Rancho San Gregorio facts for kids
Rancho San Gregorio was a huge piece of land, about 17,783 acres (72 km²), given out as a Mexican land grant. This happened in 1839 in what is now San Mateo County, California. The land was given by Governor Juan Alvarado to a man named Antonio Buelna.
Back then, this area was part of Santa Cruz County. But in 1868, the county lines were changed, and Rancho San Gregorio became part of San Mateo County. This large rancho stretched from Tunitas Creek in the north down to the mouth of Pomponio Creek. It included places you might know today like San Gregorio, California, San Gregorio State Beach, and La Honda.
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The Story of Rancho San Gregorio
Rancho San Gregorio was given to Antonio Jose Buelna (1790–1846). He was an important person in California at the time. In 1816, Antonio Buelna married Maria Concepción Valencia.
Antonio Buelna's Land and Roads
In 1839, Governor Juan Alvarado gave Antonio Buelna not just Rancho San Gregorio, but also another large piece of land called Rancho San Francisquito in Santa Clara County. To connect his two big ranchos, Buelna built a road. Today, parts of this old road are known as La Honda Road and Old La Honda Road.
Passing Down the Land
In 1842, Antonio Buelna wrote a will. He decided to split his rancho into five equal parts. He left one part to his wife, Maria Concepción Valencia, and another part to his son, Juan Bautista Buelna. The other three parts went to other family members.
After Antonio Buelna passed away in 1846, his wife, Maria Concepción Valencia, married Francisco Rodriguez. He also owned a rancho nearby. In 1849, Maria Concepción Valencia de Rodríguez sold a part of Rancho San Gregorio to Salvador Castro. This part was about one square league of land on the eastern side of the rancho.
California Becomes Part of the U.S.
After the Mexican-American War, California became part of the United States in 1848. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, which said that the U.S. would respect the land grants given by Mexico.
To make sure these land claims were official under U.S. law, people had to file claims with the government. This was part of the Land Act of 1851. Both Antonio Buelna's widow (Maria Concepción Valencia de Rodríguez) and Salvador Castro filed separate claims for their parts of Rancho San Gregorio.
The Rodriguez Family's Claim
In 1853, the family of Maria Concepción Valencia de Rodríguez filed a claim for about three square leagues of the rancho. At first, their claim was turned down because there wasn't enough proof that Maria Concepción Valencia Rodriguez was the rightful heir. However, they appealed this decision, and a higher court confirmed their grant. In 1861, their part of Rancho San Gregorio was officially recognized, covering about 13,344 acres (54 km²).
Salvador Castro's Claim
Salvador Castro filed his claim for one square league of land in 1852, and it was approved in 1856. But when his land was officially measured in 1857, it turned out to be bigger than what the Land Commission thought he should have. The extra land was supposed to belong to the United States. Castro took his case to the U.S. Supreme Court, but he lost. In 1861, his part of Rancho San Gregorio was officially recognized, covering about 4,439 acres (18 km²).
Later Years of the Rancho
Juan Bautista Buelna, Antonio Buelna's son, also passed away in 1846. He left behind two children, Maria Louisa Buelna and Juan Baptiste Buelna. In 1866, Maria Louisa and Juan Baptiste sold about 4,000 acres (16 km²) of their land to Hugh Hamilton. Later, they sold their remaining share of the rancho to William Trenouth. The ownership of the rancho became quite complicated, leading to a long legal case in San Francisco that lasted for about ten years, starting in 1872.
