Rancho Punta de los Reyes facts for kids

Rancho Punta de los Reyes was a very large piece of land, about 13,645 acres (which is about 55 square kilometers), located in what is now Marin County, California. It was given as a land grant by the Mexican government in 1836. Governor Nicolás Gutiérrez gave this land to a man named James Richard Berry. This ranch was located to the east of another ranch called Rancho Las Baulines and south of Rancho Tomales y Baulines.

History of the Ranch

Early Owners and Changes

James Richard Berry, an Irishman, was a colonel in the Mexican army. He came to California from Mexico. In 1836, Governor Gutiérrez gave him the Rancho Punta de los Reyes. This ranch was very big, about eight square leagues.

In 1838, Berry sold a part of his ranch, about two square leagues, to Joseph Snook. This part was along the western shore of Tomales Bay and was sometimes called the "Inverness Pocket."

Later, in 1843, a neighbor named Rafael Garcia, who owned the Rancho Tomales y Baulines, moved his cattle onto Berry's land. Because of this, Berry moved west and settled on another ranch called Rancho Punta de los Reyes Sobrante, which belonged to Antonio Osio.

In 1844, Berry sold the rest of Rancho Punta de los Reyes to Stephen Smith, who owned Rancho Bodega. Berry owed Smith money. After selling the ranch, Berry moved to John Martin's Rancho Corte Madera de Novato, where he passed away in 1847. In 1848, Stephen Smith sold Rancho Punta de los Reyes to Bethuel Phelps.

California Becomes Part of the U.S.

After the Mexican–American War, California became part of the United States in 1848. The agreement that ended the war, called the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, said that the land grants given by Mexico would still be valid.

To make sure these land grants were official under U.S. law, a special process was set up. In 1853, a claim for Rancho Punta de los Reyes was filed with the Public Land Commission. This commission was created to check and confirm land claims. Finally, in 1866, the ownership of the ranch was officially confirmed, or "patented," to Bethuel Phelps.

Andrew Randall's Time

In 1854, Bethuel Phelps sold Rancho Punta de los Reyes to Andrew Randall. Randall was born in Rhode Island and came to California in 1846 on a ship called the U.S.S. Portsmouth. He was a geologist and also had medical training. He helped start the California Academy of Sciences and was its first chairman.

Andrew Randall owned several large ranches, not just Rancho Punta de los Reyes. He also had Rancho Punta de los Reyes Sobrante in Marin County, and other ranches in Monterey and Butte Counties. All together, he owned over 110,000 acres (about 445 square kilometers) of land.

However, Randall had borrowed a lot of money. He faced difficulties paying his debts. A person he owed money to, Joseph Hetherington, pressured him for payment. A conflict happened between them in San Francisco in 1856, which led to Randall's death. The San Francisco Committee of Vigilance, a group that took law enforcement into their own hands at the time, then dealt with Hetherington.