Rancho San Pedro facts for kids

Don Manuel Domínguez, who signed the Californian Constitution and owned Rancho San Pedro.

Rancho San Pedro was a very large piece of land in California. It was one of the first "land grants" given out in California. A land grant is like a gift of land from a government. This rancho was also the first to get a special document called a "patent" from the United States government. A patent officially proves who owns the land.

The King of Spain, Charles III, first gave this land to a soldier named Juan José Domínguez in 1784. It was about 75,000 acres (303 square kilometers) back then. Later, when Mexico ruled California, Domínguez's family proved their ownership again in 1828. At that time, the rancho was about 48,000 acres (194 square kilometers).

Even later, when California became part of the United States, the family kept their claim. In 1858, the U.S. government officially recognized their ownership with a patent for about 43,119 acres (174 square kilometers).

The original land grant was huge! It included many places you might know today. These are cities like San Pedro, the Palos Verdes area, Torrance, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Manhattan Beach. It also stretched east to the Los Angeles River, covering parts of Lomita, Gardena, Harbor City, Wilmington, Carson, Compton, and western parts of Long Beach and Paramount.

The Story of Rancho San Pedro

Early Days with Juan José Domínguez

The story of Rancho San Pedro began with Juan José Domínguez. He was a Spanish soldier born in 1736. He came to San Diego, California, in 1769. He was part of an important trip led by Gaspar de Portolà. On this trip, he traveled with Junípero Serra to places like San Juan Capistrano, San Gabriel, and Monterey.

In 1784, the King of Spain gave Domínguez permission to use a large area of land. This land was about 75,000 acres (303 square kilometers). It was mainly used for grazing animals like cattle.

The Rancho Grows with Manuel Domínguez

Juan José Domínguez's grazing land stretched from what is now Compton all the way to the Palos Verdes Peninsula. But it wasn't officially owned land until 1822. This was during the time when Mexico ruled California. The land was then officially given to Juan José's nephew and heir, Cristóbal Domínguez.

Cristóbal passed away soon after. His three sons then moved onto the ranch. They built traditional adobe homes there. The very next year, Manuel Domínguez, who was Cristóbal's oldest son, married María Engracia de Cota.

Manuel Domínguez became very successful. He raised a lot of cattle on the ranch. He also held many important jobs in Los Angeles. He was elected to different positions and appointed to others.

This map from 1859 shows the Rancho San Pedro after it was officially given to Manuel Domínguez and his family.

Land Disputes and Divisions

For many years, a part of the Rancho San Pedro land was argued over. The Domínguez family and the Sepúlveda family both claimed it. This argument went on for a long time, from 1817 to 1883. They even went to court many times.

Finally, in 1882, the land was divided into seventeen smaller pieces. The Sepúlveda family received about 31,629 acres (128 square kilometers). This part became known as Rancho de los Palos Verdes. Today, this area includes the cities on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, plus parts of Torrance and San Pedro.

Rancho San Pedro Under the United States

After the Mexican–American War ended in 1848, California became part of the United States. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the war, promised that old land grants would still be honored.

So, in 1852, a claim for Rancho San Pedro was filed with the Public Land Commission. This commission was set up to check who owned land in California. On December 18, 1858, a special document called a "patent" was given to Manuel Domínguez. This patent, signed by President James Buchanan, confirmed that the family owned about 43,119 acres (174 square kilometers) of the rancho.

Later, in 1869, a Union Army general named William Starke Rosecrans bought about 16,000 acres (65 square kilometers) of the rancho. This part was called the "Rosecrans Rancho." It was bordered by what are now Florence Avenue, Redondo Beach Boulevard, Central Avenue, and Arlington Avenue.

Historic Sites

• Dominguez Rancho Adobe: This is the old home of Manuel Dominguez. It was finished in 1826 and is now a national historic site. You can visit it!
• Battle of Dominguez Rancho: A battle during the Mexican–American War was fought on the rancho land. It's an important part of local history.
• The Claretians: This group has been based near the Dominguez Rancho Adobe since around 1900. They have also gardened there for a long time.