Rancho Novato was a 8871 acres (35.9 km²) Mexican land grant

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 Marin County, California

Marin County, California

Marin County is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. As of 2010, the population was 252,409. The county seat is San Rafael and the largest employer is the county government. Marin County is well...

 given in 1839 by Governor Juan Alvarado to Fernando Feliz (or Felix). The grant extended along San Pablo Bay

San Pablo Bay

San Pablo Bay is a tidal estuary that forms the northern extension of San Francisco Bay in northern California in the United States. Most of the Bay is shallow; however, there is a deep water channel approximately in mid bay, which allows access to Sacramento, Stockton, Benicia, Martinez, and...

, from Black Point

Black Point, California

Black Point is an unincorporated community in Marin County, California. It is located on the Petaluma River east of downtown Novato, west-northwest of Petaluma Point, at an elevation of 39 feet...

 to Rancho San Jose

Rancho San Jose (Pacheco)

Rancho San Jose was a Mexican land grant in present day Marin County, California given in 1840 by Governor Juan Alvarado to Ygnacio Pacheco. The grant included the lands of Hamilton Air Force Base and the community of Ignacio.-History:...

, and included the land that now encompasses the city of Novato

Novato, California

Novato is a city located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, in northern Marin County. Novato is located about north-northwest of San Rafael, at an elevation of 30 feet above sea level . The 2010 U.S. Census estimated the city population to be about 51,904. Novato is about ...

.

History

Fernando De La Trinidad Feliz (May 30, 1795, Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

, California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 – November, 12 1859, Hopland, California

Hopland, California

Hopland is a census-designated place in Mendocino County, California. It is located on the west bank of the Russian River south-southeast of Ukiah, at an elevation of 502 feet . The population was 756 at the 2010 census....

), who was a regidor (town councilman) at the Pueblo of San José in 1831, received the two square league grant in 1839.

In 1844, Feliz was grantee of Rancho Sanel

Rancho Sanel

Rancho Sanel was a Mexican land grant in present day Mendocino County, California given in 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to Fernando Feliz . The grant extended along the Russian River and encompassed present day Hopland. It is named after a village of the Pomo people near Hopland; the...

 in Mendocino County, California

Mendocino County, California

Mendocino County is a county located on the north coast of the U.S. state of California, north of the greater San Francisco Bay Area and west of the Central Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 87,841, up from 86,265 at the 2000 census...

, and sold Rancho Novato to Jacob P. Leese

Jacob P. Leese

Jacob Primer Leese was a San Francisco pioneer, who built the first permanent house in San Francisco...

, and moved to Rancho Sanel. In 1846, Leese sold Rancho Novato to Bezer Simmons, who erected a large wooden house on it in 1850. In 1846, Capt. Bezer Simmons also bought Rancho San Diego Island (now Coronado) from Pedro C. Carillo. Simmons assigned the rancho to his creditors: Bezer J. Simmons, Benjamin F[ranklin]. Simmons (Bezer Simmons’ brother), W. W. Parker, S. Needham, John H. Allen, Andrew McCabe, James Johnson, and Halleck, Peachy & Billings

Halleck, Peachy & Billings

Halleck, Peachy & Billings was one of the leading early law firms in San Francisco, California and specialized in land cases. The firm was organized by Frederick H. Billings and Archibald Carey Peachy in 1849, who were joined soon after by Henry Wager Halleck. Halleck, Peachy & Billings was...

.

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 Novato 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 his creditors in 1866.

James Johnson and Andrew McCabe bought out the other creditors, and in 1857 sold Rancho Novato to Francis DeLong and Joseph Sweetser. Francis C. DeLong (June 10, 1808, Cornwall, Vermont

Cornwall, Vermont

Cornwall is a town in Addison County, Vermont, United States. It was founded November 3, 1761. The population was 1,136 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...

 – February 11, 1885, Novato) came to California in 1850, and opened a grocery store in San Francisco. He and Joseph Sweetser, a former merchant, became business partners. Sweetser and De Long planted a large orchard of apple, pear, and apricot trees along the banks of Novato Creek

Novato Creek

Novato Creek is a stream in eastern Marin County, California, United States. It originates on Burdell Mountain above the city of Novato, California and flows before empyting into San Pablo Bay south of Petaluma Point.-Course:...

. In 1879 Sweetser and DeLong dissolved their partnership, with Sweetser selling all of his holdings to DeLong except for one square mile that is today's downtown Novato.