Rancho Punta de Laguna facts for kids
Rancho Punta de Laguna was a large piece of land in California. It was a "Mexican land grant," which means the Mexican government gave it away. This happened in 1844. The land was about 26,648 acres (about 108 square kilometers). Today, this area is in northern Santa Barbara County and southern San Luis Obispo County.
The name "Punta de Laguna" means "point of the lagoon." This is because there was a lake with an unusual shape on the land. Governor Manuel Micheltorena gave this land to two people: Luis Arellanes and Emigdio Miguel Ortega. This rancho was located east of another rancho called Rancho Guadalupe. It included areas where the cities of Santa Maria and Betteravia are now.
History of the Rancho
In 1844, Luis Arellanes and Emigdio Miguel Ortega received the Rancho Punta de Laguna. This land grant was about six square leagues in size. Emigdio Miguel Ortega was born in 1813 and lived until 1893. He was the son of Juan Capistrano Martin Ortega and Maria Rafela Arellanes. In 1836, Emigdio Miguel Ortega married Maria Concepcion Jacinta Dominguez.
California Becomes Part of the U.S.
After the Mexican–American War, California became part of the United States. This change happened with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. This treaty said that the U.S. government would respect the land grants given by Mexico.
To make sure these land grants were official, the U.S. government created a new law. This was the Land Act of 1851. It required landowners to file a claim for their land. So, in 1852, a claim for Rancho Punta de Laguna was filed. It was sent to the Public Land Commission. The government officially recognized the grant for Luis Arellanes and Emigdio Miguel Ortega in 1873. This official recognition is called a patent.
Land Disputes and Boundaries
Rancho Punta de Laguna shared a border with Rancho Guadalupe. However, the exact line between them was not clear. There were also some mistakes made by the government. This led to many problems and legal battles.
The government tried to survey the land three different times. This resulted in two different official patents for the land. One survey tried to move the border with Rancho Punta de Laguna further east. But the official boundary for Rancho Punta de Laguna was set in its 1873 patent.
After seven more years of legal arguments, in 1880, the U.S. government confirmed the owners of Rancho Guadalupe. This decision meant that the owners of Rancho Punta de Laguna ended up with less land than they expected. Because of this, the Rancho Punta de Laguna owners asked the U.S. Congress for help. In 1890, Congress agreed to give them rights to other unoccupied land in California. This new land was equal to the amount they had lost.
