Ranchos of Los Angeles County


The ranchos of Los Angeles County were large-scale land grants made by the governments of Spain and Mexico between 1784 and July 7, 1846, to private individuals within the current boundary lines of Los Angeles County in California, United States.

Background

The earliest colonial land grants called ranchos were established by the Commandancy and General Captaincy of the Internal Provinces of the Spanish Empire's Viceroyalty of New Spain. The Spanish colonial authorities of Alta California also established four presidios, three pueblos, and 20 Catholic missions. Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo first claimed California for Spain in 1542 but until 1784 there were no land grants to Spanish subjects, except for small plots within pueblos, the balance of land in Spain's possession "being held for the benefit of the king." The rancho period of California—land grants specifically to individuals outside of misiones and presidios—began in 1784, in what would become L.A. County, with vast grants to three Spanish military veterans. All three were grants of traditional Tongva lands. The greater portion of the rancho grants were created under Mexican dominion, which began with independence from Spain on September 27, 1821, and—according to the U.S. Land Commission—ended amidst the Mexican–American War on July 7, 1846. As the first Spanish land grants were made in Los Angeles County, the last Mexican land grant ever made was also in Los Angeles County: the Santa Catalina Island grant was made on July 4, 1846.
Mission San Fernando Rey de España, Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, and El Pueblo de Los Ángeles lay within the current boundaries of Los Angeles County. Mission San Gabriel was founded in 1771 under Charles III of Spain; its lands were confiscated in 1833 under the Mexican secularization act, which was passed to protect nascent nation-state of Mexico from the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, which was perceived to be an ally of Spain. A land patent application made by Archbishop of San Francisco Joseph Sadoc Alemany on behalf of the church was confirmed for in 1859. Mission San Fernando was established 1797 under Charles IV of Spain and similarly had its lands confiscated in 1833. A land claim of for Mission San Fernando was approved and patented in 1865. In 1875, the City of Los Angeles patented a little more than 17,000 acres of land that had been granted to the pobladores. There were a handful of other, smaller land grants made by Mexican authorities that were patented under the U.S. land law but that are not traditionally identified as ranchos. For example, "tract of land 1000 varas square near Mission San Gabriel" was one of 10 such small grants near that mission, ranging in size from.
In the decades following the initial grants, many of the ranches listed were further subdivided. Rancho Los Nietos, for example, was partitioned and re-granted as Rancho Los Alamitos, Rancho Los Cerritos, Rancho Los Coyotes, Rancho Las Bolsas, and Rancho Santa Gertrudes. A couple of the ranches that were patented under the U.S. system were conglomerates of originally smaller ranches—notably, Rancho Guaspita and Rancho Salinas became Sausal Redondo.
Diseños are hand-drawn maps submitted to the U.S. government indicating the extent of a land grant as understood by the grantees. Diseños and expedientes were used during the U.S. land-patent process that began when Mexican Alta California became the U.S. state of California in 1850. Diseños are distinct from later maps produced by U.S. surveyors within the extant American rectangular survey system. Several of the earliest surveys, or plats, of Los Angeles-area ranchos were done by Henry Hancock, who himself owned Rancho La Brea and through his son is a namesake of the Hancock Park neighborhood. As for the cattle brands, many of the large ranchos had multiple brands for various herds or during various eras; the single one included here is the earliest known example. Land patents were ultimately granted to over 60 Mexican, Anglo and indigenous Angelenos; the indigenous contingent was represented by Doña Victoria Reid of Rancho Huerta de Cuati, who was Gabrieleño Tongva, and Odón Chihuya, Urbano Chari, and Manuel of Rancho El Escorpión, who were from a leading family of Fernandeño Tongva. The largest confirmed grant was Ex-Mission San Fernando, the smallest was San Gabriel Mission.
The ranchos had three main elements: the rancho buildings, including the residential hacienda that was often originally made of adobe brick; the adjacent market gardens and vineyards; and, last but not least, a vast pasturage for cattle, the hides and meat of which were the major economic products of the ranchos.

List

Grant patented by U.S. land commission and district courts
Grant either not claimed or not recognized during U.S. era

GrantYearGranteesCountryGrant areaDiseñoExpediente No.PatenteesPatent areaU.S. survey mapPatent dateGLO Plat No.BrandEtymologyAlt namesCountiesCase file online
Rancho Aguaje de la Centinela1844Ygnacio MachadoMexico382Bruno Ávila437Spanish; el aguaje is watering place or spring, la centinela is guardianRancho Centinella, El CentinelaLos Angeles
Rancho Los Alamitos1834Juan José NietoMexico06 468Spanish; diminutive form of el álamo, describing Populus fremontiiOrange, Los Angeles
Rancho Azusa1837Ignacio Palomares, Ricardo VéjarMexico04 Indigenous, Tongva language; Tongva community Asuksa'ngaLos Angeles
Rancho Azusa de Dalton1841Luis ArenasMexicoHenry Dalton455Personal name; "Azusa ranch of Henry Dalton"Rancho El Susa, Rancho de San José de San GabrielLos Angeles
Rancho Azusa de Duarte1841Andrés DuarteMexico236Andrés Duarte456Personal name; "Azusa ranch of Andrés Duarte"Rancho SusitaLos Angeles
Rancho La Ballona1839Agustín Machado, Ygnacio Machado, Felipe Talamantes, Tomás TalamantesMexico184Agustín Machado, Ygnacio Machado, Felipe Talamantes, Tomás Talamantes434DisputedRancho Paseo de Las Carretas ; Rancho de Los QuintosLos Angeles
Rancho Boca de Santa Mónica1839Ysidro ReyesMexico01.5 330Ysidro Reyes, Francisco Marquez, et al.539Spanish; la boca meaning mouth, entrance, or opening; the flowing waters of the Tongva Sacred Springs were reminiscent of the tears of Monica, a Roman Catholic saintLos Angeles
Rancho La Brea1828José Antonio RochaMexico01 José Antonio Rocha429Spanish; la brea meaning asphalt or tarLos Angeles
Rancho CahuengaTwice granted;
1843
1846		Twice granted;
José Yvez Limantour, José Miguel Triunfo
Luis Arenas		MexicoTwice granted;
06 Spanish leagues
04 Spanish leagues		D. W. Alexander425Indigenous, Tongva language; Tongva community Kawee'ngaCajuengaLos Angeles,
Rancho La Cañada1843Ygnacio CoronelMexico02 J.R. Scott, et al.414Spanish; la cañada describes a "dale or glen" between mountainsLos Angeles
Rancho La Cañada atras de Verdugos1846Antonio Francisco Coronel MexicoSpanish; la cañada meaning dale or glen between mountains; atras "behind or in back of" the Verdugo Mountains of Rancho San RafaelRancho Sierra de los VerdugosLos Angeles
Rancho La Cañada de Los Nogales1844José Maria ÁguilarMexico0.5 380José M. Águila546Spanish; la cañada meaning dale or glen between mountains; el nogal meaning walnut tree, describing Juglans californicaLos Angeles
Rancho Castac1843José M. CovarrubiasMexico05 326José M. CovarrubiasIndigenous, Chumash language; Chumash community of KaštɨqRancho CastecKern, Los Angeles
Rancho Los Cerritos1834Maria Manuela NietoMexico05 John Temple467Spanish; cerrito meaning hillock or little hillRancho Los SierritosOrange, Los Angeles
Rancho La Ciénega ó Paso de la Tijera1843Vicente SánchezMexico532Tomás Sánchez436Spanish; la ciénega meaning wetland, marsh, or muddy place; paso is pass or passage; la tijera apparently has several definitions: scissors, an X-shaped tool, a person who shears animals, and channel or drainRancho Cienega y TijerasLos Angeles,
Rancho Las Ciénegas1823Januario ÁvilaMexico01 Januario ÁvilaSpanish; la ciénega meaning wetland, marsh, or muddy placeLos Angeles
Rancho El ConejoTwice granted;
1803
1822		Twice granted;
José Polanco, Ygnacio Rodriguez
José de la Guerra y Noriega		Twice granted; Spain
Mexico		Twice granted;
11 Spanish leagues
48,672 acres 		José de la Guerra y Noriega408Spanish; el conejo meaning rabbit, describing Sylvilagus audubonii and Sylvilagus bachmaniRancho Señora de AltagraciaLos Angeles
Rancho Los Coyotes1834Juan José NietoMexico10 Andrés Pico, et al.472Spanish; borrowing of Nahuatl language coyōtl; coyotes remain common mammals of Southern CaliforniaRancho La Buena EsperanzaLos Angeles
Rancho Los EncinosTwice granted;
1785–1797
1845		Twice granted;
Juan Francisco Reyes
Ramon, Francisco, Roque 		Twice granted;
Spain
Mexico		01 458Vicente de la Osa411Spanish; el encino is oak; California has 20 native species of oak treeRancho El EncinoLos Angeles
Rancho El Escorpión1845Odón Chihuya, Urbano Chari, ManuelMexico01.5 461Odón Chihuya, Urbano Chari, Manuel409Spanish; there are 54 known scorpion species in the state, including the California common scorpionLos Angeles
Rancho Ex Mission de San Fernando1846Eulogio de CélisMexico13 Spanish leaguesEulogio de Célis410Descriptive; lands previously held by the Catholic Church were confiscated and redistributed under the Mexican secularization act of 1833Los Angeles
Rancho Los Féliz1802José Vicente FélizSpain01.5 350Juan Diego426Personal name; initial granteeLos Angeles
Rancho Guaspita1822Antonio Ygnacio ÁvilaMexicoIndigenous, Tongva language; Tongva community of GuashnaLos Angeles
Rancho La Habra1839Mariano Reyes RoldanMexico01.5 131Andrés Pico462Spanish; la abra is an openingRancho Cañada de La HabraOrange, Los Angeles
Rancho Huerta de CuatiUncertain; 1820 or 1828Victoria ReidUncertainVictoria Reid421Uncertain; huerta is orchard or kitchen garden in Spanish but the meaning of cuati in this context is unknown, although it is a word in Nahuatl, which is in the same language family as TongvaLos Angeles
Rancho Isla de Santa Catalina1846Thomas M. RobbinsMexicoJosé María Covarrubias470Named for figure of religious significance; Sebastián Vizcaíno named the island for Catherine of Alexandria, a Roman Catholic saintLos Angeles
Rancho La Liebre1846José M. FloresMexico11 Spanish leagues547José M. Flores347Spanish; la liebre is hare, describing Lepus californicusLos Angeles
Rancho Matzultaquea1845Ramon Carrillo Mexico04 UnknownLos Angeles
Rancho La Merced1844Casilda SotoMexico01 Francis Pliny F. Temple, et al.443Spanish; la merced is literally a mercy but is also used to describe income earned by laborLos Angeles
Rancho Los Nietos1784Manuel NietoSpain33 Personal name; initial granteeOrange, Los Angeles
Rancho Los Nogales1840José de la Luz LinaresMexico01 195M. de Jesus García459Spanish; el nogal meaning walnut tree, describing Juglans californicaLos Angeles
Rancho Ojo de Agua1840Encarnacio Sepúlveda Mexico02 Spanish; el ojo is eye, la agua is waterLos Angeles
Rancho de los Palos Verdes1827José L. SepúlvedaMexico565José L. Sepúlveda, et al.439Spanish; el palo is a wooden stick; verde is green en EspañolRancho de Los Palos ColoradosLos Angeles
Rancho Paso de Bartolo Viejo1835Juan Crispin PerezMexico02 061Patented in 3 parts;
Joaquin Sepúlveda
2) Pico & Perez
Rafael Guirado 		1867-09-27, 1881-03-17, 1881-08-05465, 458, 464Mixed; an old San Gabriel River crossing was named for a person called BartoloRancho San RafaelLos Angeles
Rancho Portezuela1795Mariano de la Luz Verdugo SpainSpanish; el portezuelo is a passLos Angeles
Rancho Potrero Chico1843Antonio ValenzuelaMexicoRamon Valenzuela, et al.444Spanish; el potrero is a paddock, or pasturage for horses; chico as an adjective means littleRancho Potrero de la Misíon Vieja de San GabrielLos Angeles
Rancho Potrero de Felipe Lugo1845Teodoro Romero, Jorge MorilloMexicoJorge Morillo446Spanish; el potrero is a paddock, or pasturage for horses; Felipe Lugo was a member of the prominent Californio Lugo familyRancho DoloresLos Angeles
Rancho Potrero Grande1845Manuel AntonioMexico01 439J. Matías Sanchez445Spanish; el potrero is a paddock, or pasturage for horses; grande is bigLos Angeles
Rancho La Providencia1843Vicente de la OsaMexico01 D. W. Alexander424Spanish; providence, foresight, divine superintendencePossibly Rancho Osa after Vicente de la OsaLos Angeles
Rancho La Puente1845John A. Rowland, William H. WorkmanMexico270John Rowland, William Workman460Spanish; la puente is a bridge over waterRancho Puente de San GabrielLos Angeles, Orange
Rancho Rincón de la Brea1841Gil IbarraMexico01 222Gil Ibarra1864-11-14461Spanish; el rincón meaning corner or angle, la brea meaning asphalt or tarRancho Cañada de la BreaLos Angeles
Rancho Rincón de los Bueyes1821Bernardo HigueraSpain0.6 Francisco Higuera, et al.435Spanish; el rincón meaning corner or angle, los bueyes are oxenLos Angeles
Rancho Río de Las Ánimas1846Leonardo Cota, Julián A. Chávez Mexico06 Spanish; "river of souls"Los Angeles
Rancho Rodeo de las AguasUncertain; Vicente Ferrer VillaSpain4000 Spanish units of measurementMaría Rita Valdés430Spanish; "gathering of the waters"; literally, rodeo is a cattle herd round-up, agua is water describing pre-settlement watershed featuresRancho San AntonioLos Angeles
Rancho Rosa Castilla1831Juan Ballesteros MexicoSpanish; wild roses grew here; the ranch is named for Castile roses, the plants were likely one of the nine recognized species of roses native to California, such as Rosa californicaLos Angeles
Rancho Salinas1822Antonio Ygnacio ÁvilaMexicoSpanish; salinas are salt flats; given the location, the name of the rancho likely referred to the Old Salt LakeLos Angeles
Rancho San Antonio1810Antonio María LugoSpainAntonio María Lugo442Named for figure of religious significance; Anthony of Padua, a Roman Catholic saintLos Angeles
Rancho San Francisco1839Antonio del ValleMexico08 Jacoba Féliz399Named for figure of religious significance; Francis of Assisi, a Roman Catholic saintKern, Los Angeles
Rancho San Francisquito1845Henry DaltonMexicoHenry Dalton447Named for figure of religious significance; Francis of Assisi, a Roman Catholic saint, diminutive formAzuchzanaLos Angeles
Rancho San José1837Ignacio Palomares, Ricardo VéjarMexico141Ignacio Palomares, Ricardo Véjar, Henry Dalton458Named for figure of religious significance; Joseph, a Roman Catholic saintLos Angeles,
Rancho San José de Buenos Ayres1819Máximo Alanis, José PolancoSpain01 Benjamin D. Wilson431Named for figure of religious significance; Joseph, a Roman Catholic saint, modifier buenos ayres translates roughly to fair winds or fresh airLos Angeles
Rancho San Pascual1835Juan MaríneMexico03.5 Patented in 2 parts;
Manuel Garfias
Benjamin D. Wilson		Patented in 2 parts;

422, 415Named for figure of religious significance; Paschal Baylón, a Roman Catholic saintRancho El Rincón de San PasqualLos Angeles
Rancho San Pedro1784Juan José DominguezSpainManuel Dominguez440Named for figure of religious significance; Peter, a Roman Catholic saintDominguez Rancho, Suanga, Rancho de los GutierrezLos Angeles
Rancho San Rafael1784José María VerdugoSpainJulio Verdugo, et al.423Named for figure of religious significance; Raphael, an archangelRancho La Zanja, Hahaonuput, Arroyo HondoLos Angeles
Rancho San Vicente y Santa Mónica1828Francisco SepúlvedaMexico357Sepúlveda432Named for figures of religious significance; Vincent of Saragossa and Saint Monica, both Roman Catholic saintsLos Angeles
Rancho Santa Anita1841Hugo ReidMexico03 Henry Dalton454Named for figure of religious significance; Ann, a Roman Catholic saint, diminutive formLos Angeles
Rancho Santa Gertrudes1833Josefa Cota de NietoMexico05 103Patented in 2 parts;
Tomás Sanchez Colima
Jas. P. McFarland, John G. Downey		463, 466Named for figure of religious significance; Gertrude the Great, a Roman Catholic saintLos Angeles,
Rancho Sausal Redondo1822Antonio Ygnacio ÁvilaMexico05 337Antonio Ygnacio Ávila1875-03-22438Spanish; el sauzal is willow grove, describing Baccharis salicifolia, California seep willow; redondo is literally round, but here refers to a pasturageRancho Santa Elena, see also Rancho Gauspita and Rancho SalinasLos Angeles
Rancho Simi1795Santiago PicoSpain14 271José de la Guerra y Noriega1865-06-29400Indigenous, Chumash language; Chumash community of ŠimiyiRancho San José de Gracia de SimíVentura, Los Angeles
Rancho La Tajauta1843Anastasio ÁvilaMexico01 Enrique Ávila441Indigenous, Tongva language; Tongva community of TajáutaTajanta, Tajuanta, Cuerbas, Rancho Los Cuerbos Los Angeles
Rancho Temescal1843Francisco LopezMexico03 R. de la Cuesta398Spanish; borrowing of the Nahuatl word temāzcalli, meaning sweat house, steam bath, saunaVentura, Los Angeles
Rancho Topanga Malibu Sequit1804José Bartolomé TapiaSpainMatthew Keller433Indigenous, mixed; Tongva community of Topaa'nga, Chumash community of Humaliwo, Chumash community of Lisiksi or LisiqsihiTopanza Malibu, Sequit, SimoLos Angeles
Rancho Tujunga1840Pedro Lopez, Francisco LopezMexico01.5 215D.W. Alexander413Indigenous, Tongva language; Tongva community of Tuhuu'ngaLos Angeles
Rancho Las VírgenesUncertain; Miguel OrtegaSpain054Maria Antonia Machado de Reyes545Named for figure of religious significance; originally Nuestra Señora la Reina de las Vírgenes, a Spanish-language honorific for Mary, mother of Jesus, meaning Our Lady, the Queen of the VirginsLos Angeles

Influence

Many place names in Los Angeles County draw their names from the ranchos and the rancheros. Examples of rancho-derived toponyms include: Ballona, Brea, Centinela Ave., Cerritos, Conejo Valley, Dominguez, Duarte, Encino, La Brea Ave., La Cañada Flintridge, La Cienega Blvd., La Puente, La Tijera Blvd., Las Virgenes USD, Los Feliz, Mount Baldy, Palos Verdes, Park La Brea, Pico Blvd., Pico-Union, Pico Rivera, Rancho Park, Redondo Beach, Rose Hills, Rodeo Dr., San Jose Hills, San Pedro, San Vicente Blvd., other San Vicente Blvd., Santa Anita Race Track, Santa Monica, Sepulveda, Verdugo, Walnut, West Whittier-Los Nietos, et al. Rancho boundaries define a portion of the county boundary line; approximately of roads in the county follow rancho borders; and several major arterial thoroughfares run along former rancho property lines, including Pico, Redondo Beach, Sepulveda, Washington, Whittier, and Wilshire boulevards.
By the 20th century, the popular culture of California often depicted romantic rancheros and idealized missions, but erased the negative consequences for indigenous people of the California mission clash of cultures. Mission Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival, Monterey Colonial Revival and California Churrigueresque were all popular architectural styles in Los Angeles, and not coincidentally: "Thanks to architects, writers, and city boosters, Southern California's identity became firmly grounded in an obsession with geography." The appropriation of Spanish colonization by bourgeois whites is typified by projects like Christine Sterling's preservation of Ávila Adobe and establishment of Olvera Street as a tourist attraction. The eventual design shift from adobe-style buildings to the "Mediterranean" style was an intentional separation from the rustic and Mexican roots of the place to what was perceived as a more sophisticated cultural iconography, although "California stucco" was a method for attaching the "Mexican–Indian mode of domestic architecture" to mass production of small family homes. The "romance of the ranchos" was also used as a pretext for discouraging urban density of Los Angeles and promoting a vast decentralized "rural urban" development style that combines vast tracts of single family homes and practices like faux-rural horse-keeping with dense nodes of finance, law and film production.