Rancho San Miguel (West) facts for kids
Rancho San Miguel was a large piece of land, about 6,663-acre (26.96 km2), located in what is now Sonoma County, California. It was given as a Mexican land grant in 1840 by Governor Juan B. Alvarado to a man named William Marcus West. This ranch was north of today's Santa Rosa, between two creeks called Mark West Creek and Santa Rosa Creek. It included the areas we now know as Mark West and Mark West Springs.
History of Rancho San Miguel
The West Family and Their New Home
William Mark West, who came from Scotland, arrived in Sonoma in 1832. He soon married Guadalupe Vasquez, who was the niece of a very important person, General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo. After getting married in Santa Cruz, Mexico, Mark West built an adobe house. An adobe house is made from sun-dried earth and straw bricks. He also set up a trading post and a post office near a stream. This stream is now named Mark West Creek, after him!
Challenges Over the Land Grant
Sadly, William Mark West passed away in 1849. He left his large ranch to his wife, Guadalupe, and their seven children: Maria Luisa Del Carmet, Mark, Juan, William, Charles, Adelaide, and Chata. General Vallejo, their relative, helped manage the family's property after Mark West's death.
In 1852, a claim for Rancho San Miguel was made to the Public Land Commission. This commission was set up to check who truly owned land after California became part of the United States. The family claimed six square leagues of land, which is a very large area. However, the Land Commission rejected their claim in 1855.
The family didn't give up! They took their case to the US District Court, which is a federal court. In 1857, this court agreed with the family and confirmed their right to the land. But the story wasn't over yet. The US Attorney General, who represents the US government, appealed the decision to the highest court in the country, the US Supreme Court.
Finally, the Supreme Court made a decision. They agreed that the West family owned part of the land, but not as much as they originally claimed. The court accepted that the family owned one and a half square leagues. In 1865, the official document, called a patent, for this land was given to Guadalupe Vasquez de West.
