Rancho Potrero de San Francisco facts for kids

Rancho Potrero de San Francisco, also known as Rancho Potrero Nuevo, was a large piece of land in what is now San Francisco, California. It was a "Mexican land grant," which means the Mexican government gave it to someone. This rancho covered about 1,000 acres (or 4 square kilometers). Today, this area is known as the Potrero Hill neighborhood.

The rancho stretched from the bay at a place called Point San Quentin (later Potrero Point). It was located between Mission Creek to the north and Islais Creek and Precita Creek to the south. It also included Potrero Hill and the land sloping down to its west.

History of Rancho Potrero

The De Haro Family's Claim

The De Haro family said that Governor Juan Alvarado gave them this land in 1841. The grant was supposedly given to Francisco and Ramón de Haro. They were the sons of Francisco de Haro, who was the first alcalde (a type of mayor or judge) of Yerba Buena. Yerba Buena was an early settlement that later became San Francisco.

In 1846, during the Mexican–American War, Francisco and Ramón de Haro lost their lives. Their uncle, Jose de los Reyes Berreyesa, also died. This happened in San Rafael, under orders from U.S. Army Major John C. Fremont. After their deaths, ownership of the rancho went to their father, who passed away in November 1849.

Early Attempts at Settlement

By mid-1849, some people tried to settle on the De Haro's land. John Townsend and Cornelius de Boom had parts of the Potrero Nuevo peninsula surveyed. This area was on the south shore of Mission Bay.

Even though the land had good water and a safe place for boats, it was too far from the main city. Because of this, their attempt to create a settlement was not successful. Also, there were still questions about who truly owned the land. This led to people moving onto the land without permission, known as squatters.

Legal Battles Over Ownership

The De Haro family's claim to the land went through a long legal process. At first, a special land commission said their claim was valid. However, a U.S. District Court later disagreed. They found proof that the original land grants might not have been real.

The De Haro family had a genuine license to use the land for cattle. But they never received the full land title. This was because the land might have been part of the mission's common lands (called ejidos). The De Haro lawyers tried to get the U.S. Supreme Court to confirm their claim in 1866.

It wasn't until 1867 that the De Haro family's claim to Potrero Nuevo was finally denied. The court ruled that they only had permission to graze cattle on the land. They did not actually own it.

After the Court's Decision

After the court's decision, people who had been renting land from the De Haro family stopped paying rent. They claimed they owned the land themselves. Some said they were squatters, while others claimed it as government land or city land. This was based on laws like the Van Ness Ordinance.

However, those who had been renting from the De Haro family also claimed ownership. They said they were the true occupants or settlers through their renters. This led to many lawsuits. In 1878, those who held the De Haro title lost these court cases.