Rancho Miramontes facts for kids
Rancho Miramontes was a large piece of land in what is now San Mateo County, California. It was also known by other names like Arroyo de los Pilarcitos, which means "creek of little pillars." In 1841, the Mexican government gave this land, about 4,424 acres (17.9 sq km), to a person named Juan Jose Candelario Miramontes. This land stretched along the Pacific coast, near where Half Moon Bay is today.
History of Rancho Miramontes
Juan Jose Candelario Miramontes (1789–1846) moved to Monterey with his family in 1797. He was one of the first people to settle in Branciforte, near Santa Cruz. Candelario Miramontes became a military officer at the Presidio of San Francisco. In 1808, he married Maria Guadalupe Briones.
In 1841, Governor Juan B. Alvarado gave Candelario Miramontes the land grant called Rancho Arroyo de Los Pilarcitos. This land was later known as Rancho San Benito. Candelario Miramontes stayed in San Francisco and passed away there in 1846. His sons, Jose Vicente Miramontes and Rodolfo, then moved to live on the rancho.
Changes After the Mexican-American War
After the Mexican-American War, California became part of the United States. The 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo stated that the land grants given by Mexico would still be valid. To make sure these land claims were official, a special process was set up.
In 1852, a claim for Rancho Miramontes was filed with the Public Land Commission. This was required by the Land Act of 1851. The land grant was officially approved and given to Juan Jose Candelario Miramontes in 1882.
The Johnston Family Buys Land
James P. Johnston (1813–1879) came from Ohio. He made money during the California Gold Rush. After that, he returned to San Francisco and started buying and selling land. In 1852, Johnston married Petra Maria de Jara, who was a Californio (a person of Spanish or Mexican heritage born in California).
In 1853, James Johnston bought about 1,162 acres (4.7 sq km) of Rancho Miramontes from the Miramontes family. He invited his brothers, John, Thomas, and William, to live on the San Mateo County coast. The Johnston brothers bought even more land. By 1859, the Johnston Ranch owned about half of the original Rancho Miramontes. After buying the land, James Johnston built the first wood-framed house on the San Mateo County coast. It was designed like a "saltbox" from New England and is known today as the James Johnston House.
