Rancho Las Cienegas facts for kids

Rancho Las Cienegas was a large piece of land, about 4,439 acres (18 square kilometers), in what is now Los Angeles County, California. It was a Mexican land grant given in 1823 to Francisco Avila by Governor Luis Antonio Argüello. The name "La Cienega" comes from the Spanish word cienaga, which means "swamp" or "marshland." This name fit the area because it had many natural springs and wetlands. These wet areas were located between the Baldwin Hills and Beverly Hills. The rancho was north of another rancho called Rancho La Cienega o Paso de la Tijera. It was also east of today's La Cienega Boulevard, between Wilshire Boulevard and Jefferson Boulevard. The Los Angeles River used to flow through the rancho's lowlands towards Ballona Creek and the Santa Monica Bay. But in 1825, the river changed its path and started flowing south towards San Pedro Bay.

History of Rancho Las Cienegas

Early Days and Francisco Avila

Francisco Avila (1772–1832) was an important person in the history of Rancho Las Cienegas. He was born in a region of Mexico called Sonora y Sinaloa. Francisco Avila moved to the Pueblo de Los Angeles (which is now the city of Los Angeles) sometime after 1794.

In 1810, Francisco Avila became the alcalde of Los Angeles. An alcalde was like a mayor and judge for the town. In 1823, the new Mexican government gave him the land grant for Rancho Las Cienegas. This land was about seven miles west of the pueblo. Avila used the rancho to raise cattle, which helped him make money. Francisco Avila passed away in 1832.

Changes Under United States Rule

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 the land grants given by Mexico would still be valid.

Because of a new law called the Land Act of 1851, people who owned land grants had to prove their ownership. So, in 1853, a claim for Rancho Las Cienegas was filed with the Public Land Commission. The ownership of the rancho was officially confirmed, or "patented," to Francisco Avila's four children in 1871. These children were Januario Avila, Pedra Avila de Ramirez, Francisca Avila de Rimpau, and Louisa Avila de Garfias.

Dividing the Rancho Land

In 1866, a legal case was started to divide the rancho among its owners. This resulted in the land being split among several people. Januario Avila received one-fifth of the rancho. Francisca Avila de Rimpau also received one-fifth. Henry H. Gird got another one-fifth share. The remaining two-fifths were divided among ten other people.

Januario Avila owned the northeast part of the rancho. This area later became a place called Victoria Park. Francisca Avila married Theodore Rimpau, who was from Germany. In the 1920s, Theodore's sons, Adolf, Benjamin, and Fred, started a real estate company called Rimpau Brothers Realty. They divided and sold parts of their family's share of Rancho Las Cienegas.

Henry H. Gird bought almost 1,000 acres (4 square kilometers) of Rancho Las Cienegas in 1862. He lived there until 1880. Then, Gird sold his land and moved his family to Rancho Monserate in San Diego County. Luisa Avila, another daughter of Francisco Avila, married Manuel Garfias. Manuel Garfias was the owner of Rancho San Pascual.