Rancho Boca de la Cañada del Pinole facts for kids

Rancho Boca de la Cañada del Pinole was a very large piece of land in California. It was about 13,316 acres, which is like 10,000 football fields! This land was given out by the Mexican government in 1842. Governor Juan Alvarado gave it to a woman named María Manuela Valencia. The name "Boca de la Cañada del Pinole" means "Mouth of the Pinole Valley" in Spanish. Today, this area is in Contra Costa County, California. It's located near cities like Martinez, Pleasant Hill, Orinda, and Lafayette.

History of the Rancho

Felipe Santiago Briones was a soldier who lived from 1790 to 1840. He worked at the San Francisco Presidio, which was a military fort. In 1810, he married Maria Manuela Valencia. Her brother, Candelario Valencia, also received a land grant called Rancho Acalanes.

In 1829, Felipe Briones and his family moved to the El Pinole lands. They built a home there, near what is now the Bear Creek Staging area. In 1839, Felipe asked the government for an official land grant for El Pinole.

However, Felipe Briones passed away in 1840. His wife, Maria Manuela Valencia, then asked for the land grant in her own name. In 1842, Governor Alvarado approved her request. She received the Rancho Boca de la Cañada del Pinole. At the same time, Ygnacio Martinez received a nearby grant called Rancho El Pinole.

After the Mexican-American War, California became part of the United States. This happened in 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This treaty promised that the land grants given by Mexico would still be honored.

So, in 1852, Maria Manuela Valencia filed a claim for her land. This was required by a new law called the Land Act of 1851. Her ownership of the land was officially confirmed in 1878.

In 1870, the Briones family sold their land to Simon and Elias Blum. These new owners started growing fruit orchards on the land.

Later, in 1909, a company called Peoples' Water Company bought the land. This company later became the East Bay Municipal Utility District, which provides water to many homes. They bought the land to protect the water supply. The nearby Briones Reservoir was built in 1964 to store water.

Finally, in 1967, the East Bay Regional Parks District bought a large part of the land. They opened it as the Briones Regional Park. This park is about 6,117 acres and is a popular place for people to enjoy nature.

See also

In Spanish: Rancho Boca de la Cañada del Pinole para niños