Rancho Sanjon de los Moquelumnes facts for kids
Rancho Sanjon de los Moquelumnes was a very large piece of land, about 35,508-acre (143.70 km2), given out by the Mexican government in 1844. This land grant was located in what is now Sacramento County and San Joaquin County, California in California. The land was given by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to a man named Anastasio Chaboya. The name "Sanjon" means "ditch" or "deep slough" in Spanish. This huge area stretched from the Cosumnes River in the north down to the Mokelumne River in the south, and it included the area where the town of Galt is today.
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What Was Rancho Sanjon de los Moquelumnes?
A "rancho" was a large piece of land given by the Spanish or Mexican government to individuals. These land grants were a way to encourage people to settle and develop the land. Rancho Sanjon de los Moquelumnes was one of many such grants in California.
Who Was Anastasio Chaboya?
Anastasio de Jesus Chaboya (1805–1852) was the person who received the Rancho Sanjon de los Moquelumnes land grant. His father, Marcos Chaboya, was a soldier who traveled with the famous De Anza Expedition. Anastasio himself was a soldier in San Francisco. He received the grant for this large area of land in 1844.
How Did Land Grants Become Official?
After the Mexican-American War, California became part of the United States in 1848. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo stated that the United States would respect the land grants given by the Mexican government. To make these grants official under U.S. law, people had to file a claim with the Public Land Commission. Anastasio Chaboya filed his claim in 1852, and his ownership of the land was officially recognized in 1865.
What Happened to Anastasio Chaboya?
Anastasio Chaboya faced some difficulties in his life. He passed away in 1852, leaving behind seven children: Angel Maria, Jose Antonio, Jose Fernando, Jose Fecundo, Maria Ygnacia, Maria Juana, and Maria Micaela Policarpia. Over time, most of his children sold their parts of the land grant, except for Policarpia.
Who Was William Hicks?
William Hicks (1817–1884) was an important figure in California's history. He was from Tennessee and arrived in California in 1843. Many people knew him as "Uncle Billy." He became good friends with John Sutter, who owned Sutter's Fort.
How Did William Hicks Acquire Land?
William Hicks was very successful at acquiring land. He bought large amounts of property in several counties, including Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Sonoma, and Marin. For example, in 1855, he bought over 4,000 acres (16.2 km2) of land from Rancho Corte Madera de Novato.
William Hicks lived in a town called Hicksville in Sacramento County, which was named after him. There was even a post office there for a while. However, Hicksville no longer exists today. It dissolved in 1889 when the Central Pacific Railroad made Galt its main hub between Lodi and Sacramento.
Hicks and Rancho Sanjon de los Moquelumnes
William Hicks acquired Rancho Sanjon de los Moquelumnes in 1861. However, he later lost the land in 1867 due to a mortgage issue. The land then went to John F. McCauley. Interestingly, John F. McCauley was married to Caroline Wilson, who was William Hicks's stepdaughter. John F. McCauley eventually acquired a significant portion of William Hicks's other properties as well.
