Rancho Nuestra Señora del Refugio facts for kids

The Rancho Nuestra Señora del Refugio was a huge piece of land in what is now Santa Barbara County, California. Its name means "Ranch of Our Lady of Refuge." This rancho was first given as a Spanish land grant in 1794 to José Francisco Ortega. It was special because it was the only Spanish land grant later confirmed by the USA in 1866.

The rancho covered about 74,000 acres (around 300 square kilometers). It stretched along the Pacific coast from Cojo Canyon, past Arroyo Hondo and Tajiguas Canyon, all the way to Refugio Canyon. This area includes what we now call the Gaviota Coast. Later, in 1834, a Mexican land title for the rancho was given to Antonio Maria Ortega by Mexican Governor José Figueroa.

History of the Rancho

The first Europeans to visit California were Spanish explorers. Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo sailed along the coast in 1542. Later, in 1602, another Spanish explorer named Sebastián Vizcaíno also explored the California coast. For many years after that, Spanish ships, especially those involved in the Manila galleon trade, might have stopped along the coast if they needed to, but no one built any permanent towns.

First Explorers Visit the Land

The first land expedition to California was led by Gaspar de Portolá in 1769. On August 23, 1769, his group camped at a place we now call Tajiguas Creek. They were on their way to Monterey Bay. A missionary named Juan Crespi, who was with the expedition, wrote about two native villages. These villages were across the creek from each other, close to the ocean. This was similar to what they had seen the day before at Rancho Dos Pueblos.

For the next two days, August 24 and 25, the expedition continued along the coast. They were still on land that would later become part of the rancho. On the 24th, they camped at Gaviota Creek, which is now Gaviota State Park. The soldiers named this spot La Gaviota, which means "the seagull" in Spanish. On the 25th, the group camped at El Bullito Creek. This spot was about halfway between Gaviota and Point Conception.

The Ortega Family and the Rancho

The rancho was given to José Francisco Ortega. He had been a scout for the Portolá expedition in 1769. As a scout leader, Ortega was one of the first Europeans to see many places in California, including San Francisco Bay. Ortega also played a big part in starting the Presidio of Santa Barbara in 1782. A presidio was like a fort or military base.

After he retired in 1786, Ortega received approval for the Rancho Nuestra Señora del Refugio land grant. He built his home in Refugio Canyon in 1794. Later, in 1834, the Mexican Governor Figueroa officially confirmed the land grant to Ortega's son, Antonio Maria Ortega.

Changes Under United States Rule

After the Mexican–American War, California became part of the United States. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 said that the existing land grants, like the rancho, would still be honored.

Because of a law called the Land Act of 1851, people who owned land grants had to file a claim to prove they owned the land. A claim for Rancho Nuestra Señora del Refugio was filed in 1853. The land was officially "patented" to Antonio Maria Ortega in 1866. This means the U.S. government officially recognized his ownership.

Selling Parts of the Rancho

The first time parts of Rancho Nuestra Señora del Refugio were sold to people outside the Ortega family was in 1858. This sale included the Gaviota Ranch. In 1866, Thomas B. Dibblee, who owned Rancho San Julian, bought several pieces of land that were originally part of the rancho. Eventually, he owned about three-quarters of the original grant.

Also in 1866, William Welles Hollister bought 14,500 acres (about 59 square kilometers) of land, which became Hollister Ranch. Dibblee and Hollister worked together and owned several land grants in the Santa Barbara area. By 1889, the Ortega family had sold all the rancho lands, with the last sale being Arroyo Hondo.

Historic Sites of the Rancho

The Ortega family also had settlements in other areas of the rancho, like Tajiguas Canyon, Arroyo Hondo, and Cañada del Corral. In 1818, a group of privateers (like pirates, but with government permission) led by Hippolyte Bouchard burned the original ranch buildings in Refugio Canyon. However, some of the old adobe buildings at Arroyo Hondo and Canada del Corral are still standing today.

The adobe building at Arroyo Hondo, along with a small fruit orchard planted by the padres from the Mission Santa Inés, can still be seen at the Arroyo Hondo Preserve. This preserve is now managed by the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County. The ranch at Tajiguas Canyon was special because it had the first lemon orchard ever planted in California!