Rancho de las Pulgas
Encyclopedia
Rancho de las Pulgas was a 35240 acres (142.6 km²) 1795 Spanish land grant
in present day San Mateo County, California
to José Darío Argüello
. The name means "Ranch of the Fleas". The grant was bounded by San Mateo Creek
on the north and San Francisquito Creek
on the south, and extended about one league
from San Francisco Bay to the hills. The grant encompassed present day San Mateo
, Belmont
, San Carlos
, Redwood City
, Atherton
and Menlo Park
.
, made the provisional grant of the Las Pulgas to José Darío Argüello. Brothers Luis Antonio Argüello
(1784–1830), Santiago Argüello
and Gervasio Argüello were sons of osé Darío Argüello. In 1835, Mexican Governor José Castro granted the four square league Rancho de las Pulgas to the widow, Maria Soledad Ortega de Argüello
, and heirs of Luis Antonio Argüello.
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 de las Pulgas for twelve square leagues was filed in 1852 with the Public Land Commission
by heirs of Luis Antonio Argüello. The Land Commission rejected the claim for twelve square leagues, but confirmed the claim for four square leagues, which was confirmed by the District Court, and affirmed by the US Supreme Court. A claim filed by Gervasio Argüello with the Land Commission in 1852 was rejected. A claim filed by Mowry W. Smith with the Land Commission in 1853 was rejected.
In 1857, following the 1856 official survey, the grant was patented
to Maria Soledad Ortega de Argüello (one undivided half), Jose Ramon Argüello (one undivided fourth), Luis Antonio Argüello (one undivided tenth) and S. M. Mezes (three undivided twentieths). Simon Monserrat Mezes (d. 1884) was the Argüello family's lawyer who handled the land patent
process. The original grant was described as "being of the extent of four leagues in length and one league in breadth, more or less". The patent was for 35240 acres (142.6 km²) - nearly double the size of the original grant, and contrary to the language of the US Supreme Court ruling. Although both Rancho de las Pulgas and Rancho Cañada de Raymundo
had been patented by the US Government, the boundaries of these two grants now overlapped, a problem that required an Act of Congress in 1878 to resolve.
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 Mateo County, California
San Mateo County, California
San Mateo County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. It covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula just south of San Francisco, and north of Santa Clara County. San Francisco International Airport is located at the northern end of the county, and...
to José Darío Argüello
José Darío Argüello
José Darío Argüello was a Spanish soldier and California pioneer, and twice governor of California.-Biography:José Darío Argüello was born in Santiago de Querétaro, New Spain ....
. The name means "Ranch of the Fleas". The grant was bounded by San Mateo Creek
San Mateo Creek
San Mateo Creek is a perennial stream whose watershed includes Crystal Springs Reservoir, for which it is the only natural outlet after passing Crystal Springs Dam.-History:...
on the north and San Francisquito Creek
San Francisquito Creek
San Francisquito Creek is a creek that flows into southwest San Francisco Bay in California, United States of America. Historically it was called the Arroyo de San Francisco by Juan Bautista de Anza in 1776...
on the south, and extended about one league
League (unit)
A league is a unit of length . It was long common in Europe and Latin America, but it is no longer an official unit in any nation. The league originally referred to the distance a person or a horse could walk in an hour...
from San Francisco Bay to the hills. The grant encompassed present day San Mateo
San Mateo, California
San Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States, in the San Francisco Bay Area. With a population of approximately 100,000 , it is one of the larger suburbs on the San Francisco Peninsula, located between Burlingame to the north, Foster City to the east, Belmont to the south,...
, Belmont
Belmont, California
Belmont is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. It is in the San Francisco Bay Area, located half-way down the San Francisco Peninsula between San Mateo and San Carlos. It was originally part of the Rancho de las Pulgas, for which one of its main roads, the Alameda de las Pulgas,...
, San Carlos
San Carlos, California
San Carlos is a city in San Mateo County, California, USA on the San Francisco Peninsula, about halfway between San Francisco and San Jose. It is an affluent small residential suburb located between Belmont to the north and Redwood City to the south. San Carlos' ZIP code is 94070, and it is within...
, Redwood City
Redwood City, California
Redwood City is a California charter city located on the San Francisco Peninsula in Northern California, approximately 27 miles south of San Francisco, and 24 miles north of San Jose. Redwood City's history spans from its earliest inhabitation by the Ohlone people, to its tradition as a port for...
, Atherton
Atherton, California
Atherton is an incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States. Its population was 6,914 at the 2010 census. In September 2010, Forbes magazine placed Atherton's zip code of 94027 at #2 on its annual list of America's most expensive zip codes, with a median home price of $4,010,200...
and Menlo Park
Menlo Park, California
Menlo Park, California is a city at the eastern edge of San Mateo County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, in the United States. It is bordered by San Francisco Bay on the north and east; East Palo Alto, Palo Alto, and Stanford to the south; Atherton, North Fair Oaks, and Redwood City...
.
History
In 1795, the Spanish Governor of California, Diego de BoricaDiego de Borica
Diego de Borica was a Spanish explorer and the seventh Governor of Las Californias from 1794 to 1800, and is credited with defining Alta- and Baja-California's official borders.-Biography:...
, made the provisional grant of the Las Pulgas to José Darío Argüello. Brothers Luis Antonio Argüello
Luis Antonio Argüello
Luis Antonio Argüello was the first native governor of Alta California from 1822 to 1825, during the period California was under Mexican rule, twelfth overall. He was the only governor to serve under the Mexican empire, and the first native Californian to hold that office...
(1784–1830), Santiago Argüello
Santiago Argüello
-Life:Santiago Argüello was born in Monterey, California, the son of José Darío Argüello, a soldier, and María Ignacia Moraga, a niece of the acting governor of Alta California. Argüello was tall and stout. His fair complexion and black hair, along with his reserved manner gave him a regal...
and Gervasio Argüello were sons of osé Darío Argüello. In 1835, Mexican Governor José Castro granted the four square league Rancho de las Pulgas to the widow, Maria Soledad Ortega de Argüello
Maria Soledad Ortega de Argüello
Maria Soledad Ortega de Argüello was the heir to Rancho de las Pulgas. The Rancho was granted, re-granted twice, and finally patented by the United States Supreme Court. The land she inherited would eventually become 5 cities on the San Francisco Peninsula...
, and heirs of Luis Antonio Argüello.
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 de las Pulgas for twelve square leagues was filed in 1852 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...
by heirs of Luis Antonio Argüello. The Land Commission rejected the claim for twelve square leagues, but confirmed the claim for four square leagues, which was confirmed by the District Court, and affirmed by the US Supreme Court. A claim filed by Gervasio Argüello with the Land Commission in 1852 was rejected. A claim filed by Mowry W. Smith with the Land Commission in 1853 was rejected.
In 1857, following the 1856 official survey, 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 Maria Soledad Ortega de Argüello (one undivided half), Jose Ramon Argüello (one undivided fourth), Luis Antonio Argüello (one undivided tenth) and S. M. Mezes (three undivided twentieths). Simon Monserrat Mezes (d. 1884) was the Argüello family's lawyer who handled the land patent
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...
process. The original grant was described as "being of the extent of four leagues in length and one league in breadth, more or less". The patent was for 35240 acres (142.6 km²) - nearly double the size of the original grant, and contrary to the language of the US Supreme Court ruling. Although both Rancho de las Pulgas and Rancho Cañada de Raymundo
Rancho Cañada de Raymundo
Rancho Cañada de Raymundo was a Mexican land grant in present day San Mateo County, California given in 1840 by Governor Juan Alvarado to John Coppinger. The two and one half league long by three quarter league wide grant consisted the eastern slopes and valleys in the present day Woodside area...
had been patented by the US Government, the boundaries of these two grants now overlapped, a problem that required an Act of Congress in 1878 to resolve.