Rancho Bolsa de San Cayetano
Encyclopedia
Rancho Bolsa de San Cayetano was a 8896 acres (36 km²) Mexican land grant
in present day Monterey County, California
given in 1824 by Governor Luís Antonio Argüello
to Ygnacio Ferrer Vallejo, and confirmed to his eldest son, José de Jesús Vallejo, by Governor José Figueroa
in 1834. The name means "pocket of St. Cayetano". Pocket usually refers to land surrounded by slough - in this case the Elkhorn Slough
. The grant was bordered on the west by Monterey Bay
and on the north by the Pajaro River
, and is just south of present day Watsonville
.
. He married Maria Antonia Lugo, daughter of Francisco Salvador Lugo in 1790. Among their thirteen children, the most distinguished was Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo
. Ygnacio Vallejo received the two square league Rancho Bolsa de San Cayetano grant in 1824. After his death in 1832, the rancho was inherited by his eldest son, José de Jesús Vallejo (1798–1882). José de Jesús Vallejo was appointed civil administrator at the Mission San José in 1837, and was the grantee of Rancho Arroyo de la Alameda
in 1842.
With the cession
of California to the United States following the Mexican-American War, the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
provided that the land grants would be honored. As required by the Land Act of 1851, a claim for Rancho Bolsa de San Cayetano was filed by José de Jesús Vallejo with the Public Land Commission
in 1852 and confirmed by the US District Court in 1856. Vallejo unsuccessfully appealed the official survey to the US Supreme Court, and the grant was patented in 1865.
A claim for half of the grant to José Dolores Pico was filed by María Antonia Pico with the Land Commission in 1853, but was rejected on the grounds that he had failed to fulfill the conditions of the grant.
Ranchos of California
The Spanish, and later the Méxican government encouraged settlement of territory now known as California by the establishment of large land grants called ranchos, from which the English ranch is derived. Devoted to raising cattle and sheep, the owners of the ranchos attempted to pattern themselves...
in present day Monterey County, California
Monterey County, California
Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, its northwestern section forming the southern half of Monterey Bay. The northern half of the bay is in Santa Cruz County. As of 2010, the population was 415,057. The county seat and largest city is Salinas...
given in 1824 by Governor Luís Antonio Argüello
Luis Antonio Argüello
Luis Antonio Argüello was the first native governor of Alta California from 1822 to 1825, during the period California was under Mexican rule, twelfth overall. He was the only governor to serve under the Mexican empire, and the first native Californian to hold that office...
to Ygnacio Ferrer Vallejo, and confirmed to his eldest son, José de Jesús Vallejo, by Governor José Figueroa
José Figueroa
General José Figueroa , was a General and the Mexican territorial Governor of Alta California from 1833 to 1835.Figueroa oversaw the initial secularization of the missions of upper California, which included the expulsion of the Spanish Franciscan mission officials.This also involved the issuing of...
in 1834. The name means "pocket of St. Cayetano". Pocket usually refers to land surrounded by slough - in this case the Elkhorn Slough
Elkhorn Slough
Elkhorn Slough is a tidal slough and estuary on Monterey Bay in Monterey County, California. The community of Moss Landing and the huge Moss Landing Power Plant are located at the mouth of the slough on the bay....
. The grant was bordered on the west by Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean, along the central coast of California. The bay is south of San Francisco and San Jose, between the cities of Santa Cruz and Monterey....
and on the north by the Pajaro River
Pajaro River
The Pajaro River is a river in Northern California, forming part of the border between Santa Cruz County and Monterey County and between San Benito County and Santa Clara County.-History:...
, and is just south of present day Watsonville
Watsonville, California
Watsonville is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. The population was 51,199 according to the 2010 census.Located on the central coast of California, the economy centers predominantly around the farming industry. It is known for growing strawberries, apples, lettuce and a host...
.
History
Ygnacio Vicente Ferrer Vallejo (1740–1832), a sergeant in the Spanish Army of New Spain, came to Alta California in 1774 with Fernando Rivera y MoncadaFernando Rivera y Moncada
Fernando Javier Rivera y Moncada was a soldier from New Spain who served in the Baja California peninsula and upper Las Californias, participating in several early overland explorations. Fernando Rivera y Moncada served as a Spanish Miilitary Governor from 1774-1777. -Biography:Rivera was born...
. He married Maria Antonia Lugo, daughter of Francisco Salvador Lugo in 1790. Among their thirteen children, the most distinguished was Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo
Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo
Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo was a Californian military commander, politician, and rancher. He was born a subject of Spain, performed his military duties as an officer of Mexico, and shaped the transition of California from a Mexican district to an American state...
. Ygnacio Vallejo received the two square league Rancho Bolsa de San Cayetano grant in 1824. After his death in 1832, the rancho was inherited by his eldest son, José de Jesús Vallejo (1798–1882). José de Jesús Vallejo was appointed civil administrator at the Mission San José in 1837, and was the grantee of Rancho Arroyo de la Alameda
Rancho Arroyo de la Alameda
Rancho Arroyo de la Alameda was a Mexican land grant in present day Alameda County, California given in 1842 by Governor Juan B. Alvarado to José de Jesús Vallejo...
in 1842.
With the cession
Mexican Cession
The Mexican Cession of 1848 is a historical name in the United States for the region of the present day southwestern United States that Mexico ceded to the U.S...
of California to the United States following the Mexican-American War, the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is the peace treaty, largely dictated by the United States to the interim government of a militarily occupied Mexico City, that ended the Mexican-American War on February 2, 1848...
provided that the land grants would be honored. As required by the Land Act of 1851, a claim for Rancho Bolsa de San Cayetano was filed by José de Jesús Vallejo with the Public Land Commission
Public Land Commission
The Public Land Commission, a former agency of the United States government, was created following the admission of California as a state in 1850 . The Commission's purpose was to determine the validity of prior Spanish and Mexican land grants in California.California Senator William M...
in 1852 and confirmed by the US District Court in 1856. Vallejo unsuccessfully appealed the official survey to the US Supreme Court, and the grant was patented in 1865.
A claim for half of the grant to José Dolores Pico was filed by María Antonia Pico with the Land Commission in 1853, but was rejected on the grounds that he had failed to fulfill the conditions of the grant.
Historic sites of the Rancho
- The Glass House, Casa Materna Of The Vallejos. House built by Ygnacio Vallejo, and known as the “Glass House” for the many glass windows that enclosed its upper porch. Attempts to restore this first home of the Vallejo family were unsuccessful, and the remains demolished in 1926.