Rancho Jurupa facts for kids
Rancho Jurupa was a very large piece of land in California, given out by the Mexican government a long time ago. It was about 40,569 acres, which is like having over 30,000 football fields! Today, this land is split between what we now call Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
This big land grant was located along both sides of the Santa Ana River in southern California. It included much of the land where the city of Jurupa Valley is today, as well as the downtown area of the city of Riverside. Governor Juan B. Alvarado gave this land to Juan Bandini in 1838.
History of the Rancho Jurupa Land Grant
The story of Rancho Jurupa began on September 28, 1838. Governor Juan B. Alvarado of California gave this land to Juan Bandini (who lived from 1800 to 1859). At that time, it was described as "seven leagues of grazing land," which meant it was a very large area for animals to roam.
Some historians from Riverside believe that the original land grant, which was about 31,000 acres, was actually smaller than what was later recognized by the United States. They suggest that a hill called Pachappa, which was a marker for the rancho, might have originally been a different hill. They think an early owner of the rancho might have changed the name of the hill to make their property seem larger.
Rancho Jurupa and Abel Stearns
In 1841, Juan Bandini's daughter, Arcadia, married Abel Stearns (who lived from 1798 to 1871).
After the Mexican–American War ended in 1848, California became part of the United States. The peace agreement, called the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, said that the land grants given by Mexico would still be honored.
Because of a new law in 1851, Juan Bandini had to officially claim his land grant with the United States government. He did this in 1852, and his claim was approved in 1855. In 1857, Juan Bandini sold a large part of the rancho to his son-in-law, Abel Stearns. Stearns later received an official US land document, called a land patent, for this 33,819-acre portion of Rancho Jurupa in 1879.
Rancho Jurupa and Louis Rubidoux
In 1843, Juan Bandini sold another part of the original Rancho Jurupa grant. This section was about 6,750 acres. He sold it to Benjamin Davis Wilson. A year later, Wilson sold this land to Isaac Williams and James Johnson.
Williams and Johnson then sold this property to Louis Rubidoux (who lived from 1796 to 1868) in 1849. This part of the rancho eventually became known as the Rubidoux ranch. The name "Rubidoux" is usually spelled this way in the Riverside area, even though his last name was Robidoux.
Louis Rubidoux also had to file a claim for his part of Rancho Jurupa with the US government in 1852. He received his official US land patent for this 6,750-acre portion of Rancho Jurupa in 1876.
In November 1869, a group called the California Silk Center Association was formed. They wanted to grow silkworms, mulberry trees, citrus fruits, and grapes. This group bought over 4,000 acres of the Rubidoux Rancho for their farming plans.
