Rancho Arroyo de Las Nueces y Bolbones facts for kids
The Rancho Arroyo de Las Nueces y Bolbones was a huge piece of land in what is now Contra Costa County, California. It was also known as "San Miguel." In 1834, the Mexican Governor José Figueroa gave this land, which was about 17,782 acres (72 square kilometers), to Juana Sanchez de Pacheco.
The rancho's name came from two things. "Arroyo de las Nueces" means "Walnut Creek" in Spanish, which was the main stream on the land. "Bolbones" was the name for the local Native American group who lived there. This large area was located on the western side of Mount Diablo. Today, it includes the city of Walnut Creek. A big part of the original rancho is now protected inside Mt. Diablo State Park.
History of the Rancho
Juana Lorenza Sanchez de Pacheco (1776–1853) was an important person in this story. She was the wife of Miguel Antonio Pacheco, a soldier. His family, the Pachecos, came to San Francisco in 1776 with the De Anza Expedition. They were one of the first Spanish families in California. The Pacheco family used their rancho mainly for raising cattle. However, they did not live on the land themselves.
After the Mexican–American War, California became part of the United States in 1848. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo said that the U.S. would respect old Spanish and Mexican land grants. So, in 1852, the Pacheco family's descendants filed a claim for their rancho. This was required by the California Land Act of 1851.
In 1866, the grant was officially confirmed to Juana Lorenza Sanchez de Pacheco's heirs. The rancho was originally meant to be about 8,857 acres. But it was confirmed to be much larger, nearly 17,714 acres (about 72 square kilometers).
Rosa Maria Pacheco, a daughter of Miguel Antonio Pacheco, married Jose Maria Sibrian. Their two sons, Jose Ysidro Sibrian and Jose Ygnacio Sibrian, later inherited the rancho. Around 1850, Ygnacio Sibrian built the first house with a roof in the valley. The area known as Ygnacio Valley is named after him.
Historic places to visit
- Old Borges Ranch: This was once the ranch of Frank Borges. He was an American pioneer who had strong ties to the Walnut Creek area.
- Shadelands Ranch: Hiram Penniman, an American, developed this ranch. He arrived in California in 1853. In 1856, he bought 500 acres (2 square kilometers) from Encarnación Pacheco. She was a daughter of Juana Sanchez de Pacheco. The Shadelands Ranch House is now a special place. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for Contra Costa County.
