Rancho Las Positas y La Calera facts for kids

Rancho Las Positas y La Calera was a large piece of land, about 3,282 acres, in what is now Santa Barbara County, California. It was a Mexican land grant, meaning the Mexican government gave this land to private citizens. The rancho had two main parts. One part was called "La Calera," which means "The Lime Kiln." It was given in 1843 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to Narciso Fabregat. The other part was "Las Positas," which means "little pools" in Spanish. This name likely came from water springs nearby. Governor Pío Pico gave "Las Positas" to Thomas M. Robbins in 1846. This rancho was located northwest of the old town and fort of Santa Barbara. Today, areas like Hope Ranch, Hidden Valley, and Campanil are part of where the rancho once stood.

History of the Rancho

Early Owners and Grants

Narciso Fabregat was a soldier who came to California in 1819. He helped protect the Santa Barbara fort and town from a privateer named Hippolyte Bouchard. A privateer was like a pirate, but they had permission from a government to attack enemy ships. In 1845, Fabregat sold his part of the rancho, "La Calera," to Thomas Robbins.

Thomas M. Robbins (1801–1854) was a sea captain from Nantucket. He arrived in California in 1823. In 1834, he married Maria Encarnacion Carrillo in Santa Barbara. Her father was Carlos Antonio Carrillo, an important person in California. In 1846, Governor Pio Pico gave Robbins the "Las Positas" part of the rancho. Robbins also received Santa Catalina Island from Governor Pico in the same year.

Changes After the Mexican-American War

After the Mexican–American War, California became part of the United States. This change was agreed upon in the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This treaty said that the United States would respect the land grants given by the Mexican government.

To make these land grants official under U.S. law, people had to file a claim. Thomas M. Robbins filed a claim for Rancho Las Positas y La Calera in 1852. The U.S. government officially recognized his ownership of the land in 1870. This process is called getting a "land patent."

The Hope Family Takes Over

In 1861, Thomas Hope bought the combined Rancho Las Positas y La Calera from Thomas Robbins' widow, Encarnacion Carrillo. Thomas W. Hope (1820–1876) was born in County Meath, Ireland. He came to the United States in 1836 and learned how to raise sheep and cattle in Texas.

During the California Gold Rush, he moved to San Francisco. He later moved to Santa Barbara in 1850 to become a sheep rancher. He became very successful, especially when the price of wool went up a lot during the American Civil War.

Thomas Hope passed away in 1876. He left the western half of the rancho to his wife, Delia. He left the eastern half to their six children. In 1887, Delia Hope sold her part of the rancho to the Pacific Improvement Company. She then moved to San Francisco. Delia Hope's sale was the start of the development of what is now known as Hope Ranch.

Historic Sites of the Rancho

The Thomas Hope House is a famous building from the rancho's history. It was designed by a well-known architect named Peter J. Barber and finished in 1875. The Thomas Hope House is now a Santa Barbara County Landmark. It is also listed on the National Register of Historical Places, which means it's an important historic site for the whole country.