The early 20th Century saw many ranches and farms in Carmel Valley. Whether wives, mothers, or daughters, women played important roles in family life. The Piazzoni Ranch was one such ranch. Luigi (with Swiss ancestry) and Tomasa (with indigenous Rumsien/Esselen ancestry) had nine children: one boy and eight daughters, all born and raised on their ranch. All their children had to pitch in with ranch work, as it was their only livelihood.
Several of the daughters became outstanding western horsewomen who participated in the famous 1913 parades in San Francisco and Oakland to herald in California Rodeo Salinas, California’s first Wild West Show.
The Society is pleased to honor these women with a new ranching exhibit called “Piazzoni Cowgirls”. To see this eye-popping exhibit in person, visit the History Center Museum, open Sat. 1 to 4, Sun 11 to 2.
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