Rancho Lomas de Santiago
Encyclopedia
Rancho Lomas de Santiago was a 47227 acres (191 km²) Mexican land grant
given by Mexican Governor Pío Pico
to Teodosio Yorba
in 1846. The name means "Hills of St. James". The rancho included parts of present day Irvine
and Tustin
in what is now eastern Orange County, California
.
grantee of Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana
, was granted the eleven square league Rancho Arroyo Seco
in 1840, and the four square league Rancho Lomas de Santiago in 1846.
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 Lomas de Santiago was filed with the Public Land Commission
in 1852, and the grant was patented
to Teodosio Yorba in 1868.
Teodosio sold the rancho to William Wolfskill
in 1860. Joseph E. Pleasants took charge of Wolfskill's new cattle operations. Already overgrazed, and largely unfarmable due to its steep, hilly terrain, the Santa Ana range could not sustain the large cattle herds. In 1866, Benjamin and Thomas Flint, Llewellyn Bixby and James Irvine
acquired the rancho, and it eventually became part of the Irvine Ranch.
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...
given by Mexican Governor Pío Pico
Pío Pico
Pío de Jesús Pico was the last Governor of Alta California under Mexican rule.-Origins:...
to Teodosio Yorba
José Antonio Yorba
José Antonio Yorba , also known as Don José Antonio Yorba I, was a Spanish soldier and early settler of Spanish California.-Spanish Soldier:...
in 1846. The name means "Hills of St. James". The rancho included parts of present day Irvine
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
and Tustin
Tustin, California
-Top employers:According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Tustin had a population of 75,540. The population density was 6,816.7 people per square mile...
in what is now eastern Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
.
History
Teodosio Juan Yorba (1805–1863),the son of Jose Antonio YorbaJosé Antonio Yorba
José Antonio Yorba , also known as Don José Antonio Yorba I, was a Spanish soldier and early settler of Spanish California.-Spanish Soldier:...
grantee of Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana
Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana
Rancho Santiago de Santa Ana was a Spanish land concession in present day Orange County, California given by Governor José Joaquín de Arrillaga in 1810 to Jose Antonio Yorba and his nephew Pablo Peralta...
, was granted the eleven square league Rancho Arroyo Seco
Rancho Arroyo Seco (Yorba)
Rancho Arroyo Seco was a Mexican land grant in present day Amador County, California given in 1840 by Governor Juan B. Alvarado to Teodocio Yorba. The name means "dry creek". The grant east of Sacramento encompassed present day Ione.-History:...
in 1840, and the four square league Rancho Lomas de Santiago in 1846.
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 Lomas de Santiago 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 Teodosio Yorba in 1868.
Teodosio sold the rancho to William Wolfskill
William Wolfskill
William Wolfskill was a cowboy and agronomist from Los Angeles, California, who was highly influential in the development of California's agricultural industry in the 19th century.-Valencia orange:...
in 1860. Joseph E. Pleasants took charge of Wolfskill's new cattle operations. Already overgrazed, and largely unfarmable due to its steep, hilly terrain, the Santa Ana range could not sustain the large cattle herds. In 1866, Benjamin and Thomas Flint, Llewellyn Bixby and James Irvine
James Irvine (landowner)
The Irvine family were agricultural pioneers and prominent landowners in California who gave their name to the city of Irvine, CA.-James Irvine I:James Irvine was born in County Down, Ireland on December 27, 1827, the second to the youngest of nine children...
acquired the rancho, and it eventually became part of the Irvine Ranch.
Historic sites of the Rancho
- Wolfskill-Pleasants Cottage. In 1860 William Wolfskill acquired the Rancho Lomas de Santiago and built the first wooden house outside of Anaheim at this location for his cattle foreman, Joseph E. Pleasants, who was the pioneer settler in the Santa Ana Mountains.