Rancho Santa Ana facts for kids
Rancho Santa Ana was a large piece of land in what is now Ventura County, California. It was given as a Mexican land grant in 1837. The land measured about 21,522 acres (87.1 square kilometers).
Governor Juan Alvarado gave this land to Crisogono Ayala and Cosme Vanegas. Rancho Santa Ana was located in the Ventura River Valley. It was on the west side of the Ventura River. Across the river was Rancho Ojai, which was granted in the same year. Today, Rancho Santa Ana includes areas like Lake Casitas and Oak View.
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History of Rancho Santa Ana
Early Owners and the Land Grant
The Rancho Santa Ana land grant covered about four square leagues. This land was once part of the Mission San Buenaventura lands. Crisógono Ayala and his father-in-law, Cosme Vanegas, received the grant.
Cosme Damien Vanegas was born around 1780. His father, Jose Maria Vanegas, was an important person in early Los Angeles. Jose Maria Vanegas served as the alcalde, or mayor, of Los Angeles. He was mayor from about 1786 to 1788 and again in 1796. Jose Crisógono Dolores Ayala was born in 1793. He married Bárbara Bernidina Vanegas, who was born in 1800.
Changes After the Mexican-American War
After the Mexican-American War, California became part of the United States. This change happened in 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This treaty promised that existing land grants would be respected.
The United States passed the Land Act of 1851. This law required landowners to prove their claims. Crisogono Ayala and Cosme Vanegas filed a claim for Rancho Santa Ana in 1852. The government officially recognized their ownership in 1870. This official document is called a land patent.
Later Owners and Development
José de Arnaz was another important landowner in the area. He owned Rancho Ex-Mission San Buenaventura. In 1854, Arnaz bought a part of Rancho Santa Ana. He purchased one-sixth of the land.
In 1874, José de Arnaz sold his share of the rancho. The buyers were sea captain Richard Robinson, Judge Eugene Fawcett, Jr., and H.C. Dean. These new owners then divided the land into smaller pieces. They began to develop the Ventura River Valley area.
Historic Sites of the Rancho
- Santa Ana Rancho Adobe: This was an adobe house built in the late 1850s. José de Arnaz built this two-story home.
