Rancho Corral de Tierra was a 7766 acres (31.4 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 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...

 given in 1839 by Governor Pro-Tem Manuel Jimeno to Francisco Guerrero y Palomares

Francisco Guerrero (politician)

Francisco Guerrero was the Alcalde of Yerba Buena in 1836 and 1839.-Life:Guerrero was born in Tepic, Mexico. He came to California with the Hijar-Padres Colony in 1834, and settled in San Francisco. He was married to Josefa De Haro and had five sons...

. The name means earthen corral in Spanish. Jimeno granted Francisco Guerrero the larger northern part of Rancho Corral de Tierra, and Tiburcio Vasquez the southern part

Rancho Corral de Tierra (Vasquez)

Rancho Corral de Tierra was a Mexican land grant in present day San Mateo County, California given in 1839 by Governor Pro-Tem Manuel Jimeno to José Tiburcio Vásquez. The name means “earthen corral” in Spanish. Jimeno granted Vasquez the smaller southern part of Rancho Corral de Tierra and...

. The Guerrero northern portion extended from Martini Creek

Martini Creek

Martini Creek is a coastal stream whose watershed lies entirely within San Mateo County, California, United States on the western exposures of the Montara mountain block, discharging to the Pacific Ocean. It flows about from its source on Montara Mountain to its mouth in Montara State Beach. This...

 south along the Pacific coast past Montara

Montara, California

Montara is a census-designated place in San Mateo County, California, United States. The population was 2,909 at the 2010 census. Nearby communities include Moss Beach and Princeton-by-the-Sea.-Geography and environment:...

 to Arroyo de en Medio

Arroyo de en Medio

Arroyo de en Medio is a coastal stream in western San Mateo County, California. Arroyo de en Medio rises on the western slopes of Montara Mountain and discharges to the Pacific Ocean at Half Moon Bay at the location of the unincorporated community of Miramar at Miramar Beach...

 just south of El Granada

El Granada, California

El Granada is a census-designated place in the coastal area of northern San Mateo County, California, United States. The population was 5,467 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...

, and included the present day communities of Moss Beach

Moss Beach, California

Moss Beach is a coastal census-designated place in San Mateo County, California, with a year 2010 census population of 3,103. Located in Moss Beach are the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, a marine sanctuary; the Half Moon Bay Airport, the historic Moss Beach Distillery and the Seal Cove Inn, a...

, and Princeton-by-the-Sea

Princeton-by-the-Sea, California

Princeton-by-the-Sea is an unincorporated community on the coast of San Mateo County, California. The ZIP Code is 94019 and the community is inside area code 650.-Profile:...

.

History

Francisco Guerrero y Palomares (1811–1851) came to California with the Híjar-Padrés Colony in 1834, and settled in San Francisco. He married Josefa de Haro, daughter of Francisco de Haro

Francisco de Haro

Francisco de Haro was the first Alcalde of Yerba Buena in 1834.-Life:De Haro was born in Compostela, Nayarit, Mexico and came to San Francisco in 1819. He was the first Alcalde of Yerba Buena in 1834. He was instrumental in planning the street grid of the town along with Englishman William A....

, and had five sons. He was Alcalde of Yerba Buena in 1836 and in 1839. Guerrero was murdered in San Francisco in 1851.

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 Corral de Tierra 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 Josefa de Haro de Guerrero in 1866.

Guerrero’s widow, Josefa de Haro, later married American James Denniston, for whom Denniston Creek

Denniston Creek

Denniston Creek is a coastal stream in western San Mateo County, California. Denniston Creek rises on the western slopes of Montara Mountain and discharges to the Pacific Ocean at Pillar Point Harbor somewhat north of El Granada Beach...

 (formerly Guerrero Creek) on Rancho Corral de Tierra is named.

Current and future use

A large portion of the historic rancho is now owned and managed by the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), which purchased 4262 acres (17.2 km²) of the property from private owners and developers, preventing the planned "ranchettes" and golf course from being built. POST allows some access, but requests that visitors contact the organization before entering the property. POST plans to transfer management responsibility of approximately 3,800 100 acres (404,686 m²) to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area

Golden Gate National Recreation Area

The Golden Gate National Recreation Area is a U.S. National Recreation Area administered by the National Park Service that surrounds the San Francisco Bay area. It is one of the most visited units of the National Park system in the United States, with over 13 million visitors a year...

(GGNRA) on January 1, 2011. At that time, the public will be able to visit the portions of Rancho Corral de Tierra not under agricultural or commercial use.