Rancho San Bernardo (Snook) facts for kids
Rancho San Bernardo was a very large piece of land in what is now San Diego County, California. It was given out as a "Mexican land grant" in the 1840s. This means the Mexican government gave large areas of land to people. Rancho San Bernardo was about 17,763-acre (71.88 km2) big. That's like 13,400 football fields! It was given to a man named José Francisco Snook. Today, this land includes places like Rancho Bernardo, 4S Ranch, the San Pasqual Valley, and Lake Hodges.
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History of Rancho San Bernardo
Who was José Francisco Snook?
José Francisco Snook was originally named Joseph Snook. He was from England. For many years, starting in 1824, he worked as a sailor along the Mexican coast. In 1833, he became a Mexican citizen and changed his name to José Francisco Snook.
In 1837, Snook married María Antonia Alvarado. Her father, Juan Bautista Alvarado, owned a nearby land grant called Rancho Rincon del Diablo. In 1842, Governor Juan B. Alvarado gave Snook the first part of the Rancho San Bernardo land grant. Then, in 1845, Governor Pío Pico added even more land to it.
Rancho San Bernardo During the War
While Snook was away at sea, a famous battle happened on the rancho's land. This was the 1846 Battle of San Pasqual during the Mexican–American War. This war was fought between Mexico and the United States. José Francisco Snook died in 1848. His wife, María Antonia, later married Henry Clayton.
What Happened After the War?
After the Mexican-American War ended in 1848, California became part of the United States. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, which was an agreement that ended the war. This treaty said that the land grants given by the Mexican government would still be honored.
So, in 1852, María Antonia Alvarado de Snook filed a claim for Rancho San Bernardo with the Public Land Commission. This was a group that checked who owned the land. In 1874, she officially received the land title, called a "patent."
New Owners of the Rancho
In 1867, Snook's family sold Rancho San Bernardo to Thomas Fox. He was buying it for James McCoy. McCoy was an important person in San Diego. He had been a soldier and later became a sheriff and a state senator.
McCoy then sold the rancho to Charles Wetmore, Sylvester Lyman, and Omar Oaks. Later, in 1886, a man named Charles Snook from England tried to get back a part of the rancho in a lawsuit.
