The Post Ranch Inn opened its doors in 1992 but its foundation lies in the coastal wilds of Big Sur more than a century and a half before.
An explorer, adventurer and entrepreneur, William Brainard Post staked one of Big Sur’s first homesteads, beginning the family’s connection and commitment to the land. He married Anselma Onesimo of Costanoan Indian heritage and the couple had five sons. The red New England-style house W.B. and his sons built is a registered landmark and still stands on Highway 1 across from the entrance to Post Ranch Inn.
Joe Post, W.B. and Anselma’s youngest son, married a neighbor, Elizabeth Gilkey, and eventually merged the two families’ claims, accumulating nearly 1,500 acres, including the wild seascape of the Post Ranch Inn.
Their son Bill continued working the land as cowboy and rancher. He also carried the mail from Monterey to Big Sur. On one such
Post Ranch Inn
The Post family was among Big Sur’s first pioneers. This inspiring landscape – with its cliffs, mountains, and panoramic ocean views – has been entwined with the Post family for generations. Under the Post family’s stewardship for generations, the 100-acre Post Ranch has evolved from a homestead and working ranch to one of the most acclaimed luxury resorts in the world.
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The Post Ranch Inn opened its doors in 1992 but its foundation lies in the coastal wilds of Big Sur more than a century and a half before.
An explorer, adventurer and entrepreneur, William Brainard Post staked one of Big Sur’s first homesteads, beginning the family’s connection and commitment to the land. He married Anselma Onesimo of Costanoan Indian heritage and the couple had five sons. The red New England-style house W.B. and his sons built is a registered landmark and still stands on Highway 1 across from the entrance to Post Ranch Inn.
Joe Post, W.B. and Anselma’s youngest son, married a neighbor, Elizabeth Gilkey, and eventually merged the two families’ claims, accumulating nearly 1,500 acres, including the wild seascape of the Post Ranch Inn.
Their son Bill continued working the land as cowboy and rancher. He also carried the mail from Monterey to Big Sur. On one such journey, he gave a ride to a vacationing city girl, Irene Fredricks. The couple married, then opened Rancho Sierra Mar, a small resort and café near the Post family home. They ran the businesses with the help of their two children, Bill and Mary.
After serving in the Marine Corps during World War II, Bill came home to run the ranch. While raising two young daughters on his own, Bill met and married Luci, the love of his life.
Over the years, traditional ranching fell into decline. In the early 1980s, a close friend and neighbor approached Bill and Luci with the idea of turning the property into an inn that would preserve the integrity and history of the Post family’s property. They sealed the deal with a shot of Jack Daniel’s, which has since become the inn’s unofficial drink.
Bill Post ran the tractor to excavate and grade the inn’s construction. Luci designated the ranch’s cattle brand as the inn logo. Each guest room and facility is named in honor of the Post family and Big Sur pioneers. The award-winning Sierra Mar restaurant is dedicated to the memory of Bill’s sister,Mary Post Fleenor.
Bill Post passed away in 2009, just short of his 89th birthday. His love of the land and gentle, genial hospitality remain an inspiration to all who knew him.
