Rancho de los Palos Verdes
Encyclopedia
Rancho de los Palos Verdes was a 31629 acres (128 km²) Mexican land grant
in present day Los Angeles County, California given in 1846 by Governor Pío Pico
to José Loreto and Juan Capistrano Sepulveda. The name means "range of green trees". The grant encompassed the present day cities of the Palos Verdes
Peninsula, as well as portions of San Pedro and Torrance
.
's Rancho San Pedro
Spanish
land grant. Around 1810 Manuel Guttierez, executor of Dominguez’s will and de facto owner of his rancho, granted permission to then 17-year-old Jose Dolores Sepulvedato herd livestock in the southwestern reaches of the Rancho San Pedro. This eventually became the basis for the Sepulveda family’s contested claim to the Rancho de los Palos Verdes. Dolores had trouble getting his land title cleared, so he took a trip to Monterey
to get the matter definitely settled and, on his return trip, he was killed in the Chumash revolt
at Mission La Purísima Concepción
in 1824. In 1834, a judicial decree was made by Governor Jose Figueroa
which was intended to settle the dispute between the Dominquez and Sepulveda families.
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 de los Palos Verdes was filed with the Public Land Commission
in 1852, and the grant was patented
to José Loreto and Juan Capistrano Sepulveda in 1880.
By 1882 ownership of the land had passed from the Sepulveda through various mortgage holders to Jotham Bixby of Rancho Los Cerritos
, who leased the land to Japanese farmers. After the turn of the century most of Bixby's land was sold to a consortium of New York investors who created The Palos Verdes Project and began marketing land on the peninsula for small horse ranches and residential communities.
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 Los Angeles County, California given in 1846 by Governor Pío Pico
Pío Pico
Pío de Jesús Pico was the last Governor of Alta California under Mexican rule.-Origins:...
to José Loreto and Juan Capistrano Sepulveda. The name means "range of green trees". The grant encompassed the present day cities of the Palos Verdes
Palos Verdes
Palos Verdes is a name often used to refer to a group of coastal cities in the Palos Verdes Hills on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, within southwestern Los Angeles County in the U.S...
Peninsula, as well as portions of San Pedro and Torrance
Torrance, California
Torrance is a city incorporated in 1921 and located in the South Bay region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. Torrance has of shore-front beaches on the Pacific Ocean, quieter and less well-known by tourists than others on the Santa Monica Bay, such as those of neighboring...
.
History
The grant was originally a part of Manuel DominguezManuel Dominguez
Manuel Dominguez , born at the Mission San Juan Capistrano in Alta California, Viceroyalty of New Spain, and was the heir to the vast Rancho San Pedro land grant.-Juan Jose Dominguez:...
's Rancho San Pedro
Rancho San Pedro
Rancho San Pedro was one of the first California land grants, and the first to win a patent from the United States. The land grant was validated by the Mexican government at in 1828, and a US patent validating was issued in 1858...
Spanish
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....
land grant. Around 1810 Manuel Guttierez, executor of Dominguez’s will and de facto owner of his rancho, granted permission to then 17-year-old Jose Dolores Sepulvedato herd livestock in the southwestern reaches of the Rancho San Pedro. This eventually became the basis for the Sepulveda family’s contested claim to the Rancho de los Palos Verdes. Dolores had trouble getting his land title cleared, so he took a trip to Monterey
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
to get the matter definitely settled and, on his return trip, he was killed in the Chumash revolt
Chumash Revolt of 1824
The Chumash Revolt of 1824 was an uprising of the Chumash Native Americans against the Spanish presence in The Californias. The rebellion occurred in present day California Missions Mission Santa Inés, Mission Santa Barbara, and Mission La Purisima...
at Mission La Purísima Concepción
Mission La Purísima Concepción
Mission La Purisima Concepción, or La Purisima Mission, with the original Spanish name being La Misión de La Purísima Concepción de la Santísima Virgen María, was founded on the Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin on December 8, 1787...
in 1824. In 1834, a judicial decree was made by Governor Jose 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...
which was intended to settle the dispute between the Dominquez and Sepulveda families.
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 de los Palos Verdes 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 José Loreto and Juan Capistrano Sepulveda in 1880.
By 1882 ownership of the land had passed from the Sepulveda through various mortgage holders to Jotham Bixby of Rancho Los Cerritos
Rancho Los Cerritos
Rancho Los Cerritos was a 1834 land grant in present day eastern Los Angeles County and Orange County, California The grant was the result of a partition of the Rancho Los Nietos grant. "Cerritos" means "little hills" in Spanish...
, who leased the land to Japanese farmers. After the turn of the century most of Bixby's land was sold to a consortium of New York investors who created The Palos Verdes Project and began marketing land on the peninsula for small horse ranches and residential communities.
Historic sites of the Rancho
- Site of Adobe Home of Jose Dolores Sepulveda. Dolores Sepulveda's adobe was built in 1818.