Rancho Las Cruces facts for kids

Rancho Las Cruces was a large piece of land, about 8,888 acres (or 36 square kilometers), given out by the Mexican government in 1837. This land was located in the Santa Ynez Mountains in what is now Santa Barbara County, California. The governor at the time, Juan B. Alvarado, gave this land to a person named Miguel Cordero. The name "Las Cruces" means "the crosses" in Spanish. This rancho was located inland from where Gaviota Beach and the Gaviota Tunnel are today.

The Story of Rancho Las Cruces

Miguel Cordero, who lived from 1795 to 1851, was an important person at La Purísima Mission. He was like a manager there. In 1822, Miguel Cordero married Maria Antonia Jimenez. He stopped his military work in 1833. After that, he was given the Rancho Las Cruces, which was about two square leagues in size. This rancho was not far from another rancho called Rancho Cañada de Salsipuedes, which was given to his brother, Pedro Cordero, in 1844.

Changes in Ownership and Law

Miguel Cordero passed away in 1851. Around the same time, the United States government passed a new law about land claims in California. This law meant that people who owned land grants from Mexico needed to prove their ownership to the U.S. government.

Miguel's wife and children did not know about this new rule right away. Maria Antonia Jimenez died in 1858. The rancho was then shared among their nine children. It became very important to prove their ownership after 1862. That's when the Homestead Act was passed, and the U.S. government started measuring land for new settlers.

The deadline for filing a claim had already passed. So, in 1876, Miguel Cordero's family asked the U.S. Congress for special permission. They wanted their land claim to be heard in court. Congress agreed, and the court confirmed their ownership on August 31, 1880. In 1881, a survey was done to map out the rancho exactly as it was first described. Finally, in 1883, the official document, called a patent, was given to Miguel Cordero's family.

Selling a Part of the Rancho

In 1880, Vincente Cordero, one of Miguel Cordero's sons, sold his share of the rancho. He sold it to Colonel W.W. Hollister and two brothers, Thomas and Albert Dibblee.

Historic Places on the Rancho

• The Las Cruces Adobe: This was a home for members of the Miguel Cordero family. It was likely built around the 1850s or even earlier.