grew the area of the ranch to 827 acres (3.35 km2).
In October 2009 Disney announced plan to construct a 12 stage production facility on 56 acres (230,000 m2) at the ranch. Expected to generate more than 3000 jobs during construction and more than 2800 permanent full and part time jobs, the facility is projected to contribute $533 million annually in economic activity. Construction is slated to begin in 2013.
Read more about this topic: Golden Oak Ranch
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“History, as an entirety, could only exist in the eyes of an observer outside it and outside the world. History only exists, in the final analysis, for God.”
—Albert Camus (1913–1960)
“Man watches his history on the screen with apathy and an occasional passing flicker of horror or indignation.”
—Conor Cruise O’Brien (b. 1917)
“The history of persecution is a history of endeavors to cheat nature, to make water run up hill, to twist a rope of sand.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)