Rancho Rincón de los Bueyes facts for kids
Rancho Rincón de los Bueyes was a large piece of land, about 3,127 acres (which is about 12.65 square kilometers). It was a type of land grant called a rancho in what is now Los Angeles County, California. This land was given in 1821 to two people, Bernardo Higuera and Cornelio Lopez, by Pablo Vicente de Sola. He was the Spanish Governor of Alta California at that time. Later, in 1843, a Mexican Governor named Manuel Micheltorena officially confirmed this Spanish land grant. The name Rincón means "corner" or "nook" in Spanish, and Bueyes means "oxen" or "steer." So, the name means "Corner of the Oxen."
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Where Was Rancho Rincón de los Bueyes?
The Rancho Rincón de los Bueyes was mostly shaped like a diamond. However, its southeast corner stretched out a bit further than the other corners. It was quite small compared to other Spanish land grants from that time. This rancho was surrounded by five other ranchos:
- To the east were Rancho Las Cienegas and Rancho La Cienega o Paso de la Tijera.
- To the west was Rancho La Ballona.
- To the northwest was Rancho San Jose de Buenos Ayres.
- To the northeast was Rancho Rodeo de las Aguas.
Today, the land that was once Rancho Rincón de los Bueyes includes parts of modern-day Cheviot Hills, Rancho Park, a section of Culver City, and a small part of Baldwin Hills near Ballona Creek.
The History of the Rancho
In 1821, Governor Vicente de Sola officially gave the land to Bernardo Higuera (born in 1790) and Cornelio Lopez (born in 1792). Soon after, Lopez and Higuera had a disagreement, and Higuera ended up owning the whole rancho.
Bernardo Higuera was the son of Joaquin Higuera, who was the alcalde (like a mayor) of the Pueblo de Los Angeles in 1800. In 1834, Bernardo Higuera and his wife, Maria del Rosario Palomares, moved to Los Angeles. They left his brothers, Mariano and Policarpio, to manage the rancho. Bernardo Higuera later passed down Rancho Rincón de los Bueyes to his two sons, Francisco and Secundino.
Changes After the Mexican-American War
After the Mexican–American War, California became part of the United States. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 said that the land grants given by Spain and Mexico would still be honored. Because of a new law called the Land Act of 1851, Francisco and Secundino Higuera had to officially claim their land for Rancho Rincón de los Bueyes in 1852.
At first, a group called the Public Land Commission said no to their claim in 1854. But then, a higher court, the District Court, agreed with them in 1861. Finally, the land was officially granted to Francisco and Secundino Higuera in 1872. This official document is called a patent.
Later Owners of the Rancho
In 1849, a man named José De Arnaz (born in 1820) bought Secundino Higuera's half of the rancho. José De Arnaz was also the owner of another rancho called Rancho Ex-Mission San Buenaventura. Later, in 1867, he bought Francisco Higuera's half as well, becoming the sole owner of Rancho Rincón de los Bueyes.
José de Arnaz had tried to claim other lands before, but his claim for five square leagues of Santa Clara Mission land was rejected in 1853. After his first wife, Maria Mercedes de Avila, passed away in 1867, Arnaz married Maria Camarillo in 1869 and moved to San Jose. However, he later returned to live on Rancho Rincón de los Bueyes.
