The Genesee Valley was first settled when emigrants heading West stopped to mine or farm the land. One of the first settlers, Edwin Hosselkus, opened the Genesee Country Store on the property to serve travelers and the local residents in 1858, and that original building still stands about 25 yards north of the present store.

In the late 1800's, the Genesee Country Store was a stop for the stagecoach that ran between Reno, Nevada and Portland, Oregon. Passengers would get a lunch break at the store and sit on the same front porch that exists today.

Mr. Hosselkus purchased the ranch in 1862, and settled in to make the property his home in 1865. He built the first brick house in the valley in 1881; a house which has recently been completely refurbished to serve as a place for pastoral renewal and now serves as Genesee Home. Many of the barns on the property are original buildings also dating back to the late 1800's.

Genesee District School opened in the fall of 1865 to serve the local children, and the first post office was established in the area in 1880 in the Genesee Country Store.