Rancho Los Tularcitos facts for kids
Rancho Los Tularcitos was a huge piece of land, about 4,394-acre (17.78 km2) (that's like 3,300 football fields!). It was given out by the Spanish government in 1821. This land is now part of Santa Clara County, California. The last Spanish governor of Alta California, Pablo Vicente de Solá, gave it to José Loreto Higuera.
Later, in 1839, the Mexican Governor Juan Alvarado officially approved the land grant. The name "Tularcitos" means "place of the little Tule thickets." Tule are tall plants that grow in wet areas.
Today, this rancho covers parts of central and northern Milpitas. It stretched from where the Calera and Pennitencia creeks meet, all the way to a big oak tree in the southeast. South of Rancho Los Tularcitos was the land belonging to the Pueblo of San José.
Contents
History of Rancho Los Tularcitos
Early Family History
The story of Rancho Los Tularcitos begins with the Higuera family. Ygnacio Anastacio Higuera (1753–1805) came to California in 1776. He was part of the De Anza Expedition, a group that explored and settled new areas.
Ygnacio Higuera was a soldier at the Presidio of San Francisco. Later, he moved to the Pueblo of San José. His son, José Loreto Higuera (1778–1845), would later receive the Rancho Los Tularcitos land.
Receiving the Land Grant
Between 1817 and 1822, the Spanish Governor Sola gave out several land grants. José Loreto Higuera was given Rancho Los Tularcitos in 1821. This was a special gift of land from the government.
José Higuera had many children. Some of his sons also received land grants. For example, his son Fulgencio Higuera received Rancho Agua Caliente in 1836. Another son, Valentin Higuera, received Rancho Pescadero in 1843.
In 1839, the Mexican Governor Alvarado officially confirmed José Higuera's ownership of Rancho Los Tularcitos. This meant the land was legally his.
Changes After the Mexican-American War
After the Mexican-American War, California became part of the United States. This happened in 1848. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, which was a peace agreement. This treaty said that the land grants given by Spain and Mexico would still be honored.
To make sure these land claims were official, the United States created the Land Act of 1851. Because of this law, a claim for Rancho Los Tularcitos was filed in 1852. The land was officially given to Antonia Higuera and other heirs of José Higuera in 1870. This process is called getting a "land patent."
The Rancho Changes Hands
Over time, parts of the rancho began to be sold off. One of the first parts was given to José Loreto Higuera's granddaughter, Maria Margarita Higuera. She received land when she married Nicolas Chavarria.
Later, in 1868, a man named Henry Curtner (1830–1917) bought Rancho Tularcitos. This marked a new chapter for the historic land.
Historic Sites of the Rancho
José Higuera Adobe
Soon after José Higuera received the land, he built a special house. It was a one-story adobe building. An adobe is a type of brick made from earth and straw. This house was built for his large family, as he had fourteen children from three marriages. It was an important home on the rancho.
