Rancho Janal facts for kids

Rancho Janal was a large piece of land, about 4,437 acres (about 18 square kilometers), located in what is now San Diego County, California. It was a "Mexican land grant," which means the Mexican government officially gave this land to a private citizen. In 1829, Governor José María de Echeandía granted this land to José Antonio Estudillo. The rancho was located near the area known today as Otay Mesa. A big part of this land is now covered by the waters of the Upper and Lower Otay Reservoirs. Rancho Janal and the nearby Rancho Otay were both given to members of the Estudillo family, so people often thought of them as one big rancho.

The Story of Rancho Janal

Who Was José Antonio Estudillo?

José Antonio Estudillo (1805 – 1852) was an important person in early California. He was the son of José María Estudillo and was born in Monterey. José Antonio became well-known in politics. In 1825, he married María Victoria Dominguez. Her father, Sergeant Cristobal Dominguez, had received his own land grant called Rancho San Pedro. The Estudillos did not live on Rancho Janal itself; they lived in the town of San Diego. José Antonio served as the "alcalde" (a type of mayor or judge) of San Diego from 1836 to 1838. In 1850, he was chosen to be the first treasurer for San Diego County, but he decided not to take the job.

How Did the Land Become Part of the U.S.?

After the Mexican–American War, California became part of the United States. This happened because of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. This treaty said that the U.S. would respect the land grants that the Mexican government had given out.

To make sure these land grants were official under U.S. law, a new rule called the Land Act of 1851 was created. This law required people to prove they owned their land. So, in 1852, a claim for Rancho Janal was filed with the Public Land Commission. This commission reviewed all the land claims. Finally, in 1872, the ownership of Rancho Janal was officially confirmed, or "patented," to Victoria Dominguez and others.

Later Owners of the Rancho

In 1883, Elisha Spurr Babcock, Jr. bought Rancho Janal. He was famous for building the Hotel del Coronado. Babcock also built the Lower Otay Dam in 1900 for the Southern California Water Company. Later, in 1926, Henry G. Fenton, who had worked for Babcock, bought about 3,000 acres (about 12 square kilometers) of Rancho Janal.