Rancho Nojoqui facts for kids
Rancho Nojoqui was a huge piece of land, about 13,284 acres (that's like 5,376 football fields!). It was given out by the Mexican government in 1843. This land was in what is now Santa Barbara County, California. The governor at the time, Manuel Micheltorena, gave it to a man named Raimundo Carrillo. Rancho Nojoqui was located in the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley and near the Santa Ynez Mountains, not far from where the town of Solvang is today.
History of Rancho Nojoqui
In 1843, Raimundo Carrillo received the land grant for Rancho Nojoqui. This grant was about three square leagues, which is a very large area. Raimundo was the grandson of another important person named José Raimundo Carrillo. Later, in 1849, Raimundo Carrillo became the alcalde (which was like a mayor or local judge) of Santa Barbara.
Changes After the Mexican-American War
After the Mexican-American War, California became part of the United States. This happened in 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This treaty said that the land grants given by the Mexican government would still be valid.
So, in 1852, a claim for Rancho Nojoqui was made to the Public Land Commission. This commission was set up to check if land grants were real. In 1869, the ownership of the land was officially confirmed, or "patented," to Raimundo Carrillo. This meant he legally owned the land under U.S. law.
New Owners of the Rancho
In 1854, a man named Ulpiano Yndart bought Rancho Nojoqui. He was an immigrant from a region called Basque Country and came to California in 1849. Sadly, a big drought in 1864 caused him to lose a lot of money. But he didn't give up! He later had a successful career in politics. He worked as the treasurer for Santa Barbara city and helped create Ventura County in the early 1870s.
Later, in 1868, H.W. Pierce bought Rancho Nojoqui from Ulpiano Yndart. William Pierce also owned two other large ranches called Rancho Tequepis and Rancho San Marcos. Pierce decided to call his new property Alisal Ranch.
