[2][5] Colonel Oscar Eugene Learnard (1832-1911), after serving two terms in the Kansas Senate,[6] relocated to California, where he owned approximately 1,000 acres of farmland located roughly four miles west of Gilroy in the Solis district.

In 1907, they started a creamery on their western Gilroy property, producing butter bearing the "Live Oak" brand name.

[3][4] Walter Luchessa, originally trained as a cheesemaker in his native Switzerland, immigrated to the Gilroy area in 1919 and was subsequently hired.

This transition marked the discontinuation of butter and cream production, as the Luchessa family focused on crafting Monterey Jack and cheddar cheeses.

In the mid-1930s, the Luchessas leased the cheese factory to the Zottola Brothers, who continued the cheese-making enterprise.

The Zottola Brothers also operated a retail store where they sold cheese, butter, and cream.

Subsequently, it underwent a series of transformations, serving as an electrician's workshop, a loan shark's office, a laundromat, and even a Jehovah Witness's Hall under various owners.