Rancho Arroyo Grande facts for kids
Rancho Arroyo Grande was a very large piece of land, about 4,437 acres (about 18 square kilometers), in what is now San Luis Obispo County, California. It was a "Mexican land grant," which means the Mexican government gave this land to someone. In 1842, Governor Juan Alvarado gave the land to Zeferino Carlón. This ranch stretched along Arroyo Grande Creek, east of the modern-day town of Arroyo Grande. Today, a big part of this old ranch is covered by Lopez Lake.
The Story of Rancho Arroyo Grande
Who Owned the Land?
Zeferino Carlón was a soldier and a blacksmith. He was born in 1792. He had different last names because he used the names of his stepfathers. Zeferino was at Mission La Purísima Concepción in 1820.
He married María Antonia Valenzuela in 1811. After she passed away, he married María Dominga Cota in 1813. Their daughter, María Manuela Carlón, was born in 1815. She later married Francis Ziba Branch in 1835.
Zeferino Carlón received the Rancho Arroyo Grande land grant in 1842. In 1850, Zeferino married María Magdalena Valenzuela. Later, Zeferino sold Rancho Arroyo Grande to his daughter, María Manuela, and her husband, Francis Branch.
Changes After the Mexican-American War
After the Mexican-American War, California became part of the United States. This happened because of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. This treaty said that the United States would respect the land grants given by the Mexican government.
To make sure these land grants were official under U.S. law, a new rule was made. This was the Land Act of 1851. It required people who owned land grants to file a claim with the Public Land Commission. Francis Branch filed a claim for Rancho Arroyo Grande in 1852. The land was officially given to him with a special document called a "patent" in 1867.
