Rancho Las Posas facts for kids
Rancho Las Posas was a very large piece of land, about 26,623 acres (or 108 square kilometers), given out by the Mexican government. This happened in 1834 in what is now Ventura County, California. The land was a special type of gift called a Mexican land grant. Governor José Figueroa gave this grant to a person named José Antonio Carrillo.
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Where Was Rancho Las Posas?
This big land grant stretched along the Arroyo Simi river. It covered parts of the western Simi Valley and the southern Oxnard Plain. The land went from near today's Moorpark all the way to Camarillo.
- To the east, it shared a border with Rancho Simi.
- To the south, it was next to Rancho Calleguas, the Las Posas Hills, and the Simi Hills.
- On the west, it bordered Rancho Santa Clara del Norte and the Arroyo del Las Posas river.
- To the north, it reached the western Santa Susana Mountains.
Who Owned Rancho Las Posas?
José Antonio Carrillo and His Family
Captain José Antonio Ezequiel Carrillo (born 1796, died 1862) was an important person in early California. He was the son of José Raimundo Carrillo. José Antonio Carrillo served as the alcalde (like a mayor) of Los Angeles three times between 1826 and 1834.
His brother, Carlos Antonio Carrillo, also received a land grant called Rancho Sespe in 1833. José Antonio Carrillo married Estefana Pico in 1823. After she passed away, he married her sister, Jacinta Pico, in 1842. Both sisters were related to famous figures like Pío Pico and Andrés Pico. José Antonio Carrillo also owned the Island of Santa Rosa.
The De la Guerra Family Takes Over
Captain José de la Guerra y Noriega (born 1779, died 1858) was a military leader. He was the Comandante (commander) of the Presidio of Santa Barbara from 1827 to 1842. In 1804, De la Guerra married José Antonio Carrillo's sister, María Antonia Carrillo.
José de la Guerra y Noriega started buying a lot of land in California. He wanted to raise cattle on these large ranches. In 1842, he bought Rancho Las Posas from the Carrillo family.
Rancho Las Posas Becomes U.S. Land
After the Mexican–American War, California became part of the United States. This happened in 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This treaty promised that the land grants given by Mexico would still be honored.
Because of a law called the Land Act of 1851, a claim for Rancho Las Posas was officially filed. This happened with the Public Land Commission in 1852. Finally, in 1881, the ownership of the land was officially confirmed to José de la Guerra y Noriega. This official confirmation is called a patent.
