Rancho Moro y Cayucos facts for kids
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Rancho Moro y Cayucos was a very large piece of land in California. It covered about 8,045 acres (32.56 km2). This land was given out by the Mexican government in 1842.
The people who first received this land were Martin Olivera and Vicente Feliz. The rancho stretched along the Pacific Coast. It went from just north of what is now Cayucos down to Moro Creek, near present-day Morro Bay.
Contents
History of Rancho Moro y Cayucos
How the Land Grant Started
In 1842, Martin Olivera and his son-in-law, Vicente Feliz, received this large land grant. Martin Olivera was a soldier who worked at Mission Soledad. Vicente Feliz married Martin's daughter, Maria Augustina Olivera. They were given this land by Governor Juan B. Alvarado.
The Rancho Changes Hands
In 1845, Martin Olivera and Vicente Feliz sold Rancho Moro y Cayucos. They sold it to James McKinley. He was a sailor from Scotland.
After the Mexican-American War, California became part of the United States. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 said that old Mexican land grants would still be valid. So, James McKinley officially claimed the land with the U.S. government in 1853. He received the official document for the land in 1878.
Selling Off the Land
By 1867, James McKinley started selling parts of the rancho. The land was divided into smaller pieces.
- In 1867, George Hearst bought several sections of the land.
- Also in 1867, Captain James Cass and Angus Hardie each bought 320 acres (1.3 km2).
- Later, in 1872, a lawyer named Domingo Pujol took ownership of some land. This happened because of a mortgage issue.
- In 1875, Pujol sold his part of the rancho to Chauncey Hatch Phillips. He was a real estate developer.
