Rancho Suey facts for kids
Rancho Suey was a huge piece of land, about 48,834 acres (or 197.6 square kilometers), located in what is now southern San Luis Obispo County and northern Santa Barbara County in California. It was given as a "Mexican land grant" in 1837 by Governor Juan B. Alvarado to a woman named María Ramona Carrillo de Pacheco. This large ranch was east of today's Santa Maria and stretched between the Santa Maria River and the Cuyama River.
Contents
The Story of Rancho Suey
Early Owners and Family Life
The story of Rancho Suey begins with Captain José Antonio Romualdo Pacheco. He came to California from Mexico in 1825 and worked as an assistant to Governor José María de Echeandía. In 1826, Captain Pacheco married María Ramona Carrillo (1812–1888). Her mother, Maria Ygnacia Lopez de Carrillo, was also given a large land grant called Rancho Cabeza de Santa Rosa. María Ramona Carrillo was also related to General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo. Sadly, Captain Pacheco died in 1831 while defending the governor at the Battle of Cahuenga Pass.
A New Beginning for María Ramona
After Captain Pacheco's death, his widow, María Ramona Carrillo de Pacheco, received the Rancho Suey land grant from Governor Alvarado in 1837. This grant was about five square leagues, which is a very large area. In the same year, María Ramona married Captain John Wilson (1797–1861). He was a sea captain and trader from Scotland who had arrived in California in 1830. John Wilson helped raise María Ramona's son, Jose Antonio Romualdo Jr.. Captain Wilson also received his own land grant, Rancho Los Guilicos, in Sonoma County. He and his business partner, James Scott, also owned other ranches like Rancho El Chorro and Rancho Cañada de los Osos y Pecho y Islay. In 1845, Wilson built a home on Rancho Cañada de los Osos y Pecho y Islay, where he lived with his family until he passed away in 1860.
Rancho Suey Becomes Part of the United States
After the Mexican–American War, California became part of the United States in 1848. The peace agreement, called the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, promised that the land grants given by Mexico would still be valid. To make sure these land claims were official, a new law called the Land Act of 1851 was created. María Ramona Carrillo de Wilson filed a claim for Rancho Suey in 1852. Her ownership of the land was officially confirmed in 1865.
Later, a man named Norris M. Roberts bought Rancho Suey from María Wilson. He then sold it to Henry Newhall when he returned to England.
New Owners and Modern Times
In 1875, Henry Mayo Newhall bought Rancho Suey without even seeing it! This ranch then became part of his large company, the Newhall Land and Farming Company. The Newhall Land and Farming Company owned Rancho Suey for many years, until they sold it in 1999. Today, the ranch is owned by H.D. and Carol Perrett.
