Rancho Santa Margarita
Encyclopedia
Rancho Santa Margarita was a 17735 acres (71.8 km²) Mexican land grant
in present day San Luis Obispo County, California
given in 1841 by Governor pro tem Manuel Jimeno to Joaquín Estrada. The grant encompassed present day Santa Margarita
.
. Originally part of the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
the four square league Rancho Santa Margarita was granted to Estrada in 1841. At the time, his older half brother Juan Bautista Alvarado
was Governor of California. Joaquín Estrada and his wife Maria de Jesus made their home at the adobe ranch headquarters. His brother Pedro Estrada was granted the adjacent Rancho Asuncion
in 1845. Joaquín Estrada was elected to San Luis Obispo County’s first Board of Supervisors in 1852, and served as County Treasurer in 1853-1854.
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 Santa Margarita was filed with the Public Land Commission
in 1852, and the grant was patented
to Joaquín Estrada in 1861.
In 1861, Estrada sold the rancho to Martin Murphy Jr. (1807-1884) and his wife Mary Bulger Murphy (d.1892) of Sunnyvale
, who had come to California with the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party
in 1844. The Murphys turned over running of the rancho to their son Patrick Murphy, who was a General in the California National Guard
. Patrick Washington Murphy (September 11, 1840 in Missouri - November 1, 1901 in San Francisco) operated Rancho Santa Margarita, and the adjacent Rancho Atascadero
, and Rancho Asuncion
, altogether comprising about 61000 acres (247 km²) from his Rancho Santa Margarita headquarters. Patrick Murphy married Mary Kate O'Brien in 1870. In 1876, Murphy bought the 9000 acres (36 km²) Rancho Cojo
.
In 1889, Patrick Murphy enticed the Southern Pacific Railroad
to Rancho Santa Margarita by selling them land near the ranch house. By 1990 Patrick Murphy's efforts to entice further land buyers had largely failed, and Murphy died in 1901. In 1904, the Murphy family sold Rancho Santa Margarita to the three Reis brothers - Ferdinand, Christian and Gustav, German emigrants who made their fortune in the California Gold Rush
.
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 San Luis Obispo County, California
San Luis Obispo County, California
San Luis Obispo County is a county located along the Pacific Ocean in the Central Coast of the U.S. state of California, between Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2010 census its population was 269,637, up from 246,681 at the 2000 census...
given in 1841 by Governor pro tem Manuel Jimeno to Joaquín Estrada. The grant encompassed present day Santa Margarita
Santa Margarita, California
Santa Margarita is a census-designated place located in San Luis Obispo County, California. It was founded in 1897 near Cuesta Peak and San Luis Obispo along State Route 58. The town's name comes from the Mexican Alta California land grant. It is home to the Santa Margarita de Cortona Asistencia...
.
History
Joaquín Tomas Estrada (1815-1893), son of José Raimundo Estrada and Josefa Vallejo de Alvarado, was born in MontereyMonterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
. Originally part of the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa was founded 1772 on the Central Coast of California on a site located halfway between Santa Barbara and Monterey. It was named after Saint Louis of Anjou, the bishop of Toulouse. The Mission church of San Luis Obispo is unusual in its design in that its...
the four square league Rancho Santa Margarita was granted to Estrada in 1841. At the time, his older half brother Juan Bautista Alvarado
Juan Bautista Alvarado
Juan Bautista Valentín Alvarado y Vallejo was a Californio and twice Governor of Alta California from 1836 to 1837, and 1838 to 1842.-Early years:...
was Governor of California. Joaquín Estrada and his wife Maria de Jesus made their home at the adobe ranch headquarters. His brother Pedro Estrada was granted the adjacent Rancho Asuncion
Rancho Asuncion
Rancho Asuncion was a Mexican land grant in present day San Luis Obispo County, California given in 1845 by Governor Pío Pico to Pedro Estrada. The grant extended along the Salinas River and encompassed present day Atascadero.-History:...
in 1845. Joaquín Estrada was elected to San Luis Obispo County’s first Board of Supervisors in 1852, and served as County Treasurer in 1853-1854.
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 Santa Margarita 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 Joaquín Estrada in 1861.
In 1861, Estrada sold the rancho to Martin Murphy Jr. (1807-1884) and his wife Mary Bulger Murphy (d.1892) of Sunnyvale
Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. It is one of the major cities that make up the Silicon Valley located in the San Francisco Bay Area...
, who had come to California with the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party
Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party
The Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party consisted of ten families who migrated from Iowa to California prior to the Mexican-American War or the California Gold Rush. The Stephens Party is significant in California history because they were the first wagon train to cross the Sierra Nevada during the...
in 1844. The Murphys turned over running of the rancho to their son Patrick Murphy, who was a General in the California National Guard
California National Guard
The California National Guard is the component of the United States National Guard in the U.S. state of California. It comprises both Army and Air National Guard components and is the largest national guard force in the United States with a total authorized strength of 22,900 soldiers and airmen...
. Patrick Washington Murphy (September 11, 1840 in Missouri - November 1, 1901 in San Francisco) operated Rancho Santa Margarita, and the adjacent Rancho Atascadero
Rancho Atascadero
Rancho Atascadero was a Mexican land grant in present day San Luis Obispo County, California given in 1842 by Governor Juan Alvarado to Trifon Garcia. The grant extended along the Salinas River and encompassed present day Atascadero.-History:...
, and Rancho Asuncion
Rancho Asuncion
Rancho Asuncion was a Mexican land grant in present day San Luis Obispo County, California given in 1845 by Governor Pío Pico to Pedro Estrada. The grant extended along the Salinas River and encompassed present day Atascadero.-History:...
, altogether comprising about 61000 acres (247 km²) from his Rancho Santa Margarita headquarters. Patrick Murphy married Mary Kate O'Brien in 1870. In 1876, Murphy bought the 9000 acres (36 km²) Rancho Cojo
Rancho Punta de la Concepcion
Rancho Punta de la Concepcion was a Mexican land grant in present day Santa Barbara County, California given in 1837 by Governor Juan Alvarado to Anastacio Carrillo...
.
In 1889, Patrick Murphy enticed the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
to Rancho Santa Margarita by selling them land near the ranch house. By 1990 Patrick Murphy's efforts to entice further land buyers had largely failed, and Murphy died in 1901. In 1904, the Murphy family sold Rancho Santa Margarita to the three Reis brothers - Ferdinand, Christian and Gustav, German emigrants who made their fortune in the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
.