Rancho El Cajon
Encyclopedia
Rancho El Cajon was a 48800 acres (197.5 km²) Mexican land grant
in present day San Diego County, California
given in 1845 by Governor Pio Pico
to María Antonia Estudillo de Pedrorena. The name means "the box" in Spanish, and refers to the valley between hills. The grant encompassed present day El Cajon
, Bostonia
, Santee
, Lakeside
, Flinn Springs, and the eastern part of La Mesa
. The grant contained the 28 acre (0.11331208 km²) Rancho Cañada de los Coches grant.
. The grant was originally called Rancho Santa Monica, and later renamed Rancho El Cajon. Miguel Pedrorena (1808–1850), a native of Madrid, Spain, who came to California from Peru in 1838, operated a trading business. He married María Antonia Estudillo, daughter of José Antonio Estudillo
, alcalde
of San Diego.
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 El Cajon was filed by Thomas W. Sutherland
, guardian of Pedrorena's heirs (his son, Miguel, and his three daughters, Victoria, Ysabel and Elenain) with the Public Land Commission
in 1852, confirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court , and the grant was patented
in 1876.
In 1868, Los Angeles land developer Isaac Lankershim bought the bulk of the Pedrorena's Rancho El Cajon holdings, employing Major Levi Chase, a former Union Army officer, as his agent. Chase received from Lankershim 7624 acres (30.9 km²) known as the Chase Ranch. Lankershim hired Amaziah L. Knox, a New Englander whom he had met in San Francisco, to manage Rancho El Cajon.
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 San Diego County, California
San Diego County, California
San Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...
given in 1845 by Governor Pio Pico
Pío Pico
Pío de Jesús Pico was the last Governor of Alta California under Mexican rule.-Origins:...
to María Antonia Estudillo de Pedrorena. The name means "the box" in Spanish, and refers to the valley between hills. The grant encompassed present day El Cajon
El Cajon, California
-History:El Cajon is located on the Rancho El Cajon Mexican land grant made in 1845 to María Antonia Estudillo, wife of Miguel Pedrorena. In 1876 Amaziah Lord Knox , a New Englander who had recently moved to California, established a hotel there to serve the growing number of people traveling...
, Bostonia
Bostonia, California
Bostonia is a census-designated place in San Diego County, California. A neighborhood comprising areas within the city limits of northeast El Cajon, as well as areas of unincorporated San Diego County bears the same name...
, Santee
Santee, California
Santee is a suburban city in San Diego County, California with a population of 53,413 at the 2010 census. Although it is a part of the East County region, Santee is located just from the Pacific Ocean. The city is connected to the coastline by State Route 52, a six-lane freeway that runs from...
, Lakeside
Lakeside, California
Lakeside is a Census Designated Place in San Diego County, California. The population was 20,648 at the 2010 census, up from 19,560 as of the 2000 census.- History :...
, Flinn Springs, and the eastern part of La Mesa
La Mesa, California
La Mesa is a city in San Diego County, California. The population was 57,065 at the 2010 census, up from 54,749 at the 2000 census. It was founded in 1869 and officially incorporated as a city on February 16, 1912. Its official flower is the bougainvillea....
. The grant contained the 28 acre (0.11331208 km²) Rancho Cañada de los Coches grant.
History
Previously lands of the San Diego Mission, the eleven square league grant was received in 1845 by María Antonia Estudillo, wife of Miguel PedrorenaMiguel Pedrorena
Miguel Telesford Pedrorena or Miguel de Pedrorena was an early settler of San Diego, California-Life:Miguel Pedroena moved to San Diego in 1845. He married María Antonia Estudillo, daughter of José Antonio Estudillo and María Victoria...
. The grant was originally called Rancho Santa Monica, and later renamed Rancho El Cajon. Miguel Pedrorena (1808–1850), a native of Madrid, Spain, who came to California from Peru in 1838, operated a trading business. He married María Antonia Estudillo, daughter of José Antonio Estudillo
José Antonio Estudillo
José Antonio Estudillo was a Californio and an early settler of San Diego, California when California was part of New Spain.-Life:...
, alcalde
Alcalde
Alcalde , or Alcalde ordinario, is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and administrative functions. An alcalde was, in the absence of a corregidor, the presiding officer of the Castilian cabildo and judge of first instance of a town...
of San Diego.
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 El Cajon was filed by Thomas W. Sutherland
Thomas W. Sutherland
Thomas W. Sutherland was an early settler and attorney in San Diego, California.Thomas W. Sutherland was born c. 1817 in Pennsylvania and moved to San Diego sometime before 1850.Sutherland and his wife Joanna Thomas W. Sutherland (c. 1817–) was an early settler and attorney in San Diego,...
, guardian of Pedrorena's heirs (his son, Miguel, and his three daughters, Victoria, Ysabel and Elenain) 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, confirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court , and the grant was patented
Land patent
A land patent is a land grant made patent by the sovereign lord over the land in question. To make a such a grant “patent”, such a sovereign lord must document the land grant, securely sign and seal the document and openly publish the same to the public for all to see...
in 1876.
In 1868, Los Angeles land developer Isaac Lankershim bought the bulk of the Pedrorena's Rancho El Cajon holdings, employing Major Levi Chase, a former Union Army officer, as his agent. Chase received from Lankershim 7624 acres (30.9 km²) known as the Chase Ranch. Lankershim hired Amaziah L. Knox, a New Englander whom he had met in San Francisco, to manage Rancho El Cajon.