Middletown >> Lillie Langtry, ranch and winery owner in Guenoc Valley, was the most famous of dozens of wealthy investors who were persuaded they would double their money when the railroads came to Lake County.
The famed actress from the Isle of Jersey has been described as “the Marilyn Monroe of her generation.” Google lists more entries about her than about Monroe.
From 1877 when at the age of 24 she began making a name for herself in London society, until long after her death in 1929, Langtry’s name was internationally recognized.
The 8,000 acres at the east end of Coyote Valley, which Langtry bought in 1888, held a mature vineyard. She wrote that she would produce “the world’s finest claret.” With her lover of the moment, Fred Gebhart, who owned the adjoining 4,000 acres, Langtry also began raising racehorses here.
She had another motivation. Ownership of the ranch allowed her to obtain U.S. citizenship and thus obtain a divorce from a husband who had prevented that despite her well-publicized affairs. She was granted the decree in Lakeport in 1897. In 1906, she sold her ranch for considerably less than the purchase price.
Langtry’s and Gebhart’s ranches in the 1960s became the basis of Guenoc Winery, which was a significant early influence in the rebirth of local winemaking. It is now Langtry Estates vineyards and winery.
More mundane, but equally intriguing artifacts of the Victorian era are also included in the museum’s current display.
Gibson Museum is located at 21267 Calistoga St., opposite the Middletown Community Center. It is open Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. For more information, visit thegibsonmuseum.com or email gibsonmuseum@gmail.com.
