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 (last adjusted in 1919) 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 , 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. (Grants made after that date were deemed invalid.) As the first Spanish land grants in California 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 the nascent nation-state of Mexico from the influence of the Roman Catholic Church, which was perceived to be an especial 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 square near Mission San Gabriel" (patented to Mr. Sexton in 1871) 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. (Additionally, at least two sets of patented rancho land grants in Los Angeles County had overlapping areas; these disputes were eventually resolved in federal court.)
are hand-drawn maps submitted to the U.S. government indicating the extent of a land grant as understood by the grantees. and (written descriptions of the grants) 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 (later Espíritu Chijulla) 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 (due to sale, abandonment, amalgamation, subdivision, et al.) or not recognized during U.S. era
GrantYearGranteesCountryGrant area No. Patentees Patent area U.S. survey map Patent date GLO Plat No. BrandEtymologyAlt names Counties Case file onlineRancho Aguaje de la Centinela1844Ygnacio MachadoMexico382Bruno Ávila437Spanish; is watering place or spring, is guardianRancho Centinella, El CentinelaLos AngelesCase no. 125, Southern District of California.Rancho Los Alamitos1834Juan José NietoMexico06 (6 Spanish leagues)468Spanish; diminutive form of , describing Populus fremontiiOrange, Los Angeles Case no. 290, Southern District of CaliforniaRancho Azusa1837Ignacio Palomares, Ricardo VéjarMexico04 (4 Spanish leagues)Indigenous, Tongva language; Tongva (Gabrieleño) community Asuksa'ngaLos AngelesRancho Azusa de Dalton1841Luis ArenasMexicoHenry Dalton455Personal name; "Azusa ranch of Henry Dalton"Rancho El Susa, Rancho de San José de San GabrielLos AngelesRancho Azusa de Duarte1841Andrés DuarteMexico236Andrés Duarte456Personal name; "Azusa ranch of Andrés Duarte"Rancho SusitaLos AngelesRancho La Ballona1839Agustín Machado, Ygnacio Machado, Felipe Talamantes, Tomás TalamantesMexico184Agustín Machado, Ygnacio Machado, Felipe Talamantes, Tomás Talamantes434DisputedRancho Paseo de Las Carretas (wagon pass); Rancho de Los QuintosLos AngelesCase no. 123, Southern District of California.Rancho Boca de Santa Mónica1839Ysidro ReyesMexico01.5 (1 Spanish leagues) 330Ysidro Reyes, Francisco Marquez, et al.539Spanish; meaning mouth, entrance, or opening; the flowing waters of the Tongva Sacred Springs were reminiscent of the tears of Monica, a Roman Catholic saintLos AngelesCase no. 141, Southern District of CaliforniaRancho La Brea1828José Antonio RochaMexico01 (1 Spanish league)José Antonio Rocha429Spanish; meaning asphalt or tarLos AngelesCase no. 287, Southern District of California.Rancho CahuengaTwice granted; (1) 1843
(2) 1846Twice granted; (1) José Yvez Limantour, José Miguel Triunfo (2) Luis ArenasMexicoTwice granted; (1) 06 Spanish leagues
(2) 04 Spanish leaguesD. W. Alexander425Indigenous, Tongva language; Tongva community Kawee'ngaCajuengaLos AngelesCase no. 225, Southern District of California, Case no. 321, Southern District of CaliforniaRancho La Cañada1843Ygnacio CoronelMexico02 (2 Spanish leagues)J.R. Scott, et al.414Spanish; describes a "dale or glen" between mountainsLos AngelesCase no. 316, Southern District of CaliforniaRancho La Cañada atras de Verdugos 1846 Antonio Francisco Coronel (claim rejected by U.S.)MexicoSpanish; meaning dale or glen between mountains; "behind or in back of" the Verdugo Mountains of Rancho San RafaelRancho Sierra de los VerdugosLos AngelesRancho La Cañada de Los Nogales1844José Maria ÁguilarMexico0.5 ( Spanish league) 380José M. Águila546Spanish; meaning dale or glen between mountains; meaning walnut tree, describing Juglans californicaLos AngelesCase no. 23, Southern District of CaliforniaRancho Castac1843José M. CovarrubiasMexico05 (5 Spanish leagues)326José M. CovarrubiasIndigenous, Chumash language; Chumash community of KaštɨqRancho CastecKern, Los AngelesCase no. 349, Southern District of CaliforniaRancho Los Cerritos1834Maria Manuela NietoMexico05 (5 Spanish leagues)John Temple467Spanish; meaning hillock or little hillRancho Los SierritosOrange, Los Angeles Case no. 17, Southern District of CaliforniaRancho La Ciénega ó Paso de la Tijera1843Vicente SánchezMexico532Tomás Sánchez436Spanish; meaning wetland, marsh, or muddy place; is pass or passage; apparently has several definitions: scissors, an X-shaped tool, a person who shears animals, and channel or drain Rancho Cienega y TijerasLos AngelesCase no. 376, Case no. 360, Southern District of CaliforniaRancho Las Ciénegas1823Januario ÁvilaMexico01 (1 Spanish league)Januario ÁvilaSpanish; meaning wetland, marsh, or muddy place Los AngelesCase no. 353, Southern District of CaliforniaRancho El ConejoTwice granted; (1) 1803
(2) 1822Twice granted; (1) José Polanco, Ygnacio Rodriguez
(2) José de la Guerra y NoriegaTwice granted; (1) Spain (2) MexicoTwice granted; (1) 11 Spanish leagues
(2) 48,672 acres (as claimed 1873)José de la Guerra y Noriega408Spanish; meaning rabbit, describing Sylvilagus audubonii and Sylvilagus bachmaniRancho Señora de AltagraciaLos AngelesRancho Los Coyotes1834Juan José NietoMexico10 (10 Spanish leagues)Andrés Pico, et al.472Spanish; borrowing of Nahuatl language coyōtl; coyotes remain common mammals of Southern CaliforniaRancho La Buena EsperanzaLos AngelesCase no. 372, Southern District of CaliforniaRancho Los EncinosTwice granted; (1) 1785–1797
(2) 1845Twice granted; (1) Juan Francisco Reyes
(2) Ramon, Francisco, Roque (described as "presumably Indians")Twice granted; (1) Spain