Rancho San Antonio (Lugo) facts for kids
Rancho San Antonio was a very large piece of land, about 29,513 acres (which is about 119 square kilometers!), located in what is now Los Angeles County, California. This land was given as a special "Spanish land grant" to a man named Antonio Maria Lugo. Today, many cities are built on what used to be Rancho San Antonio. These include Bell, Bell Gardens, Maywood, Vernon, Huntington Park, Walnut Park, Cudahy, South Gate, Lynwood, and Commerce.
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A Look Back: The History of Rancho San Antonio
How the Rancho Began
Antonio Maria Lugo was a corporal in the military. After serving for seventeen years, he left the army. In 1810, he was given the Spanish land grant for Rancho San Antonio. Later, in 1838, the Mexican Governor Juan B. Alvarado officially confirmed this grant to Antonio Maria Lugo. On this land, Lugo built a house called Casa de Rancho San Antonio. It is the oldest home still standing in Los Angeles County, California.
Changes Under New Rule
After the Mexican–American War ended in 1848, California became part of the United States. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was a peace agreement that said land grants, like Rancho San Antonio, would still be honored. To make sure his land was officially recognized by the United States, Antonio Lugo filed a claim in 1852. This was required by a law called the Land Act of 1851. His ownership of the land was officially confirmed in 1866.
Dividing the Big Rancho
In 1855, Antonio Maria Lugo decided to divide Rancho San Antonio. He kept a part of the land for himself as his home. The rest he split among his children. These included his sons José Maria, Felipe, Jose del Carmen, Vicente, and José Antonio. His daughters, Vicenta Perez, Maria Antonia Yorba, and Merced Foster, also received parts of the rancho. Later, in 1860, Merced Foster and Vicente Lugo sold their shares. These new owners quickly started dividing the land into smaller lots to sell. The first recorded sale was in 1865, and more followed in 1865 and 1866.
New Owners and New Cities
Much later, in 1908, a man named Michael Cudahy bought the remaining 2,800 acres (about 11 square kilometers) of Rancho San Antonio. He also divided this land into smaller, one-acre (about 4,000 square meters) lots and sold them. This area eventually became the City of Cudahy when it was officially formed in 1960.
Important Places on the Rancho
- Gage Mansion: This old ranch house was built in 1795. It is named after Henry Gage, who lived there at one time. It is known as the oldest house in Los Angeles County.
