Rancho San Jose del Valle facts for kids
Rancho San Jose del Valle (also known as "Rancho Agua Caliente" or "Warner's Rancho") was a very large piece of land in what is now San Diego County, California. It was about 26,689-acre (108.01 km2) in size. This land was given out by the Mexican government as a Mexican land grant. First, Governor Juan B. Alvarado gave it to Jose Antonio Pico in 1840. Then, in 1844, Governor Manuel Micheltorena gave it to Juan Jose Warner. This ranch was the most northeasterly land grant in present-day San Diego County. It was bordered by Palomar Mountain to the west and Buena Vista Creek to the south. It also included the area known today as Warner Springs. A part of the western side of the ranch is now covered by Lake Henshaw, a lake formed in 1922 by a dam on the San Luis Rey River.
Contents
History of the Rancho
Early Grants and Challenges
In 1840, Governor Alvarado officially gave the land called "Agua Caliente" to José Antonio Pico. This land originally belonged to the Mission San Luis Rey. José Antonio Pico was part of the important Pico family of California. His brother, Andrés Pico, was in charge of the mission at that time. However, there were ongoing problems with Native American groups in the area. These troubles likely caused Pico to leave the land.
Juan José Warner Takes Over
Jonathan T. Warner (1807–1895) was born in Connecticut. He later became known as Juan José Warner. He moved to Los Angeles in 1831. In 1836, he married Anita Gale. She was the daughter of a sea captain from Boston. Anita had been brought to California when she was five and was raised by the Pico family. In 1844, Governor Micheltorena officially gave the six square league Rancho San Jose Del Valle to Juan José Warner. A "league" was a way to measure land back then, and six square leagues was a huge area!
California Becomes Part of the U.S.
After the Mexican–American War, California became part of the United States. This change happened with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. This treaty promised that the existing Mexican land grants would still be recognized. To confirm ownership, a claim for Rancho San Jose del Valle was filed in 1852. This was required by the California Land Act of 1851. The claim was made with the Public Land Commission, which was set up to check these land claims. Finally, in 1880, the land was officially granted to Juan J. Warner. He also tried to claim more land to the west, called Rancho Camajal y Palomar, but that claim was not approved.
Later Owners and Land Disputes
Around 1875, most of the southern part of the land, known as Portilla Rancho Valle de San Jose, and the northern part, Warner Rancho San Jose del Valle, were owned by Louis Phillips and John G. Downey. Downey later became the sole owner of these lands in 1880.
A difficult situation arose concerning the rights of the Cupeño Native American people. They had lived on this land for a very long time. In 1901, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed with earlier court decisions. They ruled that a U.S. Government document of ownership meant complete ownership. Because of this, the Cupeño people were ordered to leave the land.
Historic sites of the Rancho
