Rancho Cañada de Los Osos facts for kids

Rancho Cañada de los Osos was a very large piece of land in California. Its name means "Valley of the Bears" in Spanish. This land was given out by the Mexican government a long time ago. It was about 23,574 acres big, which is like 95 square kilometers. Today, you can find this area in San Luis Obispo County, California.

In 1842, a governor named Juan B. Alvarado gave this land to Victor Linares. The Rancho Cañada de los Osos stretched from the Pacific Ocean, along Los Osos Creek and the Los Osos Valley. It reached almost to what is now the city of San Luis Obispo. It also included areas like Los Osos, part of Montaña de Oro State Park, and the northern Irish Hills.

History of the Rancho

Early Ownership

The land for Rancho Cañada de los Osos was officially given to Victor Linares in 1842. Before this, Linares had lived in San Luis Obispo since 1839. He had an important job there, acting as a "majordomo" for the Mission. A majordomo was like a manager. He was also a leader in the local militia, which was a group of citizens who helped protect the area.

Around the same time Linares received Rancho Cañada de los Osos, he sold another piece of land he owned called Rancho Tinaquaic.

New Owners and Expansion

In 1844, two men named John D. Wilson and James G. Scott bought Rancho Cañada de los Osos from Victor Linares. They also bought another nearby ranch called Rancho Pecho y Islay. This second ranch was located south of Rancho Cañada de los Osos. Governor Manuel Micheltorena had granted Rancho Pecho y Islay to Francisco Badillo in 1843.

In 1845, the two ranches, Cañada de los Osos and Pecho y Islay, were officially joined together. Governor Pío Pico made this happen by granting them as one large property. The new, combined ranch was called Rancho Cañada de los Osos y Pecho y Islay. It was owned by James Scott and John Wilson.