In the beginning, it was the dream of Alex’s great - great grandfather, Edward Breen. He, along with his family survived the Donner Party and founded the original Topo Ranch.

Located between Monterey and San Benito Counties, those 20,000 acres were part of the old Mexican San Lorenzo land grant. Throughout the late 1800’s and early 1900’s the spread was a cattle ranch, fig tree farm, supplier of wool to the US Cavalry, and even used for Western films by the likes of Gary Cooper. Eventually, the bank foreclosed on it, like so many casualties of the Great Depression.

The “topo” for whom the ranch was named is Spanish slang for that stretch of land’s most populous inhabitants. We gave him wings to symbolize the rise of Topo Ranch once again, and to give flight to our dream of buying back the ranch.

We can both look back on five generations of California dreamers, but it was Edward Breen’s pioneering spirit that inspired us to follow our dreams. We hope our quality dry goods inspire you to follow yours.

Part of our job here is to archive all the stories we have about the Topo. We've have all sorts of notes, photos, and scrapbooks about The Ranch. Most have been provided by the family. Thank you to the Breen's and the Kump's for trusting us with some great photos and writings. We'll do our best to get all the facts archived on our site.

RANCH HISTORY - As told by Barbara Breen, J.E. Breen’s daughter and Nana’s sister.

THE TOPO

In southern Monterey County, ten miles east of King City, was the Topo. It was purchased in 1860 by Patrick Breen and his second son Edward. Both of them survived the Donner Party tragedy in the Sierras in 1846. Patrick died in 1868 and 24.000 acres of the finest cattle country in California became Edward’s. There was a water spring in every canyon and as one of the old-timers said, “I saw a thousand head of cattle watering off that one Cinco Canoes Spring all at once.”

Edward died in 1890 leaving the Topo to his widow and three sons of his second wife. After one of the sons, James Edwin Breen (J.E.B), finished college he returned to the ranch and with the help of a foreman and his younger brother Harry, they managed the Topo. The southern end was sold off by his other brother Bill in 1913. Mother and the other two sons remained in the business until her passing in 1929.

The drought and low cattle prices during the twenties took their toll. The Bank of America forced the Breen Brothers into sheep in the late twenties and eventually took the ranch in 1932. J.E.B. ran it for the Bank for years. Then Swanson Meat Packing of Stockton, California was given an option to buy. J.E.B. was in partnership with them, however, after five years they were unable to pick up the option and it was sold to Montgomery Investment Co. of Simi, California. J.E.B. continued to manage the ranch for MIC until his retirement in 1947.

Many movies were made on the Topo in the twenties. Gary Cooper made his first film there -- “The Winning of Barbara Worth.” Hoot Gibson and Bill Desmond were some of the others.

During World War II J.E.B. lost some good men to the service. He ran the Topo almost single-handedly with one other man and whoever else would volunteer, including friends, relations, and neighbors. He trained the cattle to follow the pickup for cottonseed cake which he spread from the running board out of the sack.

EL CAPITAN, THE HORSE 1900-1932

If ever there was a love between man and beast this was it. “Cap” was born on the Topo in 1900. JEB owned his mother. From the time he was small he was a pet. When he was old enough to break JEB did it with a gentle hand. He always talked about how easy Cap was to break.

Cap became one of the finest stockhorses in California, winning the Stockhorse Class at the California State Fair in 1910. He was a heavy stockhorse with white feet and blazed face on a sorrel background. He and JEB went to Cheyenne Frontier Days in 1911-1912.

In the early years of the Salinas Rodeo, Cap was shown in exhibition on “The Track” with horsehair rope around his chest, performing all feats as if he had a bit in his mouth. Spurs were never used on him.

One time during the Salinas Rodeo JEB was goaded into riding Cap into the Abbott House Hotel lobby. After re-moving Cap’s bridle JEB complied with the request and rode him up to the front desk.