There are very deep roots in Alpine County. Shirley Taylor's deep family history in our area reflects the pioneer spirit that combined good stewardship of the land, the art of hard work, self-reliance, and strong family values.
The land has its own story: the Celio family, emigrated from Canton Ticino, Switzerland. Ticino is the most southern canton in Switzerland, dominated by Alps and two large lakes, Lake Lugano and Lake Maggiori. The ascents are steep, the views hold castles and snow capped peaks.
It is the only canton where Italian is the first language. Both of those factors explain why Taylor's great grandfather, a Swiss citizen named Carlo Guisseppi Celio, found his "gold" (as most emigrants were searching for gold in the early 1850s) in an area that looked like home: our own Sierra and Lake Tahoe.
Great-grandfather Celio purchased some property off of Highway 49, bought a few cows, and started a family with his wife, Marie Giamboni Satori. The family returned to Lake Valley and together they started a dairy. For additional income, he drove wagons from Tahoe to Virginia City during the silver rush.
Business expanded and the family acquired about 2,600 acres at the winter ranch, and the summer ranch grew to 800 acres at Lake Valley and 400 acres in Big Meadow.
The winter ranch was in El Dorado, south of Placerville. When June came, the whole family and wagons loaded with kids, chicken and every belonging, led the five-day 400-500 head of cattle drive to the summer ranch in Lake Valley. As the cattle grazed peacefully in Upper Lake Valley, Big Meadow, Alpine County, and on other forest service grazing permits, the family worked and business expanded. Frank Celio managed the beef cattle and his brother, George, was the dairy manager.
George operated the dairy in Hope Valley for 20 years. The family was known for its great butter. The butter was stored in firkins or small barrels, and shipped out each fall to Placerville. Orders were placed one year in advance, some orders came from San Francisco.
Of course, that was generations before Taylor was born. "The cornerstone of our family in my generation was Amelia, my grandmother," states Taylor. According to family legend, when Amelia Jelmini was young she told Grandfather Celio that her father was mean to her. Grandfather invited her to live with them, and she married Frank Celio in 1892.
Amelia and Frank had three children. Florence, the eldest, died in 1927. Norman operated the Meyers businesses for 30 years. He drowned in Fallen Leaf Lake in 1985. Hazel Celio Taylor, who owned the present Celio Ranch also died in 1985.
Due to Frank's untimely death in 1923, Amelia undertook the responsibility of his share of the cattle industry and served as president and/or member of the board for nearly 35 years. Taylor explained that "She was the leveler in the family. Her even temper calmed conflict with in-laws and siblings. Amelia found retreats in her garden and her faith."
Amelia was a famously good cook, using every ounce of the slaughtered beef. Taylor remembers that she "could stretch the meal for friends and relatives who stopped by at mealtime."
"Amelia never wore trousers or hats. She preferred simple dresses with homemade petticoats, and, for special occasions, she would add a little fancy lace. For work days and cattle drives she wore boots," commented Taylor. Her practical side was also reflected in the furnishings, many of which she made. Taylor still has her box of woodworking tools, as well as a washstand, cedar chest, flour bin, and milking stool.
The family holdings were affected by a fire in 1938, WWII, the polio epidemic, and sanctions against driving cattle at a time when hauling cattle by truck would have been cost prohibitive. Land was sold and the business eventually dissolved in 1950.
After that time, Amelia lived with Taylor and her mother in Tahoe and Sacramento. Taylor remembers her grandmother's antics when there was a family dispute, "When my mother and I would get into a tiff, Amelia would take out her teeth and make funny faces at us to bring us to our senses."
Taylor lost her first best friend when her grandmother passed away in 1958.
Taylor watched as the ranch in Upper Lake Valley, also called Christmas Valley, grew overgrown and in disrepair. In 1985, she undertook the enormous job of rebuilding the property, burning over a thousand slash piles. She often used snowshoes and a sled to access the remote, snow-covered piles. She also thinned the forest to maintain its health and gradually restored the ranch house and out buildings. It was a herculean project, preserving her family heritage and the land.
Taylor now lives in Woodfords, where she serves on the Fire Safe Council and enjoys the Sierra on horseback. Her work ethic, self-reliance, sense-of-humor, and love of the land add wealth to Alpine County and are a credit to her grandmother Amelia Celio.
