Rancho Rincón de los Esteros facts for kids
Imagine a huge piece of land given by the Mexican government! That's what a Rancho Rincón de los Esteros was. It was a very large Mexican land grant, about 6,353 acres (or 25.7 square kilometers), located in what is now Santa Clara County, California.
This land was given by Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado in 1838 to a man named Ignacio Alviso. The name "Rincón de los Esteros" means "Estuaries Corner" or "Estuaries Bend." This rancho was found on the southern shore of San Francisco Bay, between the Guadalupe River and Coyote Creek.
History of the Rancho
Ignacio Alviso (1772 - 1848) was a soldier who served at the Presidio of San Francisco. He retired in 1838, the same year he received this large land grant. The city of Alviso was later named after him.
After California became part of the United States, the government wanted to confirm who owned these large land grants. So, three different people filed claims for parts of Rancho Rincón de los Esteros with the Public Land Commission.
Land Claims and Owners
One claim was made by Rafael Nicanor Alviso (1840–1904) in 1852. He was given about 2,200 acres of the rancho in 1872.
Another claim was filed by Francisco Berryessa and others in 1852. They were given about 1,844 acres in 1873. Francisco Berreyesa was related to Ignacio Alviso through his mother, Maria Dolores Alviso.
The third claim was made by Ellen E. White in 1852. She was given about 2,308 acres in 1862. Ellen's husband, Charles White (1823–1853), was a very important and wealthy person in San Jose, California. He came from Ireland in 1846. Charles White was even the alcalde (a type of mayor or judge) of the Pueblo of San José in 1848. Sadly, Charles White died in a steamboat explosion in 1853.
Changes to the Land
Originally, the rancho stretched from Arroyo Penitencia in the east to the Guadalupe River in the west. However, by the time the US courts confirmed the land grant, the part of the rancho east of Coyote Creek had been settled by people in Milpitas.
For a long time, the marshy land of the rancho, which was only a few feet above sea level, was used for grazing cattle. Later, in the early 1900s, many fruit orchards grew on the land. More recently, in the 1970s, lettuce was also grown there.
Legacy of the Rancho
Today, the name of the rancho lives on in several places within San Jose. The Rincon de los Esteros district and the Rincon South neighborhoods in North San Jose cover most of the area where the old rancho used to be. There is also a housing project within the Rincon district called Rincón de los Esteros.
