Rancho Huerhuero facts for kids

Rancho Huerhuero was a very large piece of land in what is now San Luis Obispo County, California. It was a special gift of land, called a Mexican land grant, given by the Mexican government. This rancho was about 15,685 acres, which is like having many, many football fields!

The land was first given in 1842 by Governor Juan Alvarado and then made even bigger in 1846 by Governor Pío Pico. It was given to a person named José Mariano Bonilla. Rancho Huerhuero followed along Huerhuero Creek and included the area where the town of Creston is today, near Paso Robles.

The Story of Rancho Huerhuero

How the Land Grant Started

The land for Rancho Huerhuero used to belong to Mission San Miguel Arcángel. First, Governor Juan Alvarado gave José Mariano Bonilla a part of the land in 1842. Then, Governor Pío Pico added even more land in 1846, making the rancho much larger.

José Mariano Bonilla was born in Mexico City in 1807. He moved to California in 1834. In 1838, he married Maria Dolores Garcia. José Bonilla was an important person in San Luis Obispo, even serving as a type of mayor, called an alcalde.

Changes in Ownership

Running such a large ranch was not easy. José Bonilla's managers had a lot of trouble with raids from Native American groups. Because of these difficulties, he decided to sell Rancho Huerhuero in 1847 to Francis Branch.

Francis Ziba Branch (1802–1874) was also a big landowner. He owned another rancho called Rancho Santa Manuela and parts of other ranchos like Rancho Arroyo Grande, Rancho Pismo, and Rancho Bolsa de Chamisal.

Becoming Part of the United States

After the Mexican-American War, California became part of the United States in 1848. The peace agreement, called the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, said that the United States would respect the land grants given by Mexico.

So, in 1852, Francis Branch had to officially claim Rancho Huerhuero with the Public Land Commission. This was a new rule from the Land Act of 1851. His claim was approved, and he officially received the land title, called a patent, in 1866.

More Owners and a New Town

In 1859, Francis Branch sold Rancho Huerhuero to David P. Mallagh (1824–1875). David Mallagh was an Irish sea captain who came to California in 1849. He married Juana de Jesús Carrillo in 1851. He also owned part of Rancho Pismo before selling it to buy Rancho Huerhuero.

Just two days after buying it, Mallagh sold the rancho to a company called Flint, Bixby & Co.

Years later, in the mid-1880s, Flint and Bixby sold Rancho Huerhuero to four people: Amos Adams, Thomas Ambrose, Calvin J. Cressy, and J.V. Webster. The town of Creston, which is there today, was founded in 1884 and was named after Calvin J. Cressy.