Rancho La Sierra (Yorba)
Encyclopedia
Rancho La Sierra was a 17769 acres (71.9 km²) Mexican land grant
in present day Riverside County, California
, United States. In 1846 governor Pio Pico
issued the grant to Bernardo Yorba
. The grant lay between Rancho Jurupa
and Rancho El Rincon
, and included the present day city of Corona
.
, was the grantee of Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana
in present-day Orange County
. For years Bernardo (1800–1858) and his brothers pastured animals on lands east of their father's rancho, and in 1834 Bernardo requested, and was granted, Rancho Cañón de Santa Ana
. Bernardo and his brother Tomas (1787–1845) continued to pasture heards even further east, in an area they had named La Sierra.
In 1845, after his brother Tomas had died, Bernardo applied for four square leagues of the La Sierra lands. Nine days later Maria Vicenta Sepulveda, the widow of Bernardo's brother Tomas, also applied for some of the same La Sierra lands. On June 15, 1846 Governor Pio Pico granted the west half of the lands, Rancho La Sierra (Yorba), to Bernado Yorba, and the east half, Rancho La Sierra (Sepulveda)
, to Vicente Sepulveda.
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 La Sierra (Yorba) was filed with the Public Land Commission
in 1852, and the grant was patented
to Bernardo Yorba in 1875.
When the state of California was admitted into the Union in 1850 Rancho La Sierra became part of Los Angeles County
, but by the time the US patent was filed, Rancho La Sierra was a part of San Bernardino County
. In 1893 the Rancho became part of Riverside County when the California Legislature authorized the formation of Riverside County taking lands from both San Bernardino County and San Diego County
.
R.B. Taylor, George L. Joy, Samuel Merrill, A.S. Garretson, and Adolph Rimpau, a citrus growers’ organization, purchased Rancho La Sierra of Bernardo Yorba, and the Rancho Temescal
grant of Leandro Serrano in 1886. The colony was laid out as South Riverside, and in 1896 renamed Corona (Spanish: “Crown”) for a 3-mile (5-km) circular drive that is now around the central city and was the site of international automobile races from 1913 to 1916.
Bernardo Yorba expanded his lands further when he purchased Rancho El Rincon
from Juan Bandini
.
.
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 Riverside County, California
Riverside County, California
Riverside County is a county in the U.S. state of California. One of 58 California counties, it covers in the southern part of the state, and stretches from Orange County to the Colorado River, which forms the state border with Arizona. The county derives its name from the city of Riverside,...
, United States. In 1846 governor Pio Pico
Pío Pico
Pío de Jesús Pico was the last Governor of Alta California under Mexican rule.-Origins:...
issued the grant to Bernardo Yorba
Bernardo Yorba
Bernardo Yorba , was a native of Nueva California and the son of Spanish soldier, José Antonio Yorba. Bernardo became one of the most successful ranchers in Alta California with thousands of cattle and horses grazing on land grants totaling more than 35,000 acres...
. The grant lay between Rancho Jurupa
Rancho Jurupa
Rancho Jurupa was a Mexican land grant in California, United States, that is divided by the present-day counties of Riverside and San Bernardino. The land was granted to Juan Bandini by Governor Juan B. Alvarado in 1838...
and Rancho El Rincon
Rancho El Rincon (Bandini)
Rancho El Rincón was a Mexican land grant in present-day San Bernardino County and Riverside County, California given in 1839 to Juan Bandini by Governor Juan Alvarado. El rincón means "the corner" in Spanish...
, and included the present day city of Corona
Corona, California
Corona is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 152,374, up from 124,966 at the 2000 census...
.
History
Bernardo Yorba's father, José Antonio YorbaJosé Antonio Yorba
José Antonio Yorba , also known as Don José Antonio Yorba I, was a Spanish soldier and early settler of Spanish California.-Spanish Soldier:...
, was the grantee of Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana
Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana
Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana was a Spanish land concession in present day Orange County, California given by Governor José Joaquín de Arrillaga in 1810 to Jose Antonio Yorba and his nephew Pablo Peralta...
in present-day Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
. For years Bernardo (1800–1858) and his brothers pastured animals on lands east of their father's rancho, and in 1834 Bernardo requested, and was granted, Rancho Cañón de Santa Ana
Rancho Cañón de Santa Ana
Rancho Cañón de Santa Ana was a land grant in present day Orange County, California given by Mexican governor José Figueroa in 1834 to Bernardo Yorba. The name means "Canyon of Santa Ana". The grant included present day Yorba Linda.-History:...
. Bernardo and his brother Tomas (1787–1845) continued to pasture heards even further east, in an area they had named La Sierra.
In 1845, after his brother Tomas had died, Bernardo applied for four square leagues of the La Sierra lands. Nine days later Maria Vicenta Sepulveda, the widow of Bernardo's brother Tomas, also applied for some of the same La Sierra lands. On June 15, 1846 Governor Pio Pico granted the west half of the lands, Rancho La Sierra (Yorba), to Bernado Yorba, and the east half, Rancho La Sierra (Sepulveda)
Rancho La Sierra (Sepulveda)
Rancho La Sierra was a Mexican land grant in present day Riverside County, California, United States. In 1846 Governor Pio Pico issued the grant to Vicenta Sepulveda...
, to Vicente Sepulveda.
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 La Sierra (Yorba) 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, and 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...
to Bernardo Yorba in 1875.
When the state of California was admitted into the Union in 1850 Rancho La Sierra became part of Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
, but by the time the US patent was filed, Rancho La Sierra was a part of San Bernardino County
San Bernardino County, California
San Bernardino County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 2,035,210, up from 1,709,434 as of the 2000 census...
. In 1893 the Rancho became part of Riverside County when the California Legislature authorized the formation of Riverside County taking lands from both San Bernardino County and San Diego County
San Diego County, California
San Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...
.
R.B. Taylor, George L. Joy, Samuel Merrill, A.S. Garretson, and Adolph Rimpau, a citrus growers’ organization, purchased Rancho La Sierra of Bernardo Yorba, and the Rancho Temescal
Rancho Temescal (Serrano)
Rancho Temescal was a Mexican land grant in present day Riverside County, California given by Governor José María de Echeandía to Leandro Serrano. The word Temescal is Spanish for "sweat bath" or "sweat lodge." The grant extended along the Temescal Valley south of present day Corona and...
grant of Leandro Serrano in 1886. The colony was laid out as South Riverside, and in 1896 renamed Corona (Spanish: “Crown”) for a 3-mile (5-km) circular drive that is now around the central city and was the site of international automobile races from 1913 to 1916.
Bernardo Yorba expanded his lands further when he purchased Rancho El Rincon
Rancho El Rincon (Bandini)
Rancho El Rincón was a Mexican land grant in present-day San Bernardino County and Riverside County, California given in 1839 to Juan Bandini by Governor Juan Alvarado. El rincón means "the corner" in Spanish...
from Juan Bandini
Juan Bandini
Juan Bandini was an early settler of what would become San Diego, California.-Early history:Juan Bandini was born 1800 in Lima, Peru to José Bandini, a Spanish sea captain. His father came to California in 1819 and 1821 and participated in the Mexican War of Independence...
.
Etymology
Translated from Spanish into English "La Sierra de Santa Ana" means "The mountains of Santa Ana". According to Bernardo's petition for the La Sierra lands, the Yorba brothers had used this name as early as 1825. The name distinguished the higher elevation La Sierra de Santa Ana lands from Bernardo's Cañón de Santa Ana lands, both positioned beside the Santa Ana RiverSanta Ana River
The Santa Ana River is the largest river of Southern California in the United States. Its drainage basin spans four counties. It rises in the San Bernardino Mountains and flows past the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, before cutting through the northern tip of the Santa Ana Mountains and...
.
Historic sites of the Rancho
- Corona Founders Monument. Taylor, Joy, Merrill, Garretson, and Rimpau, having purchased Rancho La Sierra of Bernardo Yorba and Rancho Temescal of Leandro Serrano on May 4, 1886, founded the citrus colony and town of Corona.