Rancho San Antonio Abad facts for kids

Rancho San Antonio Abad was a large piece of land given by the government. It was located in what is now western Tijuana, in Baja California, Mexico. The name comes from a saint called Saint Anthony the Abbot.

History of Rancho San Antonio Abad

Early Days of the Rancho

The exact start of Rancho San Antonio Abad is not fully known. However, it was one of the first ranchos (large land grants) in the area around San Diego. In 1828, a report mentioned it along with other ranchos near San Diego.

These other ranchos included Peñasquitos, de la Nación, San Ysidro, El Rosario, and Temescal. The report said that Rancho San Antonio Abad had 300 cattle, 80 horses, 25 mules, and fields for growing grain. It might have been a second rancho used by the Presidio of San Diego, which was a military fort.

Where Was the Rancho Located?

Rancho San Antonio Abad was located next to the Pacific Ocean on its west side. To the south, it bordered a very large rancho called Rancho El Rosario. From 1829, its eastern side was next to Rancho Tía Juana.

Later, in 1833, the rancho's northern border was next to Rancho Melijo or Rancho de La Punta. This rancho belonged to Santiago E. Arguello. Rancho San Antonio Abad was located south of the modern border with Mexico. The old road, El Camino Real, ran north along the coast through this area towards San Diego.

Around 1836-1837, there were conflicts with the Kumeyaay people. During this time, Santiago E. Arguello also managed Rancho San Antonio Abad. He was the son of Santiago Arguello, who owned Rancho Tía Juana. This suggests that Rancho San Antonio Abad might not have been privately owned yet. Its ownership was never reviewed by the California Land Commission, which also points to it being south of the border.

After the Mexican-American War

After the Mexican-American War, a man named William Walker led an invasion of Baja California in 1853-1854. His group was called "filibusters." As they retreated north towards California, they rested at ruined missions and abandoned ranchos.

They finally camped at Rancho San Antonio Abad. This rancho was just south of the border, along the coast. There, William Walker agreed to surrender to American officials from San Diego.

A map of Rancho Melijo, made for a land case, showed some hills. These hills were along the border, south of the Tijuana River, and down the coast into Mexico. They were known as the San Antonio Hills. This name might show the northern edge of Rancho San Antonio Abad.

It seems that Santiago Arguello gained ownership of the rancho between 1854 and 1856. On January 2, 1856, Santiago Arguello signed a statement. He confirmed the legal ownership of the San Pascual Rancheria. At the end of the document, he signed it with a note saying he owned and lived at Rancho San Antonio Abad. He wrote:

"Given in my rancho of San Antonio Abad a Ti Juan. S. Arguello"

Rancho San Antonio Abad might not have stayed together under that name. It was not listed in a report of settlements and ranchos in Baja California Norte in 1906. However, several ranchos named San Antonio were mentioned in the area.