Rancho El Sobrante facts for kids
Rancho El Sobrante was a very large Mexican land grant in what is now Contra Costa County, California. In 1841, Governor Juan Alvarado gave this land to Juan Jose Castro and Victor Castro. It was about 20,565 acres (83.2 km²). The name "El Sobrante" means "the leftover" in Spanish. This is because its borders were set by the lands around it. These surrounding lands included Rancho San Antonio, San Pablo, El Pinole, La Boca de la Cañada del Pinole, Acalanes, and La Laguna de los Palos Colorados. This grant covered the area between today's El Sobrante and Orinda.
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The Castro Family and Their Land
The brothers Juan Jose Castro (born 1803) and Victor Ramon Castro (born 1817) were part of a large family. Their parents were Francisco María Castro and María Gabriela Berreyesa. Their father, Francisco Castro, was a soldier in San Francisco. He also held important public jobs, like being an "alcalde" (a local leader, like a mayor). He was given Rancho San Pablo in 1823. Both Juan and Victor Castro also served in the San Francisco militia, which was like a local defense group.
How the Rancho Was Granted
In 1839, Governor Juan Alvarado married María Martina Castro. This made him the brother-in-law of Juan Jose and Victor Castro. Juan Castro had been given Yerba Buena Island in 1838. Victor Castro received Mare Island in 1841. However, neither brother settled on these islands. So, both of those land grants were later canceled.
After this, Juan and Victor Castro found a large area of land that no one else had claimed. It wasn't part of any other land grants at the time. They asked the government for this "leftover" land, and that's how they received Rancho El Sobrante.
Victor Castro's Home and Role
Victor Castro built a two-story adobe house. An adobe house is made from sun-dried earth bricks. His home was in what is now El Cerrito. In 1852, he became one of the first members of the Board of Supervisors for Contra Costa County. This board helps manage the county's government.
Changes After California Joined the U.S.
After the Mexican-American War, California became part of the United States in 1848. This change was agreed upon in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This treaty promised that the U.S. would respect the land grants given by Mexico.
Legal Challenges for the Rancho
A new law, the Land Act of 1851, required landowners to prove their claims. So, Juan José Castro and Victor Castro filed a claim for Rancho El Sobrante in 1852. They filed it with the Public Land Commission. This commission was set up to check who owned land in California.
The case of Rancho El Sobrante was very complex. Its borders were completely surrounded by other rancho grants. This made it hard to figure out exactly where its land began and ended. The legal battles over this land lasted for more than 30 years. Finally, in 1883, the Castros officially received a "patent" for over 20,000 acres (81 km²). A patent is an official document that proves land ownership.
Selling Parts of the Land
Over the years, the Castros sold parts of their large rancho.
- In 1847, they sold about 3,872 acres (15.7 km²) to Ward and Smith, a business in San Francisco.
- In 1860, Victor Castro sold about 4,098 acres (16.6 km²) to Eugene Kelly and G.H. Woodruff, who were bankers.
By 1893, maps showed that Victor Castro (Juan Jose had passed away) owned only about 549 acres (2.2 km²). Much of the land was used to pay lawyers for the many court cases. The Castros also faced problems with "squatters." These were people who tried to live on or claim parts of the land without permission. More lawsuits continued until 1909. That year, a final court order officially divided and settled who owned the land within Rancho El Sobrante.
