Rancho San Jose (Pacheco) facts for kids

Rancho San Jose was a large piece of land, about 6,659-acre (26.95 km²), in what is now Marin County, California. It was given out as a Mexican land grant in 1840. A land grant was like a gift of land from the government. The governor at the time, Juan Alvarado, gave this land to a person named Ygnacio Pacheco. This land included areas that are now Hamilton Air Force Base and the town of Ignacio.

History of Rancho San Jose

Ygnacio Pacheco and His Family

Ygnacio Pacheco was born in San Jose in 1808. His grandfather, Juan Salvio Pacheco, came to California in 1776 with a group of explorers called the Anza Expedition. Ygnacio's father, Ygnacio Bernardino Pacheco, was an important leader in San Jose, known as an alcalde. An alcalde was like a mayor and judge all in one.

Ygnacio Pacheco himself was a soldier at the Presidio of San Francisco, which was a military fort. He stopped being a soldier in 1838. Two years later, in 1840, he received the Rancho San Jose land grant. Later, in 1846, he also became the alcalde of San Rafael.

Land Ownership Changes

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 given by Mexico.

So, in 1852, Ygnacio Pacheco had to file a claim for his Rancho San Jose with the Public Land Commission. This was a special group set up to check who owned land. After a few years, in 1861, the government officially recognized his ownership. This was called a land patent.

Pacheco's Family and the Rancho's Future

Ygnacio Pacheco was married three times. He had children with his wives, Josefa Higuera, Guadalupe Duarte, and Maria Loreto Duarte. When Ygnacio Pacheco passed away in 1864, he left Rancho San Jose to his five sons and one daughter.

Later, his widow, Maria Loreto Duarte, married James Black. He was also a big landowner in California.