Rancho Santa Teresa facts for kids
Rancho Santa Teresa was a very large piece of land, about 9,647 acres (which is about 39 square kilometers), in what is now Santa Clara County, California. This land was given as a Mexican land grant in 1834 by Governor José Figueroa to a man named José Joaquín Bernal. The rancho stretched from Coyote Creek west to the Santa Teresa Hills. It included the area we now call Santa Teresa.
The History of Rancho Santa Teresa
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José Joaquín Bernal (1762–1837) was an important person in early California history. He was part of the 1776 De Anza Expedition, which explored and settled parts of California. He served as a soldier at the Presidio of San Francisco and later at the Pueblo of San José by 1805.
In 1819, José Joaquín Bernal retired from the army. By 1826, he had settled his large family, which included eleven children, near a place called Santa Teresa spring. This spot was about ten miles south of San Jose.
In 1837, José Joaquín Bernal passed away. He left his land to be shared equally among his wife and his ten children. Four of his children later received another land grant called Rancho Valle de San José in 1839. An important event happened at the rancho in 1844: the Treaty of Santa Teresa was signed there by Governor Manuel Micheltorena and former Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado.
After the Mexican–American War, California became part of the United States. This happened with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. This treaty promised that the land grants given by Mexico would still be honored. Because of a law called the Land Act of 1851, Agustín Bernal, one of José Joaquín Bernal's sons, filed a claim for the rancho in 1853.
The original grant was for one square league, which is about 4,460 acres (18 square kilometers). This amount was confirmed by the U.S. District Court. However, when the land was officially surveyed and given a patent to Agustín Bernal in 1867, it was for a much larger area: 9,647 acres (39 square kilometers).
In 1855, another of José Joaquín Bernal's sons, Bruno Bernal (1799–1863), moved to his own ranch called Rancho El Alisal. He left Rancho Santa Teresa to his sons Ygnacio (1841–1906), Francisco, and Antonio.
Important Places at Rancho Santa Teresa
There are several historic spots connected to the old Rancho Santa Teresa:
- Rancho Santa Teresa Historic District/Santa Teresa County Park: This area helps preserve the history of the rancho.
- Bernal Adobe Site: This is where the original adobe home of the Bernal family likely stood.
- Santa Teresa Spring: This natural spring was important to the rancho. Ygnacio Bernal's son, Pedro, even started the Santa Teresa Springs Water Company around 1910.
- Bernal-Gulnac-Joice Ranch: This part of the rancho stayed in the family for many years. In 1858, Carlos Maria Gulnac married Rufina Bernal, who was José Joaquín Bernal's granddaughter. Their daughter, Susan Gulnac, married Patrick Joice. The Joice family continued to run the ranch until it was sold to IBM in 1980.
