Rancho Las Uvas facts for kids
Rancho Las Uvas was a very large piece of land, about 11,080 acres (which is about 44.8 square kilometers). It was a Mexican land grant given in 1842 by Governor Juan Alvarado to Lorenzo Pinedo. This land is now part of Santa Clara County, California. The name "Las Uvas" means "the grapes" in Spanish. It got this name because there were many wild grapevines (Vitis californica) growing along the creeks in the area. The ranch was located about 3 miles west of today's Morgan Hill. It included the hilly land where Uvas Creek and Llagas Creek flow, and it's also where the Uvas Reservoir is now.
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History of Rancho Las Uvas
Early Owners and Family Life
Lorenzo Pinedo came to California from Ecuador. He was the only person to survive a shipwreck near Monterey. In 1839, Lorenzo Pinedo married Maria del Carmen Berreyesa. She was the daughter of José de los Reyes Berreyesa. Lorenzo Pinedo received the land grant for Rancho Las Uvas in 1842. He passed away in 1852.
The Murphy Family's Connection
The Murphy family arrived in California in 1844 with the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party. Martin Murphy, the father, bought a ranch called Rancho Ojo del Agua de la Coche. His son, Bernard Murphy, later bought two more ranches: Rancho La Polka and Rancho Las Uvas. Rancho La Polka was next to Rancho San Francisco de las Llagas. Rancho Las Uvas was next to Rancho Ojo de Agua de la Coche. Sadly, Bernard Murphy died in 1853 in a steamboat explosion.
Land Ownership After the Mexican-American War
After the Mexican-American War, California became part of the United States. This happened with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. The treaty said that the United States would respect the land grants given by Mexico.
To make sure these land claims were official, the U.S. government created the Land Act of 1851. This law required people to file claims for their land grants. Bernard Murphy filed a claim for Rancho Las Uvas in 1852 with the Public Land Commission. This commission was set up to check and approve land claims. In 1860, the ownership of Rancho Las Uvas was officially given, or patented, to Martin J. C. Murphy. He was Bernard Murphy's son.
