Delightful, tangy ranch dressing traces its roots to the wilds of Alaska.
Creamy, tangy ranch dressing, a beloved condiment that has become a staple in American households, has a fascinating origin story rooted in the rugged wilderness of Alaska. Its creation can be traced to the early 1950s when a plumber-turned-cowboy found himself cooking for hungry work crews in the remote Alaska bush.
In 1949, Nebraska-born Steve Henson arrived in Anchorage to pursue a career as a plumbing contractor. While working on remote job sites, he took on the additional role of camp cook, tasked with keeping his hardworking crew satisfied and well-fed.
Henson's culinary ingenuity was put to the test by these hungry folks, as he sought to create a dressing that would entice his crew to eat their vegetables without complaint. Using the limited ingredients at hand, Henson concocted a dressing made from buttermilk, mayonnaise, and a blend of herbs and spices. This experimental dressing proved to be a hit among the rugged plumbers, who eagerly devoured their greens when accompanied by Henson's flavorful creation.
"It's tough to feed men up in those bush jobs. If they don't like something, they're as likely to throw it at the cook as they are to walk out cursing," Henson later recalled. "I had to come up with something to keep them happy."
By age 35, Henson had saved enough money after a few years of plumbing in Alaska to retire. In the mid-1950s, he and his wife, Gayle, moved to California. They purchased a 120-acre spread called Sweetwater Ranch in the mountains near Santa Barbara. The couple renamed their new home Hidden Valley Ranch with the goal of turning it into a successful dude ranch for tourists. But it was Henson's dressing that put the place on the map.
The Hensons served their signature dressing at the ranch's steakhouse, and it quickly became a hit among guests, who began requesting jars to take home and share with friends and family. Recognizing the growing demand, Henson started selling dry seasoning packets for 75 cents and shipping them through the mail, allowing customers to easily recreate the beloved dressing at home by simply mixing the contents with buttermilk and mayonnaise.
As word of Henson's ranch dressing spread, the demand skyrocketed. By the late 1960s, the Hidden Valley Ranch business had outgrown the confines of the Hensons' home. They incorporated Hidden Valley Ranch Food Products, Inc. and opened a factory to manufacture the dressing mix on a larger scale, eventually distributing it to supermarkets across the Southwest and, ultimately, nationwide.
In 1972, the Clorox Company recognized the immense potential of Henson's dressing and acquired the Hidden Valley Ranch brand for a staggering $8 million (more than $60 million in 2025 dollars). Under Clorox's ownership, the dressing underwent several reformulations, including the addition of buttermilk flavoring to the seasoning mix, allowing for a more convenient preparation using regular milk.
The popularity of ranch dressing continued to soar, and by the 1980s, it had become a common snack food flavor, with the introduction of Cool Ranch Doritos in 1987. Ranch dressing's versatility extended beyond salads, as it became a beloved dip for everything from chicken wings to pizza crusts. In 1983, ranch dressing surpassed Italian dressing to become the best-selling salad dressing in the United States, a position it still holds.
Henson passed away in 2007, but his legacy born in a remote Alaska construction camp lives on in every bottle of ranch dressing and every ranch-flavored snack. What began as a solution to keep Alaskan workers happy has become a multi-million-dollar industry and a cultural phenomenon.
This column features tidbits found while researching Alaska's colorful past for Aunt Phil's Trunk, a six-book Alaska history series written by Laurel Downing Bill and her late aunt, Phyllis Downing Carlson. The books are available at bookstores and gift shops throughout Alaska, as well as online at www.auntphilstrunk.com.
