Rancho del Sierra was the home of the Winters family from 1858 to 1953. The estate once covered six thousand acres of the surrounding property and included an orchard, horse race track, and extensive livestock herds. The house was built by Theodore Winters, circa 1862, after he had become wealthy from part ownership in the Ophir Mine on the Comstock across the valley. The energetic lifestyle of the Winters family had a substantial impact on Nevada's social events, community services, and state politics.