Rancho Castac facts for kids
Rancho Castac was a large piece of land in California, given out by the Mexican government a long time ago. It was about 22,178 acres, which is like 89.75 square kilometers! This rancho was located in what we now call Kern and Los Angeles counties.
In 1843, Governor Manuel Micheltorena gave this land to a man named Jose Maria Covarrubias. The rancho was nestled in the Tehachapi Mountains. It stretched from Castac Lake in the south to a place called Grapevine in the north. The area where the community of Lebec is today was also part of Rancho Castac. Today, this historic rancho is part of the much larger Tejon Ranch.
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What Does "Castac" Mean?
The name Castac comes from an older word, Kashtiq. This was the name the Chumash people, who are Native Americans, gave to this area in their own language.
How Rancho Castac Began
The official document for Rancho Castac was given by Governor Micheltorena in 1843. The person who received it was Jose Maria Covarrubias. He was a schoolteacher and also worked for the government.
Rancho Castac Becomes Part of the U.S.
After the Mexican–American War, California became part of the United States. This happened in 1848 with a special agreement called the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This treaty said that land grants given by the Mexican government would still be valid.
To make sure these land claims were official under U.S. law, a new rule was made in 1851. It was called the Land Act of 1851. Because of this law, Jose Maria Covarrubias had to file a claim for Rancho Castac in 1853. His ownership of the land was officially confirmed in 1866. This process is called being "patented."
New Owners of the Rancho
Over the years, Rancho Castac changed hands a few times.
- In 1860, a man named Samuel A. Bishop bought the rancho. He later moved to Fort Tejon in 1864.
- Samuel Bishop then sold the land to Robert Symington Baker.
- In 1866, Robert Baker sold it to Edward Beale.
Edward Beale was very important in California. He was in charge of Native American affairs in the state. He later bought three other large Mexican land grants. These were Rancho Los Alamos y Agua Caliente, Rancho El Tejon, and Rancho La Liebre. By combining these, Edward Beale created what we now know as the huge Tejon Ranch.
