Rancho Cañada de los Osos y Pecho y Islay facts for kids
Rancho Cañada de los Osos y Pecho y Islay was a very large piece of land, about 32,431 acres (which is like 50 square miles!). It was located in what is now San Luis Obispo County, California.
This big rancho was actually made up of two smaller land grants. The first was Rancho Cañada de Los Osos, meaning "Valley of the Bears." It was given in 1842 by Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado to Victor Pantaleon Linares. The second was Rancho Pecho y Islay, given in 1843 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to Francisco Badillo.
These two grants were later combined in 1845 by Governor Pío Pico. He gave the new, larger Rancho Cañada de los Osos y Pecho y Islay to James Scott and John Wilson. They had bought the land from the original owners.
The Cañada de Los Osos part of the rancho stretched from the Pacific Coast, along Los Osos Creek and the Los Osos Valley, almost to 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.
The Rancho Pecho y Islay part was a strip of land along the Pacific Ocean. It went from Islay Creek to Pecho Creek and up into the Irish Hills. This area included the southern part of Montaña de Oro State Park and where the Diablo Canyon Power Plant is today.
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How Did This Rancho Come To Be?
The story of this large rancho began with two separate land grants. The northern part, called Rancho Cañada de Los Osos, was given in 1842 by Governor Alvarado to Victor Linares. The southern part, Rancho Pecho y Islay, was given in 1843 by Governor Micheltorena to Francisco Badillo.
In 1844, two business partners, John D. Wilson and James G. Scott, bought both of these ranchos from their original owners. Then, in 1845, the Cañada de Los Osos rancho was officially combined with Rancho Pecho y Islay to the south. This created the single, large Rancho Cañada de los Osos y Pecho y Islay.
Who Were John Wilson and James Scott?
Captain John Wilson (1797–1861) was a sea captain and trader from Scotland. He came to California in 1837 with his business partner, James Scott (who died in 1851), also from Scotland.
In 1837, Wilson married María Ramona Carrillo de Pacheco (1812–1888). She was the widow of José Antonio Romualdo Pacheco. María Ramona was also the daughter of María Ygnacia López de Carrillo, who owned another large rancho. She herself was given the land for Rancho Suey.
Wilson and Scott owned several ranchos together, including Rancho Los Guilicos and Rancho El Chorro, besides this one. John Wilson also bought other ranchos on his own. In 1845, Wilson moved his family to Rancho Cañada de los Osos y Pecho y Islay. He built an adobe house there, and his family lived there until he passed away in 1860.
What Happened After California Became Part of the U.S.?
After the Mexican–American War, California became part of the United States in 1848. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo stated that the land grants given by the Mexican government would still be honored.
To make sure their land was officially recognized by the U.S. government, John Wilson filed a claim for Rancho Cañada de los Osos y Pecho y Islay in 1852. The government officially approved the grant to John Wilson in 1869.
Later Owners and Changes
After John Wilson died, his wife, Ramona Carrillo Wilson, and their daughter, Ramona Hilliard (1839-1912), inherited the rancho. Ramona Hilliard married Frederick Hilliard in 1862.
Ramona Carrillo Wilson passed away in 1888. In 1891, Ramona Hilliard sold the southern part of the Pecho y Islay ranch to Luigi Marre (1841-1902). She continued to manage the northern part by leasing it out. Alden Spooner Jr. first leased land there in 1892.
In 1901, a man named Henry Cowell from San Francisco took control of the remaining Pecho ranch because of a debt. In 1902, Alden Spooner Jr. bought it from Cowell's widow.
Important Places on the Rancho
- Wilson adobe: This house was built by Captain John Wilson in 1845. It is located on Los Osos Valley Road near Turri Road.
- Spooner's Ranch House: This historic house was part of the rancho.
