Rancho La Habra facts for kids
Rancho La Habra, also called "Rancho Cañada de La Habra," was a large piece of land in what is now Los Angeles County and Orange County, California. It was about 6,698 acres (27.11 km2) in size. In 1839, the Mexican Governor Juan Alvarado gave this land as a grant to Mariano Reyes Roldan.
The name "La Habra" means "The Pass Through the Hills." This refers to a natural path between the Chino Hills and Puente Hills. This pass leads into the San Gabriel Valley. Spanish explorers first found this pass in 1769. The rancho land was shaped like a wedge pointing south. Today, the cities of La Habra and La Habra Heights are located on this historic land.
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History of Rancho La Habra
Early Land Ownership
In 1839, California's Mexican Governor Juan B. Alvarado gave the land grant for Rancho La Habra. It was about 1.5 square leagues in size. The land was given to Mariano Reyes Roldan. He was 40 years old and a member of the Los Angeles city council. Roldan named his new property Rancho Cañada de La Habra. Later, Roldan sold the rancho to Andrés Pico.
Changes After the Mexican-American War
After the Mexican–American War, California became part of the United States. This happened with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. This treaty said that existing land grants would still be honored. Because of a new law called the Land Act of 1851, a claim for the rancho was filed in 1852. The land was officially given to Andrés Pico and Francisco de Uribe de Campo in 1872.
New Owners and Sheep Ranches
In 1861, Abel Stearns bought the land. However, a big drought in 1863 forced him to sell it. Many of the new buyers were Basque sheep farmers. Domingo Bastanchury and Jose Sansinena became business partners. In 1889, Sansinena bought a 5,000-acre (20.23 km2) sheep ranch. This ranch included most of what is now La Habra and La Habra Heights. Jose Sansinena passed away in 1896.
Development and Growth
In 1894, Willitts J. Hole (1858–1936) bought several large areas of land. Mrs. Sansinena sold 3,500 acres (14.16 km2) to him. This land later became La Habra Heights. Hole and his partners started selling smaller pieces of land. This helped create the cities of La Habra and later Brea.
Hole first leased the land to a man named Toussou for sheep grazing. Around 1904, Hole sold the rights to any oil found on the land to Rudisill. Rudisill then transferred these rights to the Union Oil Company. After this, the area grew much faster. La Habra officially became a township around 1917.
Edwin G. Hart was a land developer from Ohio. He moved to California when he was young. In 1914, Hart began buying the 3,500-acre (14.16 km2) Sansinena ranch from Willitts J. Hole. The sale of the ranch was completed in 1919.
