In 1866, Enoch Kidder Parrish arrived in Oak Glen and traded four mules and a wagon for 160 acres of land. By 1867 he had planted the first full-scale orchard in Oak Glen, just over an acre of mainly Rome Beauty trees. By 1900 he had just over 22 acres and Oak Glen was rapidly becoming a thriving commercial apple growing area. Apples from this historic orchard are on sale in the main barn each fal
l along with cider, apple butter, jams, jellies and syrups. Parrish raised his family in a home he built on the property that, in later years, was used briefly as the Oak Glen schoolhouse. The oldest all-timber home in San Bernardino County, it still stands today and served as an antique shop since 1976. It is now home of Parrish House Antiques, with several vendors and a variety of antiques and novelties available. The ranch’s restaurant is housed in the former ranch equipment and horse barn built in 1867, the second oldest stick-framed structure in the county. The original beams are still visible above the diners and outside a giant sequoia tree grows that was planted in 1905. Other shops have been built around the ranch over the years and Parrish Ranch is currently home to an artist’s studio, toy store, fine home decor shop, and more. In addition to the shops, restaurant and house, Parrish Ranch is home to a variety of wildlife. Several alpacas call the ranch home, where they stand guard over a small herd of pygmy goats, and neighboring them are Miss Covergirl, a miniature donkey whose best friend, Cinderella, is a miniature horse. Mixed in with everyone is How Now Brown Cow (aka Brownie), and across the way, beyond an apple orchard, is a flock of chickens, peacocks, turkeys, and a couple of roosters to watch over everyone.
