Rancho Catacula facts for kids

Rancho Catacula was a very large piece of land, about 8,546 acres, in what is now Napa County, California. It was a Mexican land grant, which means the Mexican government gave it to someone. In 1844, Governor Manuel Micheltorena gave this land to Joseph Ballinger Chiles. The ranch was located near Chiles Creek in the Chiles Valley, east of the town of St. Helena.

History of Rancho Catacula

Joseph Ballinger Chiles (1810 – 1885) was an important person in early California history. He first arrived in California in 1841 with a group called the Bartleson–Bidwell Party. He traveled across the country many times. In 1843, he led another group, the Walker-Chiles Party.

In 1844, Joseph Chiles was given the Rancho Catacula land grant. He built a grist mill there, which is a mill for grinding grain into flour. Later, he also built a small distillery. In 1848, Chiles made another trip across the country. This time, he brought his own family, including his son and three daughters, to California.

Changes After the Mexican-American War

After the Mexican-American War, California became part of the United States. This change was agreed upon in 1848 by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This treaty said that the land grants given by the Mexican government would still be honored.

Because of a new law called the Land Act of 1851, Joseph Chiles had to file a claim for Rancho Catacula. He did this in 1852 with the Public Land Commission. This commission checked if the land grants were real. In 1865, the grant was officially approved and patented to Joseph Ballinger Chiles. This meant he legally owned the land under U.S. law.

In 1853, Joseph Chiles married Margret Jane Garnett. Their house, built in 1856, is one of the oldest homes in the Napa Valley. Over the years, parts of Rancho Catacula were sold to other families. For example, in 1869, Joshua James Priest bought a section called Soda Valley. Other families, like the Sievers and Whittle families, also bought parts of the ranch in the 1870s. After Joseph Chiles passed away, his nephew, Isaac Skinner Chiles, bought another part of the land.

Historic Sites of the Rancho

• Chiles Mill: Joseph Ballinger Chiles built the first American flour mill in Northern California on Rancho Catacula. This happened between 1845 and 1846.

California Historical Landmark number 547 marks the location of Chiles Mill. The sign reads:

NO. 547 CHILES MILL - Joseph Ballinger Chiles, who first came to California in 1841, erected the mill on Rancho Catacula 1845-56. The first American flour mill in Northern California, it was still in use in the 1880s. Chiles served as a vice president of the Society of California Pioneers, 1850-53.