Rancho Providencia facts for kids
Rancho La Providencia was a large piece of land in what is now Los Angeles County, California. It was about 4,064 acres (16.45 square kilometers) in size. This land was given out by the Mexican government as a "land grant" in 1843. Governor Juan B. Alvarado gave it to a person named Vicente de la Ossa.
Most of the land from Rancho Providencia is now part of the city of Burbank. This includes famous places like the Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros. Studios, and NBC Studios Burbank. Also, Providence High School and Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center are on what used to be this rancho. Some parts of the rancho, especially south of the Los Angeles River, are now part of the city of Los Angeles.
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History of Rancho La Providencia
Who Owned Rancho Providencia First?
Vicente de la Ossa was born in 1808. He was an important person in Los Angeles. In 1834, he was chosen to be a councilman for the city of Los Angeles. He served in this role for two years.
In 1843, Vicente de la Ossa was given the Rancho Providencia land grant. This land was located northwest of the old Pueblo de Los Ángeles, which was the original settlement of Los Angeles. A few years later, in 1849, de la Ossa sold Rancho La Providencia to a man named David W. Alexander. After selling it, de la Ossa bought a large part of another rancho called Rancho Los Encinos.
How Did the Land Become Part of the United States?
After the Mexican-American War, California became part of the United States. This happened with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. This treaty said that the land grants given by the Mexican government would still be valid.
To make these land claims official, a law called the Land Act of 1851 was passed. This law required people to file a claim for their land. So, in 1852, a claim for Rancho Providencia was filed. The United States government officially recognized the grant in 1872. The land was then given to David W. Alexander and Francis Mellus.
How Did Burbank Get Its Name?
In 1867, David W. Alexander sold Rancho Providencia to David Burbank. David Burbank was a dentist and a smart businessman from Los Angeles. He also bought another piece of land called Rancho Cahuenga. This rancho was about 388 acres (1.57 square kilometers) and was actually located inside the boundaries of Rancho Providencia.
David Burbank also bought more land from Rancho San Rafael in 1867. He combined all these properties into one very large cattle ranch. This ranch was almost 9,000 acres (36.42 square kilometers) in size!
In 1886, David Burbank sold his large land holdings to a group of land investors from Los Angeles. These investors formed a company called the "Providencia Land, Water & Development Company." David Burbank was one of the leaders of this new company. They planned out the land, creating a business area and lots for homes. The areas outside the main town were divided into smaller farms.
The investors decided to name the new town "Burbank" after David Burbank. They started selling the land on May 1, 1887. The city of Burbank officially became a city in 1911.
