Rancho Santa Maria de Los Peñasquitos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rancho Santa Maria de Los Peñasquitos |
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Johnson-Taylor Adobe in 2017
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| General information | |
| Coordinates | 32°56′17″N 117°07′37″W / 32.938°N 117.127°W |
| Construction started | 1824 |
The Rancho Santa Maria de Los Peñasquitos was a large piece of land, about 8,486 acres (34.34 square kilometers), given out by the Mexican government. This happened in 1823 in what is now San Diego County, California. The land was given to a man named Francisco María Ruiz. Its name means "Saint Mary of the Little Cliffs." Today, this area includes parts of Mira Mesa, Carmel Valley, and Rancho Peñasquitos in northern San Diego. It is located inland from the famous Torrey Pines State Natural Preserve bluffs.
Contents
History of the Rancho
Early Days and First Owners
Rancho Santa Maria de los Peñasquitos was the very first land grant given by Mexico in what is now San Diego County. Francisco María Ruiz built an adobe (a type of mud-brick) home on this ranch in 1824. This home was north of the Presidio (a Spanish fort) and Mission San Diego de Alcalá (a Spanish mission). It was also near a Kumeyaay Native American village called Awil Nyawa.
In 1837, Ruiz sold his ranch to his grandnephew, Francisco María Alvarado. After Ruiz passed away in 1839, Alvarado moved to the ranch. He lived in the adobe home that Ruiz had built. Alvarado married Tomasa Pico, and they later gave the property to their daughter, Maria Estéfana Alvarado. She received the ranch when she married Captain George Alonzo Johnson in 1859.
Changes Under United States Rule
After the Mexican-American War, California became part of the United States. This change was part of the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This treaty said that the land grants given by Mexico would still be honored. So, in 1852, a claim for Rancho Los Peñasquitos was filed with the U.S. government. Captain Johnson officially inherited the ranch when the U.S. government gave a special document (called a patent) for the land in 1876.
A Stop on the Road
From the 1840s, the rancho was an important stop for wagons traveling to Warner's Ranch from San Diego. This route went through San Pasqual and Santa Ysabel Asistencia. Later, from 1857 to 1860, the rancho became a stop for coaches of the San Antonio-San Diego Mail Line. This mail route was 125 miles long, connecting San Diego to Carrizo Creek Station. Travelers on these coaches could get meals at the rancho, often served by the lady of the house. Rancho Peñasquitos was about 20 miles from San Diego. The next stop was 16 miles away in San Pasqual.
Later Owners
Captain Johnson sold the rancho in 1880 to Colonel Jacob Shell Taylor. He was the person who founded the town of Del Mar. In 1910, Charles F. Mohnike owned the ranch. Then, in 1921, George Sawday and Oliver Sexon bought it. They used the ranch to raise cattle. Finally, in 1962, a real estate developer named Irvin J. Kahn bought Rancho Peñasquitos.
Historic Sites of the Rancho
The Rancho de Los Peñasquitos is a historic adobe ranch home built in 1823. It is located inside the Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve in San Diego, California. The San Diego County Parks & Recreation department offers tours of the home on weekends. This area is also important because it has archeological sites. These sites show that indigenous people (Native Americans) lived here for more than six thousand years.
Natural History of the Rancho Lands
The Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve protects the natural environment of the former rancho lands. It is home to more than 500 different plant species. Many of these plants are rare or found only in this area. They are part of the coastal sage scrub ecosystem. In the 1880s, this area had many riparian forests (forests along rivers) and oak woodlands. At that time, a California state survey suggested protecting the trees. This was to stop soil erosion and flooding, which had already happened in areas where trees were cut down. Today, more land is being added to the park. Efforts are also being made to bring back native plants.
A special tree found only in this area is the Torrey Pine. It is the rarest native pine tree in the United States. It is an endangered species and only grows in one main place on the mainland. That place is the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve and the nearby coast.
See also
- California coastal sage and chaparral ecoregion
- List of Ranchos of California
- National Register of Historic Places listings in San Diego County, California
- Ranchos of California
Images for kids
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A view of the courtyard at the Johnson-Taylor Ranch House, in about 1933.
