Rancho Cholame
Encyclopedia
Rancho Cholame was a 26622 acres (107.7 km²) Mexican land grant
in present day Monterey County
and San Luis Obispo County, California
given in 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena
to Mauricio Gonzales. The grant extened along the Cholame Valley, and encompassed present day Cholame
.
, was granted the six square league Rancho Cholame from the secularized holdings of Mission San Miguel Arcángel
in 1844, but it was soon abandoned due to Indian raids.
Charles White (1823–1853), a native of Ireland
who came overland from Missouri
in 1846 with his wife, Ellen E. White, and two children, was one of San Jose
's leading and wealthiest citizens in the half-dozen years before and after statehood. He was alcalde
of the Pueblo of San José in 1848. White also owned a part of Rancho Rincon de Los Esteros and Rancho Pala
. Charles White was killed in the explosion of the steamboat "Jenny Lind" en route from Alviso to San Francisco on April 11, 1853.
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 Cholame was filed with the Public Land Commission
in 1852, and the grant was patented
to Ellen E. White in 1865.
In 1867 William Welles Hollister
(1818–1886) purchased the Rancho Cholame. Hollister sold a half interest in the rancho to Robert Edgar Jack in 1869 . In 1893, Jack purchased the remaining interest from Hollister’s widow. The Jack family operated Rancho Cholame until the Hearst Corporation purchased it in 1965.
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 Monterey County
Monterey County, California
Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, its northwestern section forming the southern half of Monterey Bay. The northern half of the bay is in Santa Cruz County. As of 2010, the population was 415,057. The county seat and largest city is Salinas...
and 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 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena
Manuel Micheltorena
Manuel Micheltorena was a Brigadier General of the Mexican Army, Adjutant-General of the same, Governor, Commandant-General and Inspector of the Department of the California...
to Mauricio Gonzales. The grant extened along the Cholame Valley, and encompassed present day Cholame
Cholame, California
Cholame, California is an unincorporated community in San Luis Obispo County, California, USA. It sits within a mile of the San Andreas Rift Zone fault line at an elevation of 1,157 feet above sea level and is located at . Cholame is reached via State Route 41, just southwest of the junction of...
.
History
Mauricio Gonzales, son of Rafael Gonzales grantee of Rancho San Miguelito de TrinidadRancho San Miguelito de Trinidad
Rancho San Miguelito de Trinidad was a Mexican land grant in present day southern Monterey County, California given in 1841 by Governor Juan B. Alvarado to José Rafael Gonzalez...
, was granted the six square league Rancho Cholame from the secularized holdings of Mission San Miguel Arcángel
Mission San Miguel Arcángel
Mission San Miguel Arcángel was founded on July 25, 1797 by the Franciscan order, on a site chosen specifically due to the large number of Salinan Indians that inhabited the area, whom the Spanish priests wanted to evangelize. It is located at 775 Mission Street, San Miguel, in San Luis Obispo...
in 1844, but it was soon abandoned due to Indian raids.
Charles White (1823–1853), a native of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
who came overland from Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
in 1846 with his wife, Ellen E. White, and two children, was one of San Jose
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
's leading and wealthiest citizens in the half-dozen years before and after statehood. He was alcalde
Alcalde
Alcalde , or Alcalde ordinario, is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and administrative functions. An alcalde was, in the absence of a corregidor, the presiding officer of the Castilian cabildo and judge of first instance of a town...
of the Pueblo of San José in 1848. White also owned a part of Rancho Rincon de Los Esteros and Rancho Pala
Rancho Pala
Rancho Pala was a Mexican land grant in present day Santa Clara County, California given in 1835 by Governor José Castro to José Joaquín Higuera. The origin of the name is the subject of debate. The word "pala" translates as "shovel" in Spanish, but means "water", in many native American dialects...
. Charles White was killed in the explosion of the steamboat "Jenny Lind" en route from Alviso to San Francisco on April 11, 1853.
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 Cholame 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 Ellen E. White in 1865.
In 1867 William Welles Hollister
William Welles Hollister
William Welles Hollister was a Californian rancher and entrepreneur.-Ancestors and early life :William Welles Hollister, was born on Jan...
(1818–1886) purchased the Rancho Cholame. Hollister sold a half interest in the rancho to Robert Edgar Jack in 1869 . In 1893, Jack purchased the remaining interest from Hollister’s widow. The Jack family operated Rancho Cholame until the Hearst Corporation purchased it in 1965.