Rancho Santa Rita (Malo) facts for kids
Rancho Santa Rita was a very large piece of land, about 13,316 acres (which is about 53.9 square kilometers). It was a Mexican land grant given out in 1845. This ranch was located in what is now northern Santa Barbara County, California.
The land was given by Governor Pio Pico to a person named José Ramón Malo. The Rancho Santa Rita was in the Santa Rita Valley, which is east of where the city of Lompoc is today.
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History of Rancho Santa Rita
How José Ramón Malo Got the Land
José Ramón Malo received the Rancho Santa Rita in 1845. This land grant was about three square leagues in size. A few years later, in 1850, Malo bought another ranch next to it. This second ranch was called Rancho Ex-Mission la Purisima. He bought it from Jonathan Temple.
California Becomes Part of the United States
After the Mexican-American War, California became part of the United States. This happened in 1848. The agreement that ended the war was called the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. This treaty said that the land grants given by Mexico, like Rancho Santa Rita, would still be valid.
To make sure these land grants were official under U.S. law, people had to file a claim. José Ramón Malo filed a claim for Rancho Santa Rita in 1852. This was required by a law called the Land Act of 1851. The government officially recognized his ownership in 1875. This process is called getting a patent.
Later Owners of the Ranch
Over time, parts of Rancho Santa Rita changed hands. In 1870, Jesse Hill, along with D.W. and A.P. Jones, bought a share of both Rancho Santa Rita and Rancho Ex-Mission la Purisima. A company called Christy & Wise, who were wool merchants from San Francisco, also owned a part of the ranch.
