The story of the Nebraska cowboy who invented ranch dressing (click the link for a great surprise)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20140213/GO/140219399/1181#the-story-of-the-nebraska-cowboy-who-invented-ranch-dressing

Published Saturday February 15, 2014

By Lisa Fischer / World-Herald News Service

YORK — A popular condiment on salads, burgers and sandwiches and a dip for vegetables, pizza slices and deep fried food was developed by a former resident of York County.

Kenneth Henson of Thayer invented Hidden Valley Ranch dressing, which contains buttermilk, salt, garlic, onion, herbs and spices. The Nebraska-born cowboy dreamed of striking it rich so he and his wife Gayle (Penner) did what so many before them had done -- head west.

In 1949, Henson went to Alaska for three years to work as a plumbing contractor -- a job that included cooking for his fellow workers. While cooking in Alaska, he refined a recipe for buttermilk dressing.

This dressing became the house dressing at Hidden Valley Ranch, a dude ranch the Hensons purchased near Santa Barbara, Calif., in 1954. For many years they hosted guests from near and far who came to enjoy the ranch and enjoy the meals by Kenneth (who by then changed his name to Steve), Gayle and their staff. Income from the ranch was not enough to keep the 120-acre spread going, so Henson sold 54 acres and more Ranch Dressing to keep their heads above water.

FULL story and photo at link.

[PassingFair]

1. And all this time I've been telling people that it's a Soviet plot to....

make all Americans fat and sluggish!

He still could have been a "plant".

[senseandsensibility]

2. What is the surprise?

I guess I'm a little slow on the uptake.

[Jenoch]

3. I think the 'surprise' is the name of

tge company who owns and manufactures Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing.

[BronxBoy]

4. I think it's because

He appears to be a Black man

[Omaha Steve]

7. Ding ding ding

Several people that read the story without a photo were very surprised to learn the couple are black.

[rudolph the red]

8. Why is that surprising?

[BronxBoy]

9. Not sure

I'm Black and had no clue the inventor of ranch dressing was a Black man.

[Omaha Steve]

10. Welcome to York, Nebraska -- Come Grow With Us! (over 8,000 population)

A small Nebraska town in the 40's threw most of them off is what I'm thinking. Cowboy may have done it too. Many people don't know black cowboys have been around since settlers came to the wild west.

http://www.ci.york.ne.us/

York, a city of over 8,000 population, offers all of the character of a small town with the advantages of a more populated city. Strategically located at the intersection of Highway 81, a major north-south 4-lane expressway that stretches from South America to Canada,and Interstate 80 that traverses the Atlantic to the Pacific. York is the heart of the nation.

York provides numerous amenities found only in larger more metropolitan cities, cutting edge health care technologies and facilities, a vibrant hospitality industry ready to serve the needs of visitors and residents alike, progressive educational institutions including a four-year college and a full range of support services for families and businesses.

York's transportation arterials and location allow easy access to Lincoln, the home of state government, the University of Nebraska, and the Lied Center for Performing Arts. Connected can also be used to describe the telecommunications infrastructure York citizens enjoy. You can do business with anyone, anywhere, from York, Nebraska.

An excellent workforce, quality of life, and low cost of living combine to make York one of the most attractive locations to live or work in the United States.

[Vashta Nerada]

5. I don't buy my salad dressing from a company owned by a bleach company.

But that's a great story nonetheless.

[The Wielding Truth]

6. Is this why your site name is Omaha Steve?