Rancho Punta de los Reyes Sobrante facts for kids
Rancho Punta de los Reyes Sobrante was a large piece of land, about 48,189 acres (195 square kilometers), located in what is now western Marin County, California. It was a Mexican land grant, which means it was a gift of land from the Mexican government. Governor Manuel Micheltorena gave this land to Antonio Maria Osio in 1843. The name "Punta de los Reyes Sobrante" means "Leftover of Point Reyes Ranch." This area now includes much of the beautiful Point Reyes National Seashore.
History of the Rancho
Antonio Maria Osio, The First Owner
Antonio Maria Osio (1800–1878) was born in Mexico and later returned there. He was married to Dolores Argüello, whose brother, Luis Antonio Argüello, was the first governor of California. In 1838, Osio moved to Monterey, California.
Osio received several land grants. In 1839, Governor Alvarado gave him Angel Island, but Osio never lived there. He also bought Rancho Punta de los Reyes in 1839. Then, in 1843, Governor Micheltorena granted him the nearby Rancho Punta de los Reyes Sobrante. Osio also received another large grant called Rancho Aguas Frias in 1844.
Even though Osio owned Rancho Punta de los Reyes Sobrante, he did not spend much time there. He built a few buildings but soon moved his family to San Rafael, California. Sometimes, other people moved onto parts of his land without permission. For example, in 1843, James Richard Berry moved onto a part of Osio's ranch. Osio complained to the authorities, but nothing changed.
During the Mexican–American War in 1846, Osio left California and lived in Honolulu until 1849. When he came back to Monterey, California in 1850, he decided to sell his land. He sold Rancho Punta de los Reyes Sobrante to Andrew Randall. He also sold his other ranches, Rancho Punta de los Reyes and Rancho Aguas Frias, to Randall. Osio returned to Mexico in 1852, where he lived until he passed away in 1878.
Andrew Randall, The New Owner
Andrew Randall (1819–1856) was from Rhode Island and arrived in California in 1846. He was a geologist and also had medical training. Randall helped start the California Academy of Sciences and was its first chairman.
Randall bought many large land grants. Besides Rancho Punta de los Reyes Sobrante, he also owned Rancho Punta de los Reyes in Marin County. He also claimed Rancho Cañada de la Segunda and Rancho San Lorenzo in Monterey County, California, and Rancho Aguas Frias in Butte County, California. Altogether, he owned over 110,000 acres (445 square kilometers) of land.
However, Randall had borrowed a lot of money to buy these lands. He struggled to pay his debts. Sadly, Andrew Randall was killed in a San Francisco hotel in 1856 by a creditor named Joseph Hetherington. The San Francisco Committee of Vigilance, a group that took law enforcement into their own hands at the time, punished Hetherington for the crime.
After the Mexican–American War, California became part of the United States. The 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo stated that the U.S. government would respect the Mexican land grants. So, in 1852, a claim for Rancho Punta de los Reyes Sobrante was filed with the Public Land Commission. This commission was set up to check who truly owned the land. The ownership of the grant was officially confirmed and given to Andrew Randall in 1860.
