Welcome to O'Neals

O’Neals is a small community located off of Road 200 between Highway 41 and the town of North Fork. It was named after Charles O'Neal who moved to California in 1857. Charles was the ranch manager for the Santa Rita Ranch, owned by cattle Baron Henry Hildreth. Eventually Charles and his wife Bettie O’Neal purchased land in Spring Valley (the Gilmore-Mace Ranch). He became postmaster in 1887 and ran a general store and hotel. He decided to give this new community his name. Harmon Bigelow started up the Bigelow Telephone Co. in 1903 by running a phone line from his house to his in-laws. Mr. Bigelow also ran the The Bigelow Stage Line which serviced the areas of North Fork, Bass Lake and Sugar Pine.

Today cattle ranches are still dominant in O'Neals. The O’Neal family is still in the cattle business, along with other pioneering families in the area.

The Bigelow Telephone Company is now The Ponderosa Telephone Company. The small town has a population of 434. There is a small elementary school on the outskirts of the area, the Spring Valley School, and there is also an up and coming winery, the Westbrook Wine Farm.