Rancho San Miguel was a 6663 acres (27 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 Sonoma County, California given in 1840 by Governor Juan B. Alvarado to William Marcus West

William Marcus West

William Marcus West is a Scottish American pioneer who settled in what is now eastern Sonoma County, California, United States.-Life:West came to the area in 1832, soon after marrying Guadalupe Vasquez, a sister of General Vallejo. At the time, the area belonged to Mexico. In 1840, he acquired the ...

. The grant was located north of present day Santa Rosa

Santa Rosa, California

Santa Rosa is the county seat of Sonoma County, California, United States. The 2010 census reported a population of 167,815. Santa Rosa is the largest city in California's Wine Country and fifth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area, after San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and Fremont and 26th...

, between Mark West Creek

Mark West Creek

Mark West Creek is a stream that rises in the Mayacamas Mountains of Sonoma County, California, USA. Tributaries of Mark West Creek include Porter Creek and Hummingbird Creek, both of which originate in the same mountain range. Discharge waters of Mark West Creek reach the Russian River after a...

 and Santa Rosa Creek

Santa Rosa Creek

Santa Rosa Creek is a 22 mile long stream in Sonoma County, California which rises on Hood Mountain and discharges to the Laguna de Santa Rosa by way of the Santa Rosa Flood Control Channel...

, and encompassed present day Mark West

Mark West, California

Mark West is an unincorporated community immediately north of Santa Rosa, California in Sonoma County, California, USA. Mark West is located along Mark West Springs Road adjacent to U.S. Highway 101...

 and Mark West Springs

Mark West Springs, California

Mark West Springs is an unincorporated community in eastern Sonoma County, California, USA. Mark West Springs is located on Porter Creek Road in the Mayacamas Mountains. Mark West Creek flows through the community....

.

History

William Mark West (d.1849), a Scot, came to Sonoma in 1832, soon after marrying Guadalupe Vasquez, a niece of General Vallejo

Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo

Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo was a Californian military commander, politician, and rancher. He was born a subject of Spain, performed his military duties as an officer of Mexico, and shaped the transition of California from a Mexican district to an American state...

 in Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz (municipality)

Santa Cruz is a municipality in Sonora in north-western Mexico.-Adjacent municipalities and counties:* Cananea Municipality - east and southeast* Ímuris Municipality - southwest* Nogales Municipality - west...

, Mexico

Mexico

The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

. Mark West built an adobe and established a trading post and post office near the stream which now bears his name.

Mark West died in 1849, leaving his land to his wife and seven children (Maria Luisa Del Carmet, Mark, Juan, William, Charles, Adelaide, and Chata). General Vallejo administered the estate. A claim for Rancho San Miguel 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. The claim for six square leagues was rejected by the Land Commission in 1855, but confirmed by the US District Court in 1857. The US Attorney General filed an appeal with the case to the US Supreme Court. The Supreme Court accepted one and a half square leagues, and the grant was patented to Guadalupe Vasquez de West in 1865.