Rancho Cañada del Corral
Encyclopedia
Rancho Cañada del Corral was a 8876 acres (35.9 km²) Mexican land grant
in present day Santa Barbara County, California
given in 1841 by Governor Protem Manuel Jimeno to José Dolores Ortega. The name means "valley corral". The grant extended along the Pacific coast from José Francisco Ortega
's Rancho Nuestra Señora del Refugio past El Capitán State Beach to Rancho Dos Pueblos
, and extended up into the Santa Ynez Mountains
along Corral Canyon and El Capitán Canyon.
, was granted the two square league Rancho Cañada del Corral in 1841.
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 Cañada del Corral was filed with the Public Land Commission
in 1853, and the grant was patented
to José Dolores Ortega in 1866.
José Dolores Ortega, and his family lived on Rancho Cañada del Corral, raising cattle and farming until they were forced to sell it in 1866, following years of ruinous droughts. Bruno Francisco Orella and his wife Mercedes Gonzalez y Guevara purchased Rancho Cañada del Corral in 1866, and the land became known as the Orella Ranch. Upon Bruno’s death in 1901 his holdings were split among his 11 children. It was Fermín Orella who inherited what today is known as Orella Ranch. However Fermín Orella became a physician and lived in San Francisco. It was his nephew, Martin Erro, who came to farm Orella Ranch. Fermín had no children and gave Orella Ranch to Martin Erro, who continued to farm it until his death in 1960.
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 Barbara County, California
Santa Barbara County, California
Santa Barbara County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, on the Pacific coast. As of 2010 the county had a population of 423,895. The county seat is Santa Barbara and the largest city is Santa Maria.-History:...
given in 1841 by Governor Protem Manuel Jimeno to José Dolores Ortega. The name means "valley corral". The grant extended along the Pacific coast from José Francisco Ortega
José Francisco Ortega
José Francisco Ortega was soldier and early settler of California.-Early life:Ortega was born in 1734 at Zelaya, Guanajuanto, Mexico, where he worked as a warehouse clerk. In 1755, he enlisted and served at the Presidio at Misión Nuestra Señora de Loreto. In 1759 Ortega married María Antonia...
's Rancho Nuestra Señora del Refugio past El Capitán State Beach to Rancho Dos Pueblos
Rancho Dos Pueblos
Rancho Dos Pueblos was a Mexican land grant in present day Santa Barbara County, California given in 1842 by Governor Juan Alvarado to Nicolas A. Den. The land extended along the Pacific coast to the northwest of the pueblo and Presidio of Santa Barbara, from Goleta Slough west to Dos Pueblos...
, and extended up into the Santa Ynez Mountains
Santa Ynez Mountains
The Santa Ynez Mountains are a portion of the Transverse Ranges, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges of the west coast of North America, and are one of the northernmost mountain ranges in Southern California.-Geography:...
along Corral Canyon and El Capitán Canyon.
History
José Dolores Ortega, grandson of José Francisco Ortega and majordomo at Mission Santa BarbaraMission Santa Barbara
In 1840, Alta California and Baja California were removed from the Diocese of Sonora to form the Diocese of Both Californias. Bishop Francisco Garcia Diego y Moreno, OFM, established his cathedra at Mission Santa Barbara, making the chapel the pro-cathedral of the diocese until 1849...
, was granted the two square league Rancho Cañada del Corral in 1841.
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 Cañada del Corral 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 1853, 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 José Dolores Ortega in 1866.
José Dolores Ortega, and his family lived on Rancho Cañada del Corral, raising cattle and farming until they were forced to sell it in 1866, following years of ruinous droughts. Bruno Francisco Orella and his wife Mercedes Gonzalez y Guevara purchased Rancho Cañada del Corral in 1866, and the land became known as the Orella Ranch. Upon Bruno’s death in 1901 his holdings were split among his 11 children. It was Fermín Orella who inherited what today is known as Orella Ranch. However Fermín Orella became a physician and lived in San Francisco. It was his nephew, Martin Erro, who came to farm Orella Ranch. Fermín had no children and gave Orella Ranch to Martin Erro, who continued to farm it until his death in 1960.
Historic sites of the Rancho
- Orella AdobesOrella AdobesThe Orella Adobes at Canada del Corral on the Gaviota coast about 20 miles west of Santa Barbara are Santa Barbara County landmarks. The adobes may trace back to the late 18th century, as a tile was found during a remodel in the 1930s with the year "1798" on it.The property was originally part of...
. The two adobes serve as offices for the ExxonMobil Corporation.