Rancho Pauma facts for kids
Rancho Pauma was a large piece of land in what is now Pauma Valley, California. It was given out by the Mexican government in 1844. This land, about 13,310 acres (53.9 square kilometers), was granted to three people: José Antonio Serrano, Blas Aguilar, and José Antonio Aguilar. It was located near the San Luis Rey River, close to the Palomar Mountains.
History of Rancho Pauma
The land grant was given to three men who were related by marriage. José Antonio Serrano was the son of Leandro Serrano, who also received a land grant called Rancho Temescal. In 1838, José Serrano married Rafaela, whose father, Rosario E. Aguilar, managed the San Diego Mission. Blas Aguilar, another person who received part of the land, was Rafaela's brother. He also managed an area called Temecula and later became a local leader (called an alcalde) in San Juan Capistrano.
After the Mexican-American War, California became part of the United States in 1848. A special agreement called the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo said that the land grants given by Mexico would still be valid.
So, in 1852, a claim for Rancho Pauma was filed with a special group called the Public Land Commission. This group checked to make sure the land grants were real. In 1871, the ownership of Rancho Pauma was officially confirmed to José Antonio Serrano, Blas Aguilar, and José Antonio Aguilar.
Later, Adelaida Serrano, who was José Antonio Serrano's daughter, married a judge named Benjamin I. Hayes in 1866. Over the next 20 years, parts of the ranch were sold. Some of the land went to Hayes' son, J. Chauncey Hayes, and another part went to Thaddeus Amat, who was a bishop in Los Angeles. In 1892, the area where the ranch was located became part of the Pauma and Yuima Reservation.
Historic Sites at the Rancho
The ruins of the Serrano adobe, which was a type of house made from earth, are now a protected historic site. This adobe was important because of an event that happened there in January 1847. During this event, a group of Luiseño Native Americans captured 11 Mexican soldiers at the Serrano adobe.
