Rancho Los Cerritos facts for kids
- This article is about the large piece of land. For the old house on the land, see Los Cerritos Ranch House.
Rancho Los Cerritos was a huge piece of land in California. It covered about 27,054 acres (109.5 square kilometers). This land was given out in 1834, when California was part of Mexico. The name "Cerritos" means "little hills" in Spanish. Today, this land is where cities like Cerritos and Long Beach are located. Rancho Los Cerritos was once part of an even bigger land grant called Rancho Los Nietos.
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History of Rancho Los Cerritos
How the Rancho Was Created
In 1834, a man named Manuel Nieto had many heirs, or family members who would inherit his land. The governor of California at the time, José Figueroa, decided to divide Nieto's very large land grant, Rancho Los Nietos. This huge area, about 167,000 acres, was split into five smaller ranchos. Rancho Los Cerritos was one of these new, smaller land grants. It was given to Manuela Nieto, who was Manuel Nieto's daughter, and her husband, Guillermo Cota.
New Owners of the Rancho
Later, in 1843, a man named Jonathan Temple bought Rancho Los Cerritos from the Cota family. He had married Rafaela Cota in 1830.
California Becomes Part of the United States
After the Mexican–American War ended in 1848, California became part of the United States. The peace agreement, called the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, said that the land grants given by Mexico would still be honored. To make this official, the United States passed a law in 1851. This law said that people who owned land grants had to prove their ownership. Jonathan Temple filed a claim for Rancho Los Cerritos in 1852. He officially received the U.S. government's approval for his land in 1867.
Changes in Ownership
California faced a very bad drought, or long period without rain, in 1863 and 1864. This made it hard for ranchers. Because of this drought, Jonathan Temple sold Rancho Los Cerritos in 1866. He sold it to a company called Flint, Bixby & Co.
Historic Sites of the Rancho
- Rancho Los Cerritos Ranch House. This old adobe house was built by Jonathan Temple in 1844.
