Rancho Los Feliz facts for kids
Rancho Los Feliz was a huge piece of land, about 6,647 acres, in what is now Los Angeles County, California. It was given out in 1795 by the Spanish Governor Pedro Fages to a man named José Vicente Feliz. This land included famous places like Los Feliz and Griffith Park. It was bordered on one side by the Los Angeles River.
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History of Rancho Los Feliz
How the Rancho Began
This land grant was one of the very first ones given in California. José Vicente Feliz was born in Mexico around 1741. He was a soldier who had been part of the Anza Expedition in 1776. This expedition explored new lands. Later, Feliz became the Spanish military leader in the Pueblo of Los Angeles.
In 1787, Governor Fages made Feliz the "Comisionado" of the Los Angeles Pueblo. This job was like being both the Mayor and a Judge. Because of his good service, Feliz was given the land known as Rancho Los Feliz.
Changes in Ownership
Years later, in 1843, the grant was officially confirmed by Mexican Governor Manuel Micheltorena. It was given to Maria Ygnacia Verdugo de Feliz. Maria Ygnacia was married to one of the sons of Anastacio María Féliz. Anastacio was likely a cousin of the original owner, José Vicente Féliz.
When Maria's husband passed away, she asked for the land grant to be in her name and her son's name. Governor Micheltorena agreed in 1843. She never remarried.
After the Mexican–American War, California became part of the United States. The 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo said that old land grants would still be honored. So, in 1852, a claim for Rancho Los Feliz was filed with the Public Land Commission. This was required by a law called the Land Act of 1851. The land was officially given to Maria Ygnacia Verdugo de Feliz in 1871.
In 1863, a lawyer named Antonio F. Coronel bought Rancho Los Feliz from Maria Ygnacia Verdugo de Feliz's family. Coronel then sold the rancho to James Lick, a very rich businessman from San Francisco. Lick passed away in 1876.
Griffith Park and Beyond
In 1882, Colonel Griffith J. Griffith bought 4,071 acres of Rancho Los Feliz. Colonel Griffith later gave 3,015 acres of this land to the city of Los Angeles. This huge gift became Griffith Park, which is one of the biggest city parks in the country.
At that time, the Lick family still owned the southwest part of the rancho. This area became known as the Lick Tract. Later, it became a part of Hollywood.
Places to See at Rancho Los Feliz
- Los Feliz Adobe: An old house made of adobe bricks was built in the 1830s by the Feliz family. It still stands today inside Griffith Park. It is now used as the Park Ranger's Headquarters.
- Maugna: This was the site of an old Native American village. The Tongva people lived here before the Mexican rancho was established. Their villages were called rancherías.
