Rancho San Jacinto Nuevo y Potrero facts for kids
Rancho San Jacinto Nuevo y Potrero was a very large piece of land, about 48,861 acres (which is about 198 square kilometers). This land was given out as a Mexican land grant in 1846. It is located in what is now Riverside County, California. The grant was given by Governor Pío Pico to a person named Miguel Pedrorena. When the United States officially recognized this land grant, it was part of San Diego County, California. Later, in 1893, Riverside County was created by taking land from both San Bernardino and San Diego Counties. Today, the area of this old rancho includes Lake Perris.
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What Was a Rancho?
A rancho was a large piece of land given by the Spanish or Mexican government. These grants were often given to important people. They were used for farming and raising animals like cattle. This helped to develop the land in California a long time ago.
History of Rancho San Jacinto Nuevo y Potrero
Miguel Pedrorena (who lived from 1808 to 1850) was married to Antonia Estudillo. Antonia was the daughter of José Antonio Estudillo, who had received another large land grant called Rancho San Jacinto Viejo. José Antonio Estudillo was an important person. He was put in charge of Mission San Luis Rey in 1840.
The Estudillo Family Land Grants
The Estudillo family received three big land grants in the San Jacinto area. These lands were once part of the Mission San Luis Rey. Together, these three grants were over 133,000 acres (about 538 square kilometers)!
- Rancho San Jacinto Viejo was given to José Antonio Estudillo in 1842.
- Rancho San Jacinto Sobrante was given to his daughter, María del Rosario Estudillo, in 1846.
- And Rancho San Jacinto Nuevo y Potrero was given to his son-in-law, Miguel Pedrorena, also in 1846.
Changes After the Mexican-American War
After the Mexican-American War, California became part of the United States. This happened with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. This treaty said that the United States would respect the land grants that had been given by Mexico.
To make sure these land grants were official, the U.S. government created the Land Act of 1851. This law required people to file a claim for their land with the Public Land Commission. Miguel Pedrorena's family filed a claim for Rancho San Jacinto Nuevo y Potrero in 1852. The land was officially recognized and "patented" (meaning the ownership was confirmed) in 1883. This was done for Miguel Pedrorena's young children.
New Owners of the Rancho
In 1853, José Antonio Aguirre bought Rancho San Jacinto Nuevo y Potrero. He already owned another nearby rancho, Rancho San Jacinto Sobrante. This meant he owned even more land in the area!
