He began a mail order business at the ranch with packages selling for 75 cents apiece. In one two-day period, the store sold more than 140 packages. By 1957, Kelley’s Korner, a store at Hollister Avenue (now State Street) and La Cumbre Road, was selling small packages of the dried herbs and spices and could not keep them on the shelves. Henson mixed up a batch for his friend, Audrey Ovington, owner of Cold Spring Tavern, and the tavern became the first establishment away from the ranch to offer the dressing on its menu. Word began to spread about this wonderful product. The dressing was made with buttermilk and mayonnaise and was enlivened with herbs and spices such as garlic, onion, pepper, and parsley. Henson had come up with the recipe while trying to keep his hungry work crews happy in Alaska. Guests were particularly taken by the unique dressing that graced the salads. The ranch also offered hearty home-cooked meals. The idea was to operate Hidden Valley as a guest ranch, offering fishing, riding, hiking, and other outdoor activities. He soon renamed the spread Hidden Valley Ranch. He had always been attracted to ranching, so in 1956, he purchased the Sweetwater Ranch up on San Marcos Pass. The couple settled in Santa Barbara, but after a year and a half, Henson found himself restlessly searching for something to do. There he enjoyed success as a plumbing contractor in and around Anchorage and at age 35, he was able to retire. Here he worked at various occupations until, in 1949, he and his wife, Gayle, moved to Alaska. At 16, under the impact of the Depression, he rode the rails to California. Henson was born in tiny Thayer, Nebraska, in 1918. It was the brainchild of one Steve Henson. Perhaps no product with South Coast origins, however, is as well-known as ranch dressing, served in restaurants worldwide, its tang used to liven up foods from fried zucchini to corn chips. The South Coast over the years has been the cradle of a number of inventions and products. Until it outgrew its homebase and moved to Colorado, where this gate is pictured, Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing was headquartered in Santa Barbara.
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