Rancho Ex-Mission la Purisima facts for kids
Rancho Ex-Mission la Purísima was a very large piece of land, about 14,736 acres, in what is now Santa Barbara County, California. It was given as a Mexican land grant in 1845 by Governor Pío Pico to a person named Jonathan Temple.
The rancho got its name from the nearby Mission La Purísima. It was called "ex-Mission" because it used to be part of the mission's lands. After the mission lands were divided, the church kept the area right around it, and all the other lands outside of that were called "ex-Mission lands." This rancho was located north of the Santa Ynez River and near the modern-day town of Lompoc, including the area known today as Vandenberg Village. Its borders were set by other ranchos nearby, like Rancho Mission Vieja de la Purisma, Rancho Jesús María, Rancho Lompoc, Rancho Los Álamos, and Rancho Santa Rita.
Contents
History of the Rancho
How the Land Changed Hands
After the Mission La Purísima was no longer run by the church in 1834, the priests moved to Mission Santa Inés. The empty mission land was sold in 1845 by Governor Pío Pico to Jonathan Temple for $1,100. A few years later, in 1850, Jonathan Temple sold the property to José Ramón Malo for $1,500. José Ramón Malo also owned the land next to it, called Rancho Santa Rita.
When California Became Part of the U.S.
When California became part of the United States after the Mexican–American War, the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo said that the land grants given by Mexico would still be valid. Because of a law called the Land Act of 1851, a claim for Rancho Ex-Mission la Purísima was officially made in 1852. The ownership of the land was finally confirmed and given to José Ramón Malo in 1882.
Later Owners of the Rancho
In 1870, some new people, Jesse Hill and D.W. and A.P. Jones, bought a share in both Rancho Santa Rita and Rancho Ex-Mission la Purísima. A company from San Francisco called Christy & Wise, which sold wool, also owned a part of the rancho.
Places to Visit Today
You can still visit some important historical places that were once part of or near this rancho:
