In 1876, Leland Stanford purchased 650 acres of Rancho San Francisquito for a country home and began the development of the Palo Alto Stock Farm, which eventually grew into more than 8,000 acres and became a home for the university. Stanford’s land included the foothills area of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Today, the Stanford foothills are home to the Dish, and are a popular recreational area for hiking and jogging. Left: Fog over the rolling foothills on the Palo Alto Stock Farm. Right: The Dish at the Stanford foothills.