Rancho Saucelito facts for kids
Rancho Saucelito (sometimes called "Rancho Sausalito") was a very large piece of land in what is now Marin County, California. It covered about 19,752 acres (which is about 80 square kilometers)! This land was given as a Mexican land grant in 1838 by Governor Juan Alvarado to William A. Richardson. A "Mexican land grant" was a way the Mexican government gave out land to people.
The name "Saucelito" means "ranch of the little willow grove." This huge ranch stretched from the Pacific Ocean on the west to Mount Tamalpais in the north. On the east, it reached the Arroyo Corte Madera del Presidio and Richardson Bay. Today, parts of this old ranch include places like Muir Beach, Stinson Beach, Sausalito, Tamalpais Valley, and Homestead Valley.
History of Rancho Saucelito
The land that became Rancho Saucelito was first given to José Antonio Galindo in 1835. But in 1838, the grant was given again, this time to William A. Richardson. He was also known as Guillermo Antonio Richardson.
After the Mexican-American War, California became part of the United States. The 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo stated that the U.S. government would honor the land grants given by Mexico. So, in 1852, a claim for Rancho Saucelito was filed with the Public Land Commission. This commission was set up to confirm who owned land in California. William Richardson officially received the patent (the legal document proving ownership) for the ranch in 1879.
Sadly, William Richardson made some poor financial decisions. He ended up owing a lot of money to many people. In 1856, he was sick and in financial trouble. Captain Richardson put Rancho Saucelito under the care of an administrator named Samuel R. Throckmorton. Richardson passed away two months later.
Samuel Reading Throckmorton (1809 - 1883) arrived in San Francisco in 1850. He was an agent for a mining business from the eastern United States. Throckmorton became the administrator of Richardson's estate. He ended up owning a large part of Rancho Sausalito because of Richardson's debts. In 1868, Throckmorton sold the land to a group of San Francisco business people. They called themselves the Sausalito Land & Ferry Company. This company surveyed the land, built roads, and started a ferry service.
Historic Sites of the Rancho
The Homestead Lodge
Around 1866, Samuel Throckmorton built a lodge on Rancho Sausalito. He would bring friends there to hunt animals like elk and bear. Throckmorton named this lodge "The Homestead." This name was later used for the entire valley around it. Sadly, The Homestead lodge burned down in 1900.
