Rancho Ex-Mission Soledad facts for kids

Rancho Ex-Mission Soledad was a large piece of land, about 8,900 acres (which is about 36 square kilometers), located in what is now Monterey County, California. It was given out as a Mexican land grant in 1845 by Governor Pío Pico to a man named Feliciano Soberanes.

The name "Ex-Mission" means that this land used to belong to a Spanish mission, specifically Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad. After the Mexican government took control of mission lands in 1833, the areas around the church stayed with the mission, but the lands further away were called "ex-Mission" lands and could be given away. This rancho was right next to Mission Soledad, west of the Salinas River and the town of Soledad.

History of the Rancho

The story of Rancho Ex-Mission Soledad begins with the Soberanes family. José Maria Soberanes, an early family member, traveled with the Portolá expedition in 1769 to explore the San Francisco Bay area. He later married Maria Josefa Castro. Their sons, Feliciano Soberanes and Mariano Soberanes, received other land grants, like Rancho El Alisal, in the 1830s.

Feliciano Soberanes and His Land

Feliciano Soberanes (born in 1788) lived his whole life in Monterey. He was an important person in the community, serving as a council member (regidor) and later as a mayor (alcalde) in Monterey. In 1810, he married Maria Antonia Rodriguez. Feliciano was granted several ranchos over the years, including Rancho San Lorenzo in 1841. His daughter, Maria Josefa Soberanes, received Rancho Los Coches, and his son, Francisco Maria Soberanes, received Rancho Sanjon de Santa Rita, both in 1841.

Feliciano Soberanes became the person in charge of the lands that used to belong to Mission Soledad. In 1845, he was officially granted Rancho Ex-Mission Soledad, which was about two square leagues in size.

Changes Under United States Rule

After the Mexican–American War, California became part of the United States in 1848. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo promised that the land grants given by the Mexican government would be respected. To make this happen, the United States passed the Land Act of 1851. This law required people who owned land grants to prove their ownership to a special commission.

Feliciano Soberanes filed a claim for Rancho Ex-Mission Soledad in 1853. After a long process, his ownership was officially confirmed in 1874.

The Soberanes Family After Feliciano

When Feliciano Soberanes passed away in 1868, his son, Francisco Soberanes, took over Rancho Ex-Mission Soledad. Francisco also bought the land next door, called Rancho Paraje de Sanchez. Francisco married Ysabel Boronda, whose father owned Rancho Los Laureles.

When Francisco Soberanes died in 1887, he left half of his property to his wife, Ysabel, and the other half to their six children. Soon after, Ysabel gave her entire share of the property to one son, Abel Soberanes, which meant the other five children did not receive that part. This led to disagreements within the family.

Eventually, one of Francisco's sons, Benito Soberanes, lost his share of the rancho to banks. The banks then sold the property to Charles Romie. Later, Romie sold the land to The Salvation Army, which used it to create a community called Fort Romie, California.