The fact that Paderewski owned land in California is generally known. It is mentioned in almost every published source that he acquired ranchland in Paso Robles. Some authors even provide a few details and reasons – Paderewski’s hand injury and the subsequent cure in Paso’s hot springs – but that wouldn’t seem to constitute sufficient grounds for buying thousands of acres in California’s Central Coast area. What might have motivated Paderewski to make such an extraordinary investment? Why was he so fascinated with California? What were Paderewski’s experiences in the American West he first visited in the late 1890s? What did he do with his land and how he might have thought about its future use? Paderewski’s adventure in California began with his January 1914 visit in Paso Robles and, for over twenty-five years, his contributions to California’s emerging agricultural sector economy were indeed substantial. A century later, Paderewski’s idea of exploiting the wine growing potential in Paso Robles is still bearing fruit. New wineries seem to be opening every month in the area, and they produce excellent quality wines of the same varieties that Paderewski had once planted on his hillsides. Without a doubt the considerable growth and momentous land development in the area that Paderewski had initiated continues to this day. By contributing to the local economy and providing employment opportunities for the local workforce on his ranches, Paderewski also significantly transformed the Central Coast region and became de facto one of California’s most important and illustrious residents. Publication in English. ISBN 978-83-61580-04-1; volume: 780 pages; format: 210×297 mm; hardcover. Publisher: Tumult Foundation, Toruń 2009
Book in English language only. Polish version available as a separate item in the shop.
