Rancho Las Baulines facts for kids
Rancho Las Baulines was a large piece of land, about 8,911-acre (36.06 km2), in what is now Marin County, California. It was a special gift of land, known as a Mexican land grant. In 1846, the Governor of California, Pío Pico, gave this land to Gregorio Briones. The land included the area around Bolinas Lagoon, and today it covers places like Stinson Beach and Bolinas.
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The Story of Rancho Las Baulines
Who Was Gregorio Briones?
Gregorio Briones was born in Monterey in 1797. His father, Marcos Briones, traveled with Junípero Serra in 1769, a very important time in California's history.
When Gregorio was 22, in 1819, he joined the army and served for eleven years. In 1822, he married Maria Ramona Garcia. Her brother, Rafael Garcia, also owned a large ranch called Rancho Tomales y Baulines. Gregorio's own sister, Juana Briones de Miranda, was also a ranch owner.
Gregorio's Public Service
Gregorio Briones was a leader in his community. He served as an alcalde, which was like a mayor or a judge, in several towns. He was the alcalde of San Jose in 1830. Later, he served in Pinole from 1832 to 1837, and in San Mateo from 1837 to 1839.
Moving to Bolinas
In 1837, Gregorio's son, Jose Pablo Briones, moved their family's cattle to Rafael Garcia's ranch. This ranch was near the Bolinas Lagoon. Rafael Garcia then moved further north to his own land.
The rest of the Briones family joined Pablo in 1838. Gregorio himself moved there permanently in 1839. This is how the Briones family came to live in the area that would become Rancho Las Baulines.
How the Land Grant Happened
In 1846, Governor Pío Pico officially gave Gregorio Briones the land grant for Rancho Las Baulines. This grant covered about two square leagues, which is a very large area.
After California Became Part of the U.S.
After the Mexican–American War, California became part of the United States. This happened in 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This treaty said that the land grants given by Mexico would still be honored.
To make sure the land grants were official under U.S. law, people had to file a claim. Gregorio Briones filed his claim for Rancho Las Baulines in 1853 with the Public Land Commission. This commission checked all the land claims. Finally, in 1866, the grant was officially confirmed and given to Gregorio Briones.
