Rancho German facts for kids

Rancho German was a huge piece of land in what is now Sonoma County, California. It was about 17,580 acres (which is like 71 square kilometers!). This land was given out as a Mexican land grant in 1846 by Governor Pío Pico to a man named Ernest Rufus. Rufus named the ranch after Hermann, a famous German hero. Hermann had defeated Roman armies a long, long time ago in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. The name "German" was how "Hermann" was written in Spanish. This big ranch stretched along the Pacific coast. It went from the Gualala River in the north down to Salt Point State Park in the south. Today, places like Gualala, Sea Ranch, and Stewart's Point are part of where Rancho German used to be.

A New Start for the Land

The Mexican government was worried about Russia's presence at Fort Ross. So, they were happy when the Russians left in 1841. But they were not happy when the Russian-American Company sold Fort Ross to John Sutter. The Mexican government believed that the land and buildings never truly belonged to the Russians. This meant they couldn't legally sell them to anyone else.

Within two years, Sutter moved everything he could from Fort Ross to his own Rancho New Helvetia. In 1843, a man named William Benitz from Baden, Germany, became the manager of Sutter's Fort Ross properties. In 1844, Sutter leased the land to Benitz and a partner, Ernest Rufus. Rufus was from Württemberg, another part of Germany. Both Benitz and Rufus had been officers in Sutter's army. This deal again made people question if Sutter truly owned the land.

How the Land Grant Was Given

In 1845, William Benitz and Ernest Rufus asked the Mexican governor, Pío Pico, for a grant of five square leagues of land. Before the land was officially given, Rufus invited two other German immigrants, Frederick Hügal and Henry Haeger, to help him develop the ranch.

Rufus, who had become a Mexican citizen, traveled to Los Angeles to ask for the land. In 1846, the land was granted to Rufus alone. At that time, Mexican authorities preferred to give land grants to just one person. Rufus then gave a share of the land to Hügal and Haeger. This left a share for Benitz and himself.

Changes in Ownership

In 1849, Manuel Torres, who owned the neighboring Rancho Muniz, sold his ranch to Benitz and Rufus. This meant Benitz and Rufus now owned a large part of the Sonoma county coastline. It stretched from the Gualala River in the north to the Russian River in the south.

Rufus left the partnership in June 1849. William Benitz then took on a new partner, Charles Theodore Meyer, who was also a German immigrant. In July 1849, Benitz and Meyer bought out Hügal's share of the land.

Becoming Part of the United States

After California became part of the United States, following the Mexican-American War, the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo said that existing land grants would be honored. A claim for Rancho German was filed in 1852 with the Public Land Commission. The official ownership, called a "patent," was given in 1872. The land was patented to William Benitz, Charles Meyer, Carlos F. Glein, Joshua Hendy, and Samuel M. Duncan.

In 1853, Samuel Duncan and Joshua Hendy built a sawmill on the ridge behind Salt Point. In 1855, Joshua Hendy sold his share to Alexander Duncan, Samuel's brother. Before the official survey was done, Glein, Hendy, and Duncan sold their shares to Henry B. Platt. However, the official survey showed the rancho was smaller than the original grant. This led to several lawsuits to fix the boundaries.

Later Owners of the Rancho

By 1855, two German immigrants, William Bihler and Charles Wagner, bought the northern part of Rancho German. Bihler bought Wagner's share in 1857. William Bihler was born in Eppingen, Germany, and moved to America. He arrived in San Francisco in 1849. He worked as a butcher and later became a partner in a cattle ranch on Rancho Huichica in Napa County.

When Bihler bought his Rancho German property in 1855, he asked his two young nephews to come from Baltimore to help manage his cattle ranches. His younger nephew, Christian Stengel, along with Adam Knipp, managed the Rancho German property. In the 1860s, Knipp and Stengel slowly bought about 3,220 acres (13 square kilometers) from Bihler.

Between 1872 and 1882, Robert Rutherford bought about 985 acres (4 square kilometers) from Bihler. But he lost it 13 years later due to foreclosure, which means he couldn't pay for it. In 1903, Knipp and Stengel started selling their land to Bender Brothers Mill and Lumber Co. This company also bought the Rutherford ranch. Starting in 1910, Walter P. Frick bought different parts of the ranch. He combined them all into one large property called the Del Mar Ranch.

Historic Sites of the Rancho

• Knipp and Stengel Ranch Barn. Knipp and Stengel built the Sea Ranch barn. This barn is now listed in the National Register of Historical Buildings and the California Register of Historical Resources.