Rancho La Laguna (Gutierrez)
Encyclopedia
Rancho La Laguna was a 48704 acres (197.1 km²) Mexican land grant
in present day Santa Barbara County, California given in 1845 by Governor Pio Pico
to Octaviano Gutierrez. The name means "the Lake". The grant extended along the Santa Ynez Valley
east of present day Los Alamos
.
, Mexico
, was a soldier at the Presidio of Santa Barbara
. In 1827 he married Maria Calendonia Ruiz (1810 - 1893). When he retired as artillery sergeant of the Mexican army, he was granted the eleven square league Rancho La Laguna.
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 La Laguna was filed with the Public Land Commission
in 1852, and the grant was patented
to Octaviano Gutierrez in 1867.
Gutierrez sold a large portion of the rancho to Dr. Samuel B. Brinkerhoff in 1865. Samuel Brinkerhoff (1824-1883) was born in New York
and came to Santa Barbara in 1852 as the resident physician.
In 1876, San Francisco financier Thomas Bell along with his son John S. Bell, and James B. Shaw, purchased acreage from Rancho La Laguna and the neighboring Rancho Los Alamos
. Both families allocated a half square mile from each of their new ranches to create the Los Alamos
town site with "Centennial Street" as the central thoroughfare.
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 given in 1845 by Governor Pio Pico
Pío Pico
Pío de Jesús Pico was the last Governor of Alta California under Mexican rule.-Origins:...
to Octaviano Gutierrez. The name means "the Lake". The grant extended along the Santa Ynez Valley
Santa Ynez Valley
The Santa Ynez Valley is located in Santa Barbara County, California, between the Santa Ynez Mountains to the south and the San Rafael Mountains to the north. The Santa Ynez River flows through the valley from east to west. The Santa Ynez Valley is separated from the Los Alamos Valley, to the...
east of present day Los Alamos
Los Alamos, California
Los Alamos is a census-designated place in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Although located in the Los Alamos Valley, the town of Los Alamos is usually considered to be a part of the Santa Ynez Valley community...
.
History
Octaviano Gutierrez (1794 -1866) born in Mexico CityMexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, was a soldier at the Presidio of Santa Barbara
Presidio of Santa Barbara
The El Presidio Real de Santa Bárbara, also known as the Royal Presidio of Santa Barbara, was a military installation in Santa Barbara, California. It was built by Spain in 1782, with the mission of defending the Second Military District in California...
. In 1827 he married Maria Calendonia Ruiz (1810 - 1893). When he retired as artillery sergeant of the Mexican army, he was granted the eleven square league Rancho La Laguna.
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 La Laguna 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 Octaviano Gutierrez in 1867.
Gutierrez sold a large portion of the rancho to Dr. Samuel B. Brinkerhoff in 1865. Samuel Brinkerhoff (1824-1883) was born in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and came to Santa Barbara in 1852 as the resident physician.
In 1876, San Francisco financier Thomas Bell along with his son John S. Bell, and James B. Shaw, purchased acreage from Rancho La Laguna and the neighboring Rancho Los Alamos
Rancho Los Alamos
Rancho Los Alamos was a Mexican land grant in present day Santa Barbara County, California given in 1839 by Governor Juan Alvarado to José Antonio de la Guerra, a son of José de la Guerra y Noriega...
. Both families allocated a half square mile from each of their new ranches to create the Los Alamos
Los Alamos, California
Los Alamos is a census-designated place in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Although located in the Los Alamos Valley, the town of Los Alamos is usually considered to be a part of the Santa Ynez Valley community...
town site with "Centennial Street" as the central thoroughfare.