Rancho San Jose de Buenos Ayres facts for kids
Rancho San Jose de Buenos Ayres was a huge piece of land in what is now Los Angeles County, California. It was about 4,438 acres, which is like 1,796 football fields! This land was given out as a "Mexican land grant" in 1843.
A land grant was a way for the Mexican government to give away large areas of land. It was given by Governor Micheltorena to a person named Maximo Alanis. Today, this historic ranch area includes famous places like Westwood, UCLA, Holmby Hills, and Bel Air, Los Angeles. The ranch stretched from what is now Sepulveda Boulevard all the way to Beverly Hills.
Contents
History of the Rancho
Early Owners and the Grant
Maximo Alanis was one of the first people to live in this area, moving there in the 1820s. In 1843, the Mexican governor, Manuel Micheltorena, officially gave a large piece of land to Jose Maximo Alanis. Jose was likely Maximo Alanis's son.
Jose Maximo Alanis used this land as a working ranch. He raised animals and grew crops there. In 1858, he sold the ranch to a man named Benjamin "Don Benito" Wilson.
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 promised that land grants made by the Mexican government would still be valid.
To make sure these land claims were official, the U.S. government created the Land Act of 1851. Benjamin D. Wilson and W. T. B. Sanford filed a claim for the Rancho San Jose de Buenos Ayres in 1852. Their ownership was officially confirmed, or "patented," in 1866.
Later Owners and Development
In 1884, Rancho San Jose de Buenos Ayres was sold to John Wolfskill. At this time, a railroad company, the Los Angeles and Pacific Railroad, wanted to build tracks through the ranch. They also set up many small plots of land for a new town called Sunset.
Wolfskill took the railroad company to court because they had taken parts of his ranch. In 1891, he won the case and was awarded a large sum of money. The ranch was returned to Wolfskill, but it was no longer used for farming.
When John Wolfskill passed away, his family inherited the land. In 1919, the Wolfskill family sold the Rancho to Arthur Letts. Arthur Letts was famous for starting the Broadway Department Store chain. This sale marked a new chapter for the land, leading to its development into the well-known communities we see today.
