Rancho El Tejon
Encyclopedia
Rancho El Tejon was a 97617 acres (395 km²) Mexican land grant
in the Tehachapi Mountains
, in present day Kern County, California
given in 1843 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena
to José Antonio Aguirre
and Ygnacio del Valle
. El Tejon means "badger ranch" in Spanish.The rancho is now a part of the 270000 acres (1,093 km²) Tejon Ranch
.
and San Diego
. Ygnacio del Valle was (1808–1880) was a landowner and one time alcalde
of Los Angeles
. Neither of the owners lived on the rancho. They chose instead to hire a "mayordomo" (ranch foreman) to be in full charge of the vaquero
s needed to guard the cattle.
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 Tejon was filed with the Public Land Commission
in 1852, and the grant was patented
to Aguirre and del Valle in 1863.
Aguirre sold his undivided half interest in Rancho El Tejon to John (Juan) Temple
in 1857. In 1865, Edward Beale
purchased Rancho El Tejon from Ygnacio del Valle and Juan Temple. Beale would acquire three other Mexican Land Grants (Rancho Los Alamos y Agua Caliente
, Rancho Castac
and Rancho La Liebre
) to create the present Tejon Ranch
.
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 the Tehachapi Mountains
Tehachapi Mountains
The Tehachapi Mountains , regionally also called The Tehachapis, are a mountain range in the Transverse Ranges system of California in the Western United States...
, in present day Kern County, California
Kern County, California
Spreading across the southern end of the California Central Valley, Kern County is the fifth-largest county by population in California. Its economy is heavily linked to agriculture and to petroleum extraction, and there is a strong aviation and space presence. Politically, it has generally...
given in 1843 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena
Manuel Micheltorena
Manuel Micheltorena was a Brigadier General of the Mexican Army, Adjutant-General of the same, Governor, Commandant-General and Inspector of the Department of the California...
to José Antonio Aguirre
José Antonio Aguirre (industrialist)
José Antonio Aguirre was a merchant and rancher in Alta California, most prominently in what would become San Diego, California....
and Ygnacio del Valle
Ygnacio del Valle
Ygnacio Ramón de Jesus del Valle was a rancher and landowner in the eastern Santa Clara River Valley, California, United States, as well as an alcalde of Los Angeles. His estate, Rancho Camulos, is registered as a National Historic Landmark.- Early life :Del Valle was born in Jalisco, Mexico...
. El Tejon means "badger ranch" in Spanish.The rancho is now a part of the 270000 acres (1,093 km²) Tejon Ranch
Tejon Ranch
The Tejon Ranch Company , based in Lebec, California, is one of the largest private landowners in California. [The federally-gifted lands still held by the Catellus Corporation, a successor to the Southern Pacific Land Company, are much more extensive.] It was incorporated in 1936 to organise the...
.
History
José Antonio Aguirre (1799–1860) was merchant who lived in Santa BarbaraSanta Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
and San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. Ygnacio del Valle was (1808–1880) was a landowner and one time 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 Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. Neither of the owners lived on the rancho. They chose instead to hire a "mayordomo" (ranch foreman) to be in full charge of the vaquero
Vaquero
The vaquero is a horse-mounted livestock herder of a tradition that originated on the Iberian peninsula. Today the vaquero is still a part of the doma vaquera, the Spanish tradition of working riding...
s needed to guard the cattle.
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 Tejon was filed 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 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...
to Aguirre and del Valle in 1863.
Aguirre sold his undivided half interest in Rancho El Tejon to John (Juan) Temple
Jonathan Temple
Jonathan Temple came to Los Angeles in 1828 and became a large landowner, cattle rancher and one of the area's wealthiest citizens.-Biography:...
in 1857. In 1865, Edward Beale
Edward Fitzgerald Beale
Edward Fitzgerald "Ned" Beale was a national figure in 19th century America. He was naval officer, military general, explorer, frontiersman, Indian affairs superintendent, California rancher, diplomat, and friend of Kit Carson, Buffalo Bill Cody and Ulysses S. Grant...
purchased Rancho El Tejon from Ygnacio del Valle and Juan Temple. Beale would acquire three other Mexican Land Grants (Rancho Los Alamos y Agua Caliente
Rancho Los Alamos y Agua Caliente
Rancho Los Alamos y Agua Caliente was a Mexican land grant in present day Kern County, California given in 1846 by Governor Pio Pico to Francisco Lopes, Luis Jordan and Vicente Botiller. The name means "Cottonwoods and Warm Water Ranch" in Spanish. The native riparian Fremont Cotonwood grow...
, Rancho Castac
Rancho Castac
This is an article about a former California rancho. For a community of a similar name in the same general area, see Castaic, California.Rancho Castac or Rancho Castec was a Mexican land grant in present-day Kern and Los Angeles counties, California, made by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to Jose...
and Rancho La Liebre
Rancho La Liebre
Rancho La Liebre was a Mexican land grant in present day Kern County, California and Los Angeles County given in 1846 by Governor Pio Pico to Jose Maria Flores. Liebre means "Rabbit" in Spanish and the rancho was named as such because of the abundance of jack rabbits in the area...
) to create the present Tejon Ranch
Tejon Ranch
The Tejon Ranch Company , based in Lebec, California, is one of the largest private landowners in California. [The federally-gifted lands still held by the Catellus Corporation, a successor to the Southern Pacific Land Company, are much more extensive.] It was incorporated in 1936 to organise the...
.
See also
- Ranchos of CaliforniaRanchos of CaliforniaThe 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...
- List of Ranchos of California