Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores |
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| Location | Camp Pendleton |
| Official name: Santa Margarita Ranch House | |
| Reference no. | 1026 |
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Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores was a huge piece of land, about 133,440 acres (540 km2), in what is now northwestern San Diego County, California. It was a "Mexican land grant," which means the Mexican government gave this land to private citizens. In 1841, Governor Juan Alvarado gave this grant to Andrés Pico and Pio Pico. This large ranch stretched along the Pacific coast. Today, it includes areas like San Onofre State Beach and Camp Pendleton. This historic site is officially recognized as California Historical Landmark #1026.
Contents
History of Rancho Santa Margarita
How the Ranch Began
In 1841, a big change happened in California. The Mexican government decided to take control of lands that used to belong to the missions. This process was called "Secularization." During this time, Governor Alvarado gave Pio Pico and Andres Pico a large piece of land. It was called Rancho San Onofre y Santa Margarita. This land was next to the Mission San Juan Capistrano.
Three years later, another land grant called Rancho Las Flores was added. This made the ranch even bigger. The whole area was then renamed Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores. Pio Pico and Andres Pico built the first two rooms of what would become the main Ranch House. Sadly, Pio Pico later lost his share of the land. He lost it in a horse bet to Jose Andres Sepulveda.
The Ranch Becomes Part of the U.S.
After the Mexican–American War ended in 1848, California became part of the United States. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed. This treaty said that the U.S. would respect the land grants given by the Mexican government.
To make these land claims official, the U.S. government created the Land Act of 1851. This law required landowners to prove they owned their land. In 1852, a claim for Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores was filed. The government officially recognized Pio Pico as the owner in 1879. This official recognition is called a "patent."
New Owners and Growth
In 1863, an Englishman named Juan Forster took over the ranch. He had become a Mexican citizen and was married to Pio Pico's sister. Forster paid off Pico's debts and received the deed to the ranch.
In 1864, Forster started to make the Santa Margarita Ranch House much larger. He expanded it to 18 rooms. He also turned the land into a successful cattle ranch. Forster lived at the ranch for about 18 years. He helped it grow a lot.
When Forster passed away in 1882, his family sold the ranch. It was bought by an Irish immigrant named James Flood. Flood asked his friend Richard O'Neill to manage the ranch. James Flood died in 1888. Later, in 1940, James Flood, Jr. gave O'Neill half ownership of the ranch. In 1923, Jerome O'Neill and James Flood, Jr. created a company to manage the ranch. It was then known simply as Rancho Santa Margarita.
Historic Sites of the Rancho
