Rancho Paso de Robles
Encyclopedia
Rancho Paso de Robles was a 25993 acres (105.2 km²) Mexican land grant
in present day San Luis Obispo County, California
given in 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena
to José Pedro Narváez. The name means "Pass of the Oaks". The grant encompassed present day Paso Robles
and Templeton
.
from 1839 to 1844. Narváez sold Rancho Paso de Robles to Petronilo Ríos in 1845.
Petronilo Ríos (1806–1870) was a Mexican soldier who came to California in the mid 1820s. He married Catarina Avila (1812–1889) in 1832. In the 1830's Ríos was shuttling between Monterey
and Mission San Miguel Arcángel
where he was corporal commanding the mission guard. In 1835, with local Indian labor, he built the Rios-Caledonia Adobe
. In 1839, he was promoted to commander of artillery at the presidio in Monterey
, and retired from the military in 1840. In 1842 Ríos obtained the Rancho San Bernabe
land grant and moved his family there. In 1845 Ríos moved his family from Rancho San Bernabe to Rancho Paso de Robles. In 1846 William Reed, Miguel Garcia, and Petronilo Ríos bought the San Miguel rancho from Pío Pico
. Ríos and his family moved into the Rios-Caledonia Adobe in 1851.
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 Paso de Robles was filed with the Public Land Commission
in 1852, and the grant was patented
to Petronilo Ríos in 1886.
In 1857, Ríos sold Rancho Paso de Robles and moved to Santa Clara
. The entire rancho was purchased by James H. Blackburn, Daniel Drew Blackburn, natives of Virginia
who came to California in 1849, and Lazarus Godchaux. In 1860, the partners divided the rancho, with D.D. Blackburn taking one league of land including the hot springs. In 1865, D.D. Blackburn sold a half-interest to Drury W. James. D. W. James had come from Kentucky
to California in 1849, and drove cattle from Santa Clara to the gold mines. Later he bought cattle as far south as Los Angeles
. James stopped at the Paso Robles springs on a cattle-buying trip in 1851. J.H. Blackburn never married, but D. D. Blackburn and D. W. James married sisters, Celia and Louisa Dunn in 1866. After the death of J.H. Blackburn, there were many lawsuits brought by some of the D. D. Blackburn children for portions of the estate, which had been willed to Mrs. D. D. Blackburn and certain of the children.
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 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 José Pedro Narváez. The name means "Pass of the Oaks". The grant encompassed present day Paso Robles
Paso Robles, California
Paso Robles is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Paso Robles is the fastest growing city in San Luis Obispo County: Its population at the 2000 census was 24,297; in 2010 it recorded some 29,793 residentsLocated on the Salinas River north of San Luis Obispo, California,...
and Templeton
Templeton, California
Templeton is a census-designated place in San Luis Obispo County, California. The population was 7,674 at the 2010 census, up from 4,687 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
.
History
The six square league Rancho Paso de Robles grant was made to José Pedro Narváez, a Mexican naval officer, who served as captain of the port of MontereyMonterey, 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...
from 1839 to 1844. Narváez sold Rancho Paso de Robles to Petronilo Ríos in 1845.
Petronilo Ríos (1806–1870) was a Mexican soldier who came to California in the mid 1820s. He married Catarina Avila (1812–1889) in 1832. In the 1830's Ríos was shuttling between 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 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...
where he was corporal commanding the mission guard. In 1835, with local Indian labor, he built the Rios-Caledonia Adobe
Rios-Caledonia Adobe
The Rios-Caledonia Adobe is a California Historical Landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is an adobe dwelling built in 1835, located in San Miguel, California, in San Luis Obispo County.-History:...
. In 1839, he was promoted to commander of artillery at the presidio in Monterey
Presidio of Monterey, California
The Presidio of Monterey, located in Monterey, California, is an active US Army installation with historic ties to the Spanish colonial era. Currently it is the home of the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center .-Spanish fort:...
, and retired from the military in 1840. In 1842 Ríos obtained the Rancho San Bernabe
Rancho San Bernabe
Rancho San Bernabe was a Mexican land grant in present day Monterey County, California. The three square league grant consisted of one square league granted in 1841 to Jesus Molina, and two square leagues granted in 1842 to Petronilo Ríos by Governor Juan Alvarado...
land grant and moved his family there. In 1845 Ríos moved his family from Rancho San Bernabe to Rancho Paso de Robles. In 1846 William Reed, Miguel Garcia, and Petronilo Ríos bought the San Miguel rancho from Pío Pico
Pío Pico
Pío de Jesús Pico was the last Governor of Alta California under Mexican rule.-Origins:...
. Ríos and his family moved into the Rios-Caledonia Adobe 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 Paso de Robles 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 Petronilo Ríos in 1886.
In 1857, Ríos sold Rancho Paso de Robles and moved to Santa Clara
Santa Clara County, California
Santa Clara County is a county located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 it had a population of 1,781,642. The county seat is San Jose. The highly urbanized Santa Clara Valley within Santa Clara County is also known as Silicon Valley...
. The entire rancho was purchased by James H. Blackburn, Daniel Drew Blackburn, natives of Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
who came to California in 1849, and Lazarus Godchaux. In 1860, the partners divided the rancho, with D.D. Blackburn taking one league of land including the hot springs. In 1865, D.D. Blackburn sold a half-interest to Drury W. James. D. W. James had come from Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
to California in 1849, and drove cattle from Santa Clara to the gold mines. Later he bought cattle as far south as Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. James stopped at the Paso Robles springs on a cattle-buying trip in 1851. J.H. Blackburn never married, but D. D. Blackburn and D. W. James married sisters, Celia and Louisa Dunn in 1866. After the death of J.H. Blackburn, there were many lawsuits brought by some of the D. D. Blackburn children for portions of the estate, which had been willed to Mrs. D. D. Blackburn and certain of the children.