Rancho Monte del Diablo facts for kids

Rancho Monte del Diablo was given to Salvio Pacheco in 1834. He was a well-known rancher.

Rancho Monte del Diablo was a very large ranch in what is now Contra Costa County, California. It was about 17,921 acres (72.5 km2) big! This land was given as a "Mexican land grant" in 1834 by Governor José Figueroa to Salvio Pacheco. The name "Monte del Diablo" means "thicket of the devil" in Spanish. Later, people mistakenly translated it as "Mount Diablo." The ranch covered a big area, including parts of today's Concord and Pleasant Hill.

The Story of Rancho Monte del Diablo

How the Rancho Began

The story of Rancho Monte del Diablo starts with Salvio Pacheco. He was born in San Jose in 1793. His family came to California way back in 1776. Salvio Pacheco worked for the government in San Jose.

In 1834, Governor José Figueroa gave Salvio Pacheco this huge land grant. Salvio sent his son, Fernando Pacheco, to live on the land first. Fernando started raising cattle there. Salvio Pacheco and the rest of his family moved to the rancho later, in 1846.

Changes After the Mexican-American War

After the Mexican-American War, California became part of the United States. This happened in 1848. A special agreement, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, said that old land grants would still be honored.

So, Salvio Pacheco had to prove his ownership of Rancho Monte del Diablo. He filed a claim in 1852. His ownership was officially confirmed in 1859.

Salvio Pacheco married Maria Juana Flores in 1817. They had five children together. The town of Pacheco, California was named after Salvio Pacheco.

Important Places from the Rancho

Here are some historic places connected to Rancho Monte del Diablo:

• Don Salvio Pacheco Adobe. This was a two-story house made of adobe bricks. It was built in 1846.
• Fernando Pacheco Adobe. This was the site of the adobe house built by Fernando Pacheco in 1843. It was rebuilt in 1941.
• Don Francisco Galindo House. This house was built in 1856. It was for Francisco Galindo and his wife, Maria Dolores Manuela Pacheco. She was Salvio's daughter. Francisco Galindo bought over 5,000 acres (20.2 km2) from Salvio Pacheco.