Rancho Tzabaco facts for kids
Rancho Tzabaco was a huge piece of land, about 15,439 acres (62.48 km²), in what is now Sonoma County, California. It was a Mexican land grant, which means the Mexican government gave it away. Governor Manuel Micheltorena gave this land to José German Piña in 1843. The rancho stretched along Dry Creek, a small river that flows into the Russian River. It was located northwest of today's Healdsburg and included areas like Geyserville and the Dry Creek Valley. Rancho Tzabaco was right next to another large land grant called Rancho Sotoyome, owned by Henry D. Fitch.
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History of Rancho Tzabaco
José German Piña, who was born in 1829, received the Rancho Tzabaco land in 1843. His father, Lázaro Piña, was a soldier who came to California in 1819 and also owned another ranch called Rancho Agua Caliente. By 1846, José German Piña and his brothers were managing the rancho. José German Piña passed away in 1847. He left parts of the rancho to his four surviving brothers—José de Jesús, Francisco, Antonio, and Luis—and his sister, Clara.
Changes After the Mexican-American War
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.
To make sure these land claims were official, the United States passed the Land Act of 1851. Because of this law, a claim for Rancho Tzabaco was made to the Public Land Commission in 1852. The land was officially granted to José de Jesús Piña and the other heirs of José German Piña in 1859.
Challenges for the Piña Family
Starting in 1850, the Piña family began to have more and more financial difficulties. Around 1851, American settlers, led by Elisha Ely, started to move onto the rancho's land without permission. These settlers were called "squatters."
In 1853, Antonio Piña, one of the brothers, was killed by some of these squatters. After this sad event, General Vallejo, a very important figure in California history, was put in charge of managing the Piña family's estate.
Legal Battles Over the Land
A few months after their brother's death, two of the Piña brothers signed over all their rights to Rancho Tzabaco to John B. Frisbie. He was an American lawyer and someone who bought and sold land. Frisbie was also General Vallejo's son-in-law. The agreement was that the Piña family would keep using the land for five more years. However, when Frisbie took full control in 1858, there were conflicts with the squatters.
For many years, the remaining Piña family members tried to get their land back through the courts. For example, Maria Antonia Piña, Antonio Piña's daughter, tried to claim her father's share of the estate in 1862. But the courts did not approve her claim. Clara Piña, German's sister, married Guillermo (William) Fitch, whose family owned the neighboring Rancho Sotoyome.
In 1856, Duvall Drake Phillips and his partner, Sam Heaton, bought about 160 acres (0.65 km²) of Rancho Tzabaco.
