Rancho Llano Seco facts for kids
Rancho Llano Seco was a huge piece of land, about 17,767-acre (71.90 km2) in size, located in what is now Butte County, California. It was a Mexican land grant, which means the Mexican government gave it away. In 1845, the Mexican Governor Pío Pico gave this land to a man named Sebastian Keyser. The name Llano seco means 'dry plains' in Spanish. This ranch stretched along the east side of the Sacramento River, south of today's Chico.
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The Story of Rancho Llano Seco
Early Owners and Changes
The idea for this large land grant was first suggested in 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena. It was officially confirmed in 1845 by Governor Pico. Sebastian Keyser, who was born in Austria, was a trapper. He traveled with John Sutter in 1838 from Missouri to California.
Keyser first went to Oregon, but he came back in 1841. He started working for Sutter at his Rancho New Helvetia. In 1845, Keyser became a part-owner of another ranch called Rancho Johnson. He settled near the Bear River and married Elizabeth Rhoads. Later, in 1849, he sold his share of the ranch to Charles James Brenham. Keyser then ran a ferry boat on the Cosumnes River, but sadly, he drowned there in 1850.
How the Ranch Became Part of the United States
After the Mexican–American War, California became part of the United States. This change was agreed upon in 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This treaty said that the land grants given by the Mexican government would still be valid.
To make sure these land grants were official under US law, a new rule was made. The California Land Act of 1851 required people to file a claim for their land. So, in 1852, a claim for Rancho Llano Seco was filed with the Public Land Commission. The ownership of the ranch was officially given to Charles Brenham in 1860.
The Parrott Family Takes Over
Between 1860 and 1875, a man named John Parrott bought all of Rancho Llano Seco. John Parrott, who was born in Tennessee, joined his brother's business in Mexico. This business involved trading and importing goods.
From 1837 to 1846, he worked as the United States Consul in Mazatlán, Mexico. A consul is like a diplomat who helps people from their home country. He returned to this job in 1848 after the Mexican–American War. In 1850, he resigned and moved to San Francisco.
Parrot and Company, his company in San Francisco, became a very important land owner and banking business. In 1852, John Parrott built one of San Francisco's first big buildings, called the Parrott Block. In 1853, he married Abbie Eastman Meagher. He bought part of another ranch, Rancho de las Pulgas, in 1862. Six years later, he built his home and estate called Baywood. Today, Rancho Llano Seco is still owned by the family members who are descendants of John and Abbie Parrott.
