Rancho Laguna Seca (Alvires)
Encyclopedia
Rancho Laguna Seca was a 19973 acres (80.8 km²) Mexican land grant
in present day Santa Clara County, California
given in 1834 by Governor José Figueroa
to Juan Alvires. "Laguna Seca" means "Dry Lake" in Spanish. The grant extended southward along Coyote Creek from Rancho Santa Teresa
and Coyote
to Rancho Ojo del Agua de la Coche
and Morgan Hill
.
and Fisher's brother-in-law, acted as Fisher's agent.
William Fisher (1810-1850) was born in England and settled in Massachusetts
. In 1830 he left as mate on a vessel bound for the West Coast with a load of hides and tallow. He married Liberata Ceseña (1818 - 1905) in 1834 and continued his trading business in Baja California. In 1846 he decided to return, with his family, to Alta California and establish his home in the Pueblo of San José. William Fisher was offered, but declined, the office of alcalde, probably because of continuing poor health and his involvement in raising cattle on the rancho and operating his mercantile business in San Jose. In 1849, because of deteriorating health, William sold his mercantile store in San Jose to his clerk, Josiah Belden
, and returned to the rancho, where he died in 1850, at the age of 40, leaving the rancho to his wife, Liberta Ceseña, and six children.
In 1851, Daniel Murphy, the youngest son of Martin Murphy, owner of the adjacent Rancho Ojo del Agua de la Coche married Maria Fisher. In 1882, Diana, their precocious daughter, secretly married Hiram Morgan Hill. In 1851 Liberta Ceseña married Dr. George H. Bull, a medical doctor from Troy, New York
.
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 Laguna Seca was filed with the Public Land Commission
in 1852, and the grant was patented
to Liberta Ceseña Bull et al. (heirs of William Fisher) in 1865. A claim was filed by Juan Alvires with the Land Commission in 1853, but was rejected in 1855.
Dr. Bull died in 1854. In 1857 Liberta Bull sold her half share (9986 acres (40.4 km²)) to her son-in-law, Daniel Murphy, and married Caesar Piatti in 1858. In 1858 Daniel Murphy filed a partition suit, resulting in a partition of 1499 acres (6.1 km²) to Thomas Fisher; 1790 acres (7.2 km²) to Cipriano Fisher; 1795 acres (7.3 km²) to W. Fisher; 1348 acres (5.5 km²) to Eulogia Fisher Rota (wife of Daniel Rota); 1784 acres (7.2 km²) to Fiacro Fisher; and 11552 acres (46.7 km²) to Daniel and Mary Murphy. In 1876 Eulogia Fisher sold her portion to Fiacro Fisher. Liberta resided on Rancho Laguna Seca until the death of Caesar Piatti in 1899.
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 Clara County, California
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...
given in 1834 by Governor José Figueroa
José Figueroa
General José Figueroa , was a General and the Mexican territorial Governor of Alta California from 1833 to 1835.Figueroa oversaw the initial secularization of the missions of upper California, which included the expulsion of the Spanish Franciscan mission officials.This also involved the issuing of...
to Juan Alvires. "Laguna Seca" means "Dry Lake" in Spanish. The grant extended southward along Coyote Creek from Rancho Santa Teresa
Rancho Santa Teresa
Rancho Santa Teresa was a Mexican land grant in present day Santa Clara County, California given in 1834 by Governor José Figueroa to José Joaquín Bernal...
and Coyote
Coyote, California
Coyote, originally Burnett is an unincorporated community in a narrowing of Santa Clara Valley astride Coyote Creek, between San Jose and Morgan Hill, in Santa Clara County, California. Its ZIP Code is 95013; there is a small U.S. Post Office....
to Rancho Ojo del Agua de la Coche
Rancho Ojo del Agua de la Coche
Rancho Ojo de Agua de la Coche was a Mexican land grant in present day Santa Clara County, California given in 1835 by Governor José Figueroa to Juan María Hernandez. The name means "pig's spring"...
and Morgan Hill
Morgan Hill, California
Morgan Hill is a city located in the southern part of Santa Clara County, California, United States. Founded on November 10, 1906, the city was named after Hiram Morgan Hill, a San Franciscan who built a country retreat home there in 1884...
.
History
Juan Alvires was alcalde of San Jose from 1812-1813, alcalde of Monterey in 1826, and alcalde of San Jose, again, in 1837. The four square league Rancho Laguna Seca was granted to Juan Alvires in 1834. As a result of financial difficulties, Rancho Laguna Seca was sold to William Fisher in 1845. William Gulnac, grantee of Rancho Campo de los FrancesesRancho Campo de los Franceses
Rancho Campo de los Franceses was a Mexican land grant in present day San Joaquin County, California given in 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to Guillermo Gulnac. "Campo de los Franceses” which in English means “French Camp” refers to French-Canadian fur trappers who wintered there...
and Fisher's brother-in-law, acted as Fisher's agent.
William Fisher (1810-1850) was born in England and settled in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. In 1830 he left as mate on a vessel bound for the West Coast with a load of hides and tallow. He married Liberata Ceseña (1818 - 1905) in 1834 and continued his trading business in Baja California. In 1846 he decided to return, with his family, to Alta California and establish his home in the Pueblo of San José. William Fisher was offered, but declined, the office of alcalde, probably because of continuing poor health and his involvement in raising cattle on the rancho and operating his mercantile business in San Jose. In 1849, because of deteriorating health, William sold his mercantile store in San Jose to his clerk, Josiah Belden
Josiah Belden
Josiah Belden was an American pioneer and politician.-Life:Born in Connecticut, Belden was orphaned by the time he was 14. He later moved to St. Louis, Missouri and became a successful businessman. In 1841 he joined the Bartleson-Bidwell Party, the first organized emigrant party to use the...
, and returned to the rancho, where he died in 1850, at the age of 40, leaving the rancho to his wife, Liberta Ceseña, and six children.
In 1851, Daniel Murphy, the youngest son of Martin Murphy, owner of the adjacent Rancho Ojo del Agua de la Coche married Maria Fisher. In 1882, Diana, their precocious daughter, secretly married Hiram Morgan Hill. In 1851 Liberta Ceseña married Dr. George H. Bull, a medical doctor from Troy, New York
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
.
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 Laguna Seca 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 Liberta Ceseña Bull et al. (heirs of William Fisher) in 1865. A claim was filed by Juan Alvires with the Land Commission in 1853, but was rejected in 1855.
Dr. Bull died in 1854. In 1857 Liberta Bull sold her half share (9986 acres (40.4 km²)) to her son-in-law, Daniel Murphy, and married Caesar Piatti in 1858. In 1858 Daniel Murphy filed a partition suit, resulting in a partition of 1499 acres (6.1 km²) to Thomas Fisher; 1790 acres (7.2 km²) to Cipriano Fisher; 1795 acres (7.3 km²) to W. Fisher; 1348 acres (5.5 km²) to Eulogia Fisher Rota (wife of Daniel Rota); 1784 acres (7.2 km²) to Fiacro Fisher; and 11552 acres (46.7 km²) to Daniel and Mary Murphy. In 1876 Eulogia Fisher sold her portion to Fiacro Fisher. Liberta resided on Rancho Laguna Seca until the death of Caesar Piatti in 1899.
Historic sites of the Rancho
- Rancho del Refugio de la Laguna Seca, Stone Building. Constructed between 1860 and 1880.