Rancho Cañada de San Felipe y Las Animas facts for kids
Rancho Cañada de San Felipe y Las Animas was a huge piece of land, about 8,788-acre (35.56 km2) in size. This land was given out as a Mexican land grant in 1839. A land grant was a way the Mexican government gave land to people. This particular rancho was located in what is now Santa Clara County, California. It stretched along San Felipe Creek and Las Animas Creek, in an area called the Diablo Range, northeast of Morgan Hill. Today, a big part of this historic rancho is covered by the waters of Anderson Lake.
History of the Rancho
In 1839, two men named Thomas Bowen (also known as Tomas Boun) and Nathan Daly came to California. They received the Rancho Cañada de San Felipe y Las Animas from the acting governor, Manuel Jimeno Casarin. This grant gave them control over a large area of land.
Charles Weber and the Rancho
A man named Charles Maria Weber was born in Germany. He moved to America in 1836 and arrived in California in 1841 with a group called the Bartleson-Bidwell Party. Weber settled in the Pueblo of San José in 1842. He was also given another land grant called Rancho Campo de los Franceses.
Charles Weber became a captain and fought for the United States in the Mexican–American War. In 1849, he started the city of Stockton. Later, Weber bought the Rancho Cañada de San Felipe y Las Animas. This rancho then became known as the "Weber Ranch." His son, Charles Martin Weber, later helped manage the land.
Land Ownership After the War
After the Mexican-American War, California became part of the United States. The 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was an agreement that said the United States would respect the land grants given by Mexico.
To make sure these land claims were official, the United States passed the Land Act of 1851. This law required people to file a claim for their land. Charles M. Weber filed his claim for the rancho in 1852 with the Public Land Commission. Finally, in 1866, the land was officially "patented" to him. This meant he had the legal document proving his ownership.
