Rancho Punta de Quentin facts for kids

Rancho Punta de Quentin was a huge piece of land, about 8,877 acres (35.92 km²), in what is now Marin County, California. The Mexican government gave this land as a grant in 1840 to a man named John B.R. Cooper. This large area included not only the San Quentin peninsula but also parts of modern-day Ross, Kentfield, and San Anselmo.

History of Rancho Punta de Quentin

Early Owners: John Cooper's Land Grant

Captain John Bautista Rogers Cooper (1791–1872) became a Mexican citizen in 1830. In 1840, Governor Juan B. Alvarado gave Cooper the Rancho Punta de Quentin. This land grant was about two square leagues in size. Cooper also owned another large piece of land in Marin County called Rancho Nicasio. He received this grant in 1844 with Pablo de la Guerra.

Cooper started a lumber business on his land. He hired other people to manage it for him. In 1847, he rented out a part of the land to the U.S. government. They wanted to build a sawmill there. By 1850, Cooper sold all his land in Marin County to Benjamin Rush Buckelew.

Benjamin Buckelew Buys the Ranchos

Benjamin Rush Buckelew (1822–1859) moved to California in 1846. He started a business in San Francisco making watches and jewelry. He also made gold scales for miners. Buckelew even owned a newspaper called The Californian for a short time.

In 1850, Buckelew bought three large ranchos in Marin County. He bought Rancho Punta de Quentin and Rancho Nicasio from John Cooper. He also bought Rancho Corte Madera del Presidio from John Reed. In 1852, the California government bought 20 acres of land from Buckelew. This land was at the very tip of the rancho. They planned to build a state prison there, which became San Quentin State Prison.

Land Claims After the War

After the Mexican–American War, California became part of the United States. The 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo said that the U.S. would respect Mexican land grants. So, in 1853, a claim for Rancho Punta de Quentin was filed. This was done with the Public Land Commission. The land was officially granted to Benjamin R. Buckelew in 1866.

However, Buckelew faced many challenges. He ended up losing all three of his ranchos. He was involved in disagreements over the land until he passed away in 1859.

James Ross Takes Over

In 1857, James Ross (1812-1862) bought Rancho Punta de Quentin from Buckelew. Ross worked with John and Henry Cowell on this purchase. Ross was from Scotland and came to San Francisco in 1848. He made his money selling drinks.

Ross moved his family into the old Buckelew home. He set up a trading post there called "Ross Landing." After James Ross died in 1862, his wife, Annie Ross, had to sell large parts of the land in 1870.