Rancho Santa Rosa (Moreno) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rancho Santa Rosa |
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Cattle at Rancho Santa Rosa in 1895
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| Location | Santa Rosa Plateau, near Murrieta, California |
| Reference no. | 1005 |
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Rancho Santa Rosa was a very large piece of land, about 47,815 acres, in what is now Riverside County, California. It was given as a Mexican land grant in 1846 by Governor Pío Pico to Juan Moreno. When the United States officially recognized the land, Rancho Santa Rosa was part of San Diego County, California. Later, in 1893, Riverside County was created from parts of San Diego and San Bernardino Counties. Today, this historic site is officially recognized as a California Historical Landmark.
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History of Rancho Santa Rosa
How the Rancho Began
The area known as the Santa Rosa Plateau became Rancho Santa Rosa in 1846. This happened when the Mexican government gave the land to Juan Moreno. He was a rancher who raised cattle and sheep.
Joining the United States
After the Mexican–American War, California became part of the United States in 1848. A special agreement, the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, said that land grants like Rancho Santa Rosa would still be valid. In 1852, Juan Moreno officially claimed the land with the Public Land Commission. The government officially recognized his ownership in 1872.
Changes in Ownership
Juan Moreno sold the rancho to Augustin Machado in 1855. Machado also bought a nearby ranch called Rancho La Laguna in 1858.
In 1876, an Englishman named John Dear bought Rancho Santa Rosa. He sent his son, Parker, to manage the ranch. Parker Dear tried to make the ranch successful for 18 years. However, floods twice destroyed the railroad connection to San Diego. This made it hard to transport goods to and from the ranch. Because of these problems, Parker Dear had to give up control of the ranch in 1894.
The Vail Ranch Era
Walter Vail, who already owned successful ranches in Arizona and Santa Rosa Island, bought Rancho Santa Rosa in 1904. The Vail family continued to operate the ranch as a cattle ranch for the next sixty years.
In 1964, the Vail family sold the ranch to the Kaiser Steel Company. This company then planned and developed the area, creating the communities that are now the cities of Temecula and Murrieta.
Protecting the Land Today
A large part of the original Rancho Santa Rosa lands was bought to create the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve. This reserve helps protect the natural environment. The Nature Conservancy started assembling the reserve in 1984. Later, in the 1990s, more parts were bought by the State of California, the Riverside County Regional Park and Open Space District, and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
The reserve is now about 8,300 acres. It is managed by four different groups: the California Department of Fish and Game, Riverside County, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, and The Nature Conservancy.
Historic Sites of the Rancho
- Moreno and Machado Adobes: These are two old adobe buildings from the mid-1800s. They are the oldest standing structures in Riverside County.
- Other Nearby Sites: Close by, you can also find the Vail Ranch Barn, the ranch foreman's house, and the ruins of the Dear-Vail Ranch-house. There is also a site where a Luiseno village once stood.
