Rancho La Cañada facts for kids

Rancho La Cañada was a very large piece of land, about 5,832 acres (23.6 km2), given out by the Mexican government. This land grant was located in what is now the San Rafael Hills and Crescenta Valley areas of Los Angeles County, California. In 1843, the Governor of California, Manuel Micheltorena, gave this land to Ygnacio Coronel, a schoolteacher from Los Angeles.

The name "La Cañada" means "the ranch of the canyon." This historic ranch covered areas that are now the city of La Cañada Flintridge and the community of La Crescenta-Montrose.

History of Rancho La Cañada

Early Owners and Disputes

In 1843, Ygnacio Coronel received the land grant. He named his new property "La Cañada Atras de Rancho Los Verdugos," which means "the canyon behind the Verdugo ranch." However, another person named Julio Verdugo disagreed with this. He said that the land was actually part of his own property, Rancho San Rafael.

Ygnacio Coronel built a small house on the rancho. He farmed the land near where Glendale College is today. But he and his family faced dangers from outlaws, so he eventually left the ranch.

Changes After the War

During the Mexican–American War in 1847, Ygnacio Coronel left Rancho La Cañada. After the war ended, in 1852, he sold the rancho. It was bought by two lawyers, Jonathan R. Scott and Benjamin Hayes.

Jonathan R. Scott had moved to Southern California from Missouri in 1849. He became the first American justice of the peace in Los Angeles. This meant he was a judge who helped keep peace and order. He even helped swear in the first Los Angeles City Council in 1850. Later, Scott bought Benjamin Hayes's share, becoming the sole owner of Rancho La Cañada.

Land Claims and New Owners

After the Mexican-American War, California became part of the United States. The 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was an agreement that said the U.S. would respect the land grants given by the Mexican government.

Because of a law called the Land Act of 1851, people who owned land grants had to prove their ownership. So, in 1852, a claim for Rancho La Cañada was filed with the Public Land Commission. This commission checked if the land grants were real. In 1866, the government officially recognized Scott's ownership, giving him a "patent" for the land. This was like a formal deed.

In 1857, Jonathan Scott traded Rancho La Cañada to Julio and Catalina Verdugo. They were the children of José María Verdugo, who had owned the nearby Rancho San Rafael. In return, Scott received about 4,607 acres (18.6 km2) on the west side of Rancho San Rafael. This area is now the city of Burbank.

Later, in 1875, Rancho La Cañada was sold again. It was bought by Jacob Lanterman, a dentist, and Colonel Adolphus Williams, a veteran from the American Civil War. Both men had moved to California from Michigan for health reasons.