Certainly legends and rumors of geysers in this part of California have existed since the early settlers and the opening of a dead geyser is a possibility. However all indications are that no geyser was reported until after the well was drilled sometime around the turn of the century. Reinhart also confirms that there was casing in the 70 meter deep well. Fran Rache and his wife Grace observed this geyser starting in 1906 and according to Rinehart kept it alive. Fran would clean it out by reaming it.
Current photographs show a cone sitting in the runoff pool.
In 1974 The Rashes sold their ranch and geyser to Howard and Olga Cream, two avid geyser gazers, who converted it in to the tourist attraction it is today. The Cream's successful development of the site was not the first attempt to draw tourists. Old postcards, such as the one shown below, document an earlier attempt by E. T. Plummer to commercialize the erupting well . Recent reports indicate that behavior of this geyser may change prior to earthquakes . Further studies are underway to see if geyser behavior may be an indicator of impending earthquakes.