Rancho San Rafael facts for kids
Rancho San Rafael was a huge piece of land, about 36,403 acres, in what is now Los Angeles County, California. This land grant was given to a Spanish soldier named José María Verdugo in 1784. It bordered the Los Angeles River and the Arroyo Seco.
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Where Was Rancho San Rafael?
This large rancho included parts of many modern-day cities and neighborhoods. These include Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, and Montrose. It also covered parts of the city of Los Angeles, like Atwater Village, Cypress Park, Eagle Rock, Glassell Park, Highland Park, and Mount Washington.
The rancho's edges were mostly defined by natural features. The Verdugo Mountains were to the west, and the Crescenta Valley was to the north. The Arroyo Seco formed the eastern border, and the Los Angeles River was to the south. The boundary even wrapped around what is now Griffith Park.
A Brief History of Rancho San Rafael
The First Owner: Jose Maria Verdugo
Corporal Jose Maria Verdugo was a Spanish soldier. He was part of an important expedition in 1769. In 1784, he received a temporary grant for Rancho San Rafael from the governor. This grant was officially confirmed in 1798. That same year, Verdugo left the army to become a full-time rancher.
When Verdugo passed away in 1831, he left the rancho to his son, Julio Antonio Verdugo, and his daughter, María Catalina Verdugo.
California Becomes Part of the U.S.
After the Mexican–American War ended in 1848, California became part of the United States. The peace agreement, called the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, said that the land grants given by Spain and Mexico would still be valid.
To make sure these land claims were official, a new law was passed in 1851. Julio and Catalina Verdugo filed their claim in 1852. The claim was approved in 1855, and they officially received the land in 1882.
Dividing the Rancho
In 1857, a man named Jonathan R. Scott traded Rancho La Cañada to Julio and Catalina Verdugo. In return, he received 4,607 acres on the west side of Rancho San Rafael. This area is now the city of Burbank.
In 1861, Julio and Catalina Verdugo decided to split the rancho into two main parts: a southern part for Julio and a northern part for Catalina.
The Great Partition Lawsuit
Over time, Julio Verdugo had to mortgage, or borrow money against, a large part of his land. He couldn't afford to pay it back. By the late 1860s, many parts of Rancho San Rafael had been sold or lost due to unpaid debts. Many different people claimed to own parts of the rancho, and their property lines were often unclear.
In 1871, two lawyers, Alfred Chapman and Andrew Glassell, filed a big lawsuit called "The Great Partition." They argued that many people were living on land with incorrect boundaries. The lawsuit aimed to sort out all the claims and divide the rancho properly. In the end, Rancho San Rafael was divided into 31 sections for 28 different people, including some members of the Verdugo family.
| Name | Allotment (Acres) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Dreyfus | 8,000 | |
| Alfred Chapman and Andrew Glassell | 5,745 | These were the lawyers who filed "The Great Partition" lawsuit. The area of Glassell Park, Los Angeles is named after Andrew Glassell. |
| David Burbank | 4,607 | He was the founder of the city of Burbank. |
| Catalina and Teodoro Verdugo | 3,300 | Members of the Verdugo family. Teodoro was Julio's son. |
| Prudent Beaudry | 1,702 | |
| Rafaela Verdugo de Sepulveda | 909 | A member of the Verdugo family and Julio's daughter. |
| Captain C. E. Thom | 724 | He helped found the city of Glendale, California. |
| Julio Verdugo | 200 | A member of the Verdugo family. |
| Maria Sepulveda de Sanchez | 100 | A member of the Verdugo family. Her husband was Tomas Avila Sanchez, who was the Los Angeles County Sheriff from 1860 to 1867. |
| Jesse D Hunter | He bought the southern tip of Rancho San Rafael in 1859. | |
| Ozro W Childs |
Historic Places of the Rancho
- Casa Adobe De San Rafael: This is an old hacienda-style adobe house built in 1865.
- Catalina Verdugo Adobe: This adobe house was built in 1860 by Catalina's nephew, Teodoro Verdugo. It's famous for the Oak of Peace. This is where early Californio leaders met in 1847 to decide to surrender to Lieutenant Colonel John C. Frémont.
