Maria Soledad Ortega de Argüello (1797–1874) was the heir to Rancho de las Pulgas

Rancho de las Pulgas

Rancho de las Pulgas was a 1795 Spanish land grant in present day San Mateo County, California to José Darío Argüello. The name means "Ranch of the Fleas". The grant was bounded by San Mateo Creek on the north and San Francisquito Creek on the south, and extended about one league from San...

. The Rancho was granted, re-granted twice, and finally patented by the United States Supreme Court. The land she inherited would eventually become 5 cities on the San Francisco Peninsula

San Francisco Peninsula

The San Francisco Peninsula is a peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area that separates the San Francisco Bay from the Pacific Ocean. On its northern tip is the City and County of San Francisco. Its southern base is in Santa Clara County, including the cities of Palo Alto, Los Altos, and Mountain...

. In addition because of the times she was uneducated, so this land would be her only claim to fame.

Life

Granddaughter of Sergeant Ortega

José Francisco Ortega

José Francisco Ortega was soldier and early settler of California.-Early life:Ortega was born in 1734 at Zelaya, Guanajuanto, Mexico, where he worked as a warehouse clerk. In 1755, he enlisted and served at the Presidio at Misión Nuestra Señora de Loreto. In 1759 Ortega married María Antonia...

 of the Portola expedition

Portola expedition

250px|right|Point of San Francisco Bay DiscoveryThe Portolá Expedition was led by Gaspar de Portolá from July 14, 1769 to January 24, 1770. It was the first recorded Spanish land entry and exploration of present day California, United States...

 - reportedly the first European to see the San Francisco Bay, she was one of 13 children. At the age of 25, she married Luis Antonio Argüello

Luis Antonio Argüello

Luis Antonio Argüello was the first native governor of Alta California from 1822 to 1825, during the period California was under Mexican rule, twelfth overall. He was the only governor to serve under the Mexican empire, and the first native Californian to hold that office...

, son of José Darío Argüello

José Darío Argüello

José Darío Argüello was a Spanish soldier and California pioneer, and twice governor of California.-Biography:José Darío Argüello was born in Santiago de Querétaro, New Spain ....

, in 1822 and moved to the San Francisco Presidio soon thereafter. In November of the same year they move to Monterey

Monterey, California

The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...

, while he was governor, then back to the Presidio until Luis' death in 1830. From then on she ran and took charge of Rancho de las Pulgas.

In 1852, she filed a claim for the land following the rules as set by the United States administration to meet the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo is the peace treaty, largely dictated by the United States to the interim government of a militarily occupied Mexico City, that ended the Mexican-American War on February 2, 1848...

. Her claim prevailed and was patented by the United States Supreme Court. Instead of the 4 square leagues, as originally granted and court decision, she received 8 square leagues(35240 acres (142.6 km²)) by the official survey. She eventually sold any remaining unsold land to the County of San Mateo

San Mateo County, California

San Mateo County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. It covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula just south of San Francisco, and north of Santa Clara County. San Francisco International Airport is located at the northern end of the county, and...

. In 1859, she moved to Santa Clara County

Santa Clara County, California

Santa Clara County is a county located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 it had a population of 1,781,642. The county seat is San Jose. The highly urbanized Santa Clara Valley within Santa Clara County is also known as Silicon Valley...

 to live with her son where he had purchased a part of Rancho Quito

Rancho Quito

Rancho Quito was a Mexican land grant in present day Santa Clara County, California given in 1841 by Governor Juan Alvarado to José Zenon Fernandez and Jose Noriega. The grant included present day Saratoga, Campbell, and Cupertino. The eastern boundary was Arroyo San Tomas Aquino.-History:The...

. She remained there until her death.

In 1976, the City of Redwood City

Redwood City, California

Redwood City is a California charter city located on the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California, approximately 27 miles south of San Francisco, and 24 miles north of San Jose. Redwood City's history spans from its earliest inhabitation by the Ohlone people, to its tradition as a port for...

renamed a downtown plaza at the intersection of Broadway and Arguello Street as Arguello Plaza. A bust of her was erect in September of the same year in that plaza. The bust is on the edge of the train and bus depot, next to the Broadway train crossing.