Rancho Tinaquaic facts for kids

Rancho Tinaquaic was a very large piece of land, about 8,875 acres, in what is now Santa Barbara County, California. It was given out as a Mexican land grant in 1837. This means the Mexican government gave the land to someone. Governor Juan B. Alvarado gave it to Victor Linares. Later, Benjamin Foxen bought the Rancho. Today, most of this land is known as Foxen Canyon. It is located northeast of Los Alamos.

History of Rancho Tinaquaic

Early Land Grant

The land for Rancho Tinaquaic was first given in 1837. The person who received it was Victor Pantaleon Linares. He was a Mexican soldier who had come to California in the 1820s. Later, the land was owned by William B. Foxen. He was the one who made a claim for the land in 1852.

William Foxen's Life

William Benjamin Foxen was born in England in 1798. He was a sailor who arrived in Santa Barbara in 1828. Foxen decided to stay in California. He became a Catholic and was baptized as Guillermo Domingo Foxen.

In 1831, Foxen married Eduarda Osuña. She was the stepdaughter of Tomás Olivera. Tomás Olivera owned a nearby rancho called Rancho Tepusquet. William and Eduarda had three children. Foxen worked in trade in Santa Barbara. In 1837, when he was 38, he became a Mexican citizen. He likely got the Rancho Tinaquaic land in 1842. This rancho was located just upstream from his father-in-law's land.

Rancho Tinaquaic During the Mexican-American War

In 1846, during the Mexican–American War, Foxen helped John C. Frémont. He guided Frémont over the Santa Ynez Mountains at San Marcos Pass. Because he helped the American forces, some people in California felt he was not loyal to Mexico. His property was raided several times during this time.

After the war, California became part of the United States. The 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo said that the existing land grants would still be valid. So, in 1852, a claim for Rancho Tinaquaic was filed. This was done with the Public Land Commission. The land grant was officially given to Benjamin Foxen in 1872.

Historic Sites of the Rancho

• Benjamin Foxen Memorial Chapel. This chapel was also known as the San Ramon Chapel. It was built in 1875 by Foxen's daughter, Ramona Foxen Wickenden, and her husband, Frederick Wickenden.