Rancho Janal
Encyclopedia
Rancho Janal was a 4437 acres (18 km²) Mexican land grant
in present day San Diego County, California
given in 1829 by Governor José María de Echeandía to José Antonio Estudillo
. The grant was located near present day Otay Mesa. A large portion of the grant is now covered by the waters of the Upper and Lower Otay Reservoir
s. Rancho Janal and the adjoining Rancho Otay
were granted to members of the Estudillo family, and they are often considered as one rancho.
, was born at Monterey
and became prominent in political affairs. In 1825 Estudillo married María Victoria Dominguez, daughter of Sergeant Cristobal Dominguez, who was the grantee of Rancho San Pedro
. The Estudillos were absentee ranchers, living in the pueblo of San Diego. He was alcalde
of San Diego in 1836-1838 and was elected to be the first San Diego County treasurer in 1850, although he refused the office and Philip Crosthwaite was appointed to fill the office in his place.
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 Janal was filed with the Public Land Commission
in 1852, and the grant was patented
to Victoria Dominguez et al in 1872.
Elisha Spurr Babcock, Jr., who also built the Hotel del Coronado
, purchased Rancho Janal in 1883, and built lower Otay Dam for the Southern California Water Company in 1900. Henry G. Fenton, a subcontractor of Babcock, bought 3000 acres (12 km²) of Rancho Janal in 1926.
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 Diego County, California
San Diego County, California
San Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...
given in 1829 by Governor José María de Echeandía to José Antonio Estudillo
José Antonio Estudillo
José Antonio Estudillo was a Californio and an early settler of San Diego, California when California was part of New Spain.-Life:...
. The grant was located near present day Otay Mesa. A large portion of the grant is now covered by the waters of the Upper and Lower Otay Reservoir
Lower Otay Reservoir
Lower Otay Reservoir is an artificial lake in San Diego County, California, flanked by Otay County Open Space Preserve and Chula Vista. The reservoir is formed by impounding the waters of the Otay River, behind Savage Dam, completed in 1918, and is the terminus for the Second San Diego Aqueduct...
s. Rancho Janal and the adjoining Rancho Otay
Rancho Otay
Rancho Otay was a Mexican land grant in present day San Diego County, California given in 1846 by Governor Pío Pico to Magdelena Estudillo. The grant in the present day Otay Mesa area, extended along the Otay River, just west of Lower Otay Reservoir....
were granted to members of the Estudillo family, and they are often considered as one rancho.
History
José Antonio Estudillo (1805 – 1852), the son of José María EstudilloJosé María Estudillo
José María Estudillo , was an early settler of San Diego, California and was a governing official during San Diego's Mexican period.-Life:...
, was born at Monterey
Monterey, 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...
and became prominent in political affairs. In 1825 Estudillo married María Victoria Dominguez, daughter of Sergeant Cristobal Dominguez, who was the grantee of Rancho San Pedro
Rancho San Pedro
Rancho San Pedro was one of the first California land grants, and the first to win a patent from the United States. The land grant was validated by the Mexican government at in 1828, and a US patent validating was issued in 1858...
. The Estudillos were absentee ranchers, living in the pueblo of San Diego. 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 San Diego in 1836-1838 and was elected to be the first San Diego County treasurer in 1850, although he refused the office and Philip Crosthwaite was appointed to fill the office in his place.
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 Janal 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 Victoria Dominguez et al in 1872.
Elisha Spurr Babcock, Jr., who also built the Hotel del Coronado
Hotel del Coronado
Hotel del Coronado is a beachfront luxury hotel in the city of Coronado, just across the San Diego Bay from San Diego, California. It is one of the few surviving examples of an American architectural genre: the wooden Victorian beach resort...
, purchased Rancho Janal in 1883, and built lower Otay Dam for the Southern California Water Company in 1900. Henry G. Fenton, a subcontractor of Babcock, bought 3000 acres (12 km²) of Rancho Janal in 1926.