Rancho Santa Paula y Saticoy facts for kids

Rancho Santa Paula y Saticoy was a huge piece of land, about 17,773 acres (71.92 km2). It was a Mexican land grant given in 1843. The land was located in the Santa Clara River Valley in what is now Ventura County, California. Governor Manuel Micheltorena gave this grant to Manuel Jimeno Casarin. Today, the towns of Saticoy and Santa Paula are on what used to be this rancho. They are both along the Santa Clara River.

History of the Rancho

Manuel Jimeno Casarin received this large land grant. He was a very important person in Alta California, which was the name for California when it was part of Mexico. He served as the Secretary of State for two governors, Governor Alvarado and Governor Micheltorena. He was also a senior member of the State Assembly and sometimes acted as governor.

Casarin lived in Monterey. He owned other large ranches, like Rancho Salsipuedes and Rancho Jimeno. Unlike many people who received land grants, Casarin did not have to show that he was using or developing the land. It seems he did not use the land for farming or ranching. He passed away in 1853 while visiting Mexico.

In 1852, a group of people including Levi Parsons and Eugene Casserly bought the rancho from Casarin.

Land Ownership Changes

After the Mexican–American War, California became part of the United States. The 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo said that the existing Mexican land grants would still be valid. Because of a law called the Land Act of 1851, a claim for Rancho Santa Paula y Saticoy was filed in 1853. The land was officially granted to John P. Davidson in 1872. This official grant is called a "patent."

In the 1850s, the rancho was bought by T. Wallace More and his brothers, Andrew and Henry. They also owned the nearby Rancho Sespe. By 1860, the More brothers were the biggest landowners in Santa Barbara County. At that time, Ventura County was part of Santa Barbara County. Besides Rancho Santa Paula y Saticoy and Rancho Sespe, they owned Santa Rosa Island and other ranches.

A big drought in 1863 and 1864 caused problems for the More brothers. They had to end their business partnership and divide their lands.

New Owners and Development

In 1862, George G. Briggs bought the rancho from the More brothers. He was from Marysville, California, and planned to plant fruit orchards. However, droughts and personal difficulties made him return to northern California in 1864. In 1867, Briggs divided the rancho into smaller farms, each about 150 acres (0.61 km2), and sold them.

In 1872, Nathan Weston Blanchard bought 2,700 acres (10.93 km2) from Briggs. He then founded the town of Santa Paula. Around the same time, Thomas R. Bard arrived in Ventura in 1867. He was representing a company that wanted to buy land for oil exploration.

In the early 1880s, oil men Wallace Hardison and Lyman Stewart started the Hardison and Stewart Oil Company in Santa Paula. By 1890, several small oil companies, including those owned by Hardison, Stewart, and Bard, joined together. They formed what is now known as the Union Oil Company.

After the land was officially granted, there was a disagreement about the exact border between Rancho Santa Paula y Saticoy and the neighboring Rancho Ex-Mission San Buenaventura.

The St. Francis Dam Flood

In 1928, the St. Francis Dam broke. This dam was located upstream from the rancho. A huge and fast flood came down the river, moving at about 5 miles (8 km) per hour. This devastating flood caused a lot of damage and loss to the settlements along the river on the rancho's land.