Rancho Cañada del Rincon en el Rio San Lorenzo
Encyclopedia
Rancho Cañada del Rincon en el Rio San Lorenzo was a 5827 acres (23.6 km²) Mexican land grant
in present day Santa Cruz County, California
given in 1843 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena
, and confirmed in 1846 by Governor Pío Pico
, to Pedro Sainsevain
. The name means "valley on a corner on the San Lorenzo River". The grant was north of present day Santa Cruz
on the San Lorenzo River
.
in Los Angeles. In 1843, Sainsevain received a concession for the two square league Rancho Cañada del Rincon en el Rio San Lorenzo grant from Governor Micheltorena, but Sainsevain was not a Mexican citizen, as required by law, until his naturalization on October 7, 1844. The grant was confirmed by Governor Pico in 1846. Sainsevain operated a sawmill
on the San Lorenzo River. In 1845, Sainsevain married Paula Suñol (1827-1883), whose father owned Rancho Los Coches
near San Jose
. In 1848, Sainsevain went to the gold mines on the Tuolumne River
.
With the cession
of California to the United States following the Mexican-American War, the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
provided that the land grants would be honored. As required by the Land Act of 1851, a claim for Rancho Cañada del Rincon en el Rio San Lorenzo was filed with the Public Land Commission
in 1852. Granted originally in the amount of about 8800 acres (36 km²) by the Mexican government, the grant was patented
at 5827 acres (23.6 km²) to Pedro Sainsevain in 1858.
In 1859 Sainsevain traded Rancho Cañada del Rincon en el Rio San Lorenzo to the Davis and Jordan Lime Company, for their coastal steamer, the "Santa Cruz". The vessel had proven to be too large for use by the Lime Company. Sansevain tried the steamer on a coastal run but sold it to new owners who took it across the Pacific where it burned on the Yangtse River in 1861. Sainsevain, with his brother, Jean Louis Sainsevain, moved to Los Angeles and bought the El Aliso vineyards from their uncle, Jean-Louis Vignes.
The Davis and Jordan Lime Company, established in the 1850s, by Albion P. Jordan and Isaac E. Davis, two engineers from Massachusetts, established their kilns in Santa Cruz. In 1860, Henry van Valkenburgh purchased a portion of Rancho Cañada del Rincon en el Rio San Lorenzo from Davis and Jordan and established the San Lorenzo Paper Mill. In 1861, the California Powder Works was established to meet a need created by the outbreak of the Civil War
, when shipments of gunpowder
from the East Coast to California had been discontinued due to the fear that Federal gunpowder would fall into the hands of Confederate
raiders. In 1863, the California Powder Works purchased land just to the north of the San Lorenzo Paper Mill and began construction of various mills and the necessary dam, flume and tunnel to transport water from the San Lorenzo River to power the machinery. In 1872, the California Powder Works also acquired the San Lorenzo Paper Mill’s land when that company went out of business.
In 1865 Henry Cowell (1819–1903) bought half ownership of the Davis and Jordan Lime Company from Albion Jordan. When Isaac Davis died in 1888, Cowell purchased the other half. With the excellent grade of limestone and large quantities of available fuel, the kilns were moved from Santa Cruz to Rancho Cañada del Rincon en el Rio San Lorenzo.
A boundary conflict between Rancho Canada del Rincon en el Rio San Lorenzo and the adjoining Rancho Carbonera
went to the US Supreme Court in 1894.
Ranchos of California
The Spanish, and later the Méxican government encouraged settlement of territory now known as California by the establishment of large land grants called ranchos, from which the English ranch is derived. Devoted to raising cattle and sheep, the owners of the ranchos attempted to pattern themselves...
in present day Santa Cruz County, California
Santa Cruz County, California
Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, on the California Central Coast. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay. . As of the 2010 U.S. Census, its population was 262,382. The county seat is Santa Cruz...
given in 1843 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena
Manuel Micheltorena
Manuel Micheltorena was a Brigadier General of the Mexican Army, Adjutant-General of the same, Governor, Commandant-General and Inspector of the Department of the California...
, and confirmed in 1846 by Governor Pío Pico
Pío Pico
Pío de Jesús Pico was the last Governor of Alta California under Mexican rule.-Origins:...
, to Pedro Sainsevain
Pierre Sainsevain
Pierre "Don Pedro" Sainsevain was a French settler in California during the Mexican era. Sainsevain was the recipient of a Mexican land grant, and built a lumber mill and a flour mill...
. The name means "valley on a corner on the San Lorenzo River". The grant was north of present day Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
on the San Lorenzo River
San Lorenzo River
The San Lorenzo River drains a large watershed in Santa Cruz County, California. The headwaters originate in the Santa Cruz Mountains at an elevation of , and the river flows through the San Lorenzo Valley before emptying into the Pacific Ocean at Monterey Bay...
.
History
Pedro Sainsevain (1818–1904) came to California in 1839 and joined his uncle Jean-Louis VignesJean-Louis Vignes
Jean-Louis Vignes , or as he was known to his Mexican neighbors, "Don Luis del Aliso", was a French settler to the Los Angeles area during the Mexican era. He was the first commercial wine maker in California and one of the first men to import and plant European Vitis vinifera grapes in the state...
in Los Angeles. In 1843, Sainsevain received a concession for the two square league Rancho Cañada del Rincon en el Rio San Lorenzo grant from Governor Micheltorena, but Sainsevain was not a Mexican citizen, as required by law, until his naturalization on October 7, 1844. The grant was confirmed by Governor Pico in 1846. Sainsevain operated a sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
on the San Lorenzo River. In 1845, Sainsevain married Paula Suñol (1827-1883), whose father owned Rancho Los Coches
Rancho Los Coches (Sunol)
Rancho Los Coches was a Mexican land grant in present day Santa Clara County, California given in 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to Roberto Balemino, an indian. The name means Ranch of the Pigs...
near San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
. In 1848, Sainsevain went to the gold mines on the Tuolumne River
Tuolumne River
The Tuolumne River is a California river that flows nearly from the central Sierra Nevada to the San Joaquin River in the Central Valley...
.
With the cession
Mexican Cession
The Mexican Cession of 1848 is a historical name in the United States for the region of the present day southwestern United States that Mexico ceded to the U.S...
of California to the United States following the Mexican-American War, the 1848 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...
provided that the land grants would be honored. As required by the Land Act of 1851, a claim for Rancho Cañada del Rincon en el Rio San Lorenzo was filed with the Public Land Commission
Public Land Commission
The Public Land Commission, a former agency of the United States government, was created following the admission of California as a state in 1850 . The Commission's purpose was to determine the validity of prior Spanish and Mexican land grants in California.California Senator William M...
in 1852. Granted originally in the amount of about 8800 acres (36 km²) by the Mexican government, the grant was patented
Land patent
A land patent is a land grant made patent by the sovereign lord over the land in question. To make a such a grant “patent”, such a sovereign lord must document the land grant, securely sign and seal the document and openly publish the same to the public for all to see...
at 5827 acres (23.6 km²) to Pedro Sainsevain in 1858.
In 1859 Sainsevain traded Rancho Cañada del Rincon en el Rio San Lorenzo to the Davis and Jordan Lime Company, for their coastal steamer, the "Santa Cruz". The vessel had proven to be too large for use by the Lime Company. Sansevain tried the steamer on a coastal run but sold it to new owners who took it across the Pacific where it burned on the Yangtse River in 1861. Sainsevain, with his brother, Jean Louis Sainsevain, moved to Los Angeles and bought the El Aliso vineyards from their uncle, Jean-Louis Vignes.
The Davis and Jordan Lime Company, established in the 1850s, by Albion P. Jordan and Isaac E. Davis, two engineers from Massachusetts, established their kilns in Santa Cruz. In 1860, Henry van Valkenburgh purchased a portion of Rancho Cañada del Rincon en el Rio San Lorenzo from Davis and Jordan and established the San Lorenzo Paper Mill. In 1861, the California Powder Works was established to meet a need created by the outbreak of the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, when shipments of gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
from the East Coast to California had been discontinued due to the fear that Federal gunpowder would fall into the hands of Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
raiders. In 1863, the California Powder Works purchased land just to the north of the San Lorenzo Paper Mill and began construction of various mills and the necessary dam, flume and tunnel to transport water from the San Lorenzo River to power the machinery. In 1872, the California Powder Works also acquired the San Lorenzo Paper Mill’s land when that company went out of business.
In 1865 Henry Cowell (1819–1903) bought half ownership of the Davis and Jordan Lime Company from Albion Jordan. When Isaac Davis died in 1888, Cowell purchased the other half. With the excellent grade of limestone and large quantities of available fuel, the kilns were moved from Santa Cruz to Rancho Cañada del Rincon en el Rio San Lorenzo.
A boundary conflict between Rancho Canada del Rincon en el Rio San Lorenzo and the adjoining Rancho Carbonera
Rancho Carbonera
Rancho Carbonera was a Mexican land grant in present day Santa Cruz County, California given in 1838 by Governor Juan B. Alvarado to William Buckle . The grant was north of present day Santa Cruz between the San Lorenzo River and Branciforte Creek...
went to the US Supreme Court in 1894.