Rancho Pastoria de las Borregas
Encyclopedia
Rancho Pastoria de las Borregas was a 9066 acres (36.7 km²) Mexican land grant
in present day Santa Clara County, California
given in 1842 by Governor Juan Alvarado to Francisco Estrada. The name means "pasture of the ewes (sheep)" in Spanish. The rancho lands encompassed the present day cities of Sunnyvale
and Mountain View
.
In 1849, Mariano Castro sold half the rancho to Martin Murphy, Jr. Martin Jr.(1807-1884) was the son of Martin Murphy Sr., who brought his family to California with the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party
in 1844.
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 Pastoria de las Borregas was filed by Mariano Castro with the Public Land Commission
in 1852, and the grant was patented
for 4172 acres (16.9 km²)in 1881.
A claim was filed by Martin Murphy, Jr. with the Land Commission in 1852, and the grant was patented for 4894 acres (19.8 km²) in 1865.
Martin Murphy, Jr. died in 1884, and his wife Mary Bolger Murphy died in 1892. Their rancho was divided among their children and grand children; each received 820 acres (3.3 km²).
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 Clara County, California
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...
given in 1842 by Governor Juan Alvarado to Francisco Estrada. The name means "pasture of the ewes (sheep)" in Spanish. The rancho lands encompassed the present day cities of Sunnyvale
Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. It is one of the major cities that make up the Silicon Valley located in the San Francisco Bay Area...
and Mountain View
Mountain View, California
-Downtown:Mountain View has a pedestrian-friendly downtown centered on Castro Street. The downtown area consists of the seven blocks of Castro Street from the Downtown Mountain View Station transit center in the north to the intersection with El Camino Real in the south...
.
History
Francisco M. Estrada received the land grant in 1842. Francisco Estrada's wife Inez Castro Estrada, died in 1844 and Francisco Estrada died in 1845. Estrada's father Jose Mariano Estrada inherited the land and transferred it to Inez Castro Estrada's father Mariano Castro. Mariano Castro (1784 - 1857) was born in San Francisco and served in the Spanish army. He was made Alcalde of the San Jose Pueblo.In 1849, Mariano Castro sold half the rancho to Martin Murphy, Jr. Martin Jr.(1807-1884) was the son of Martin Murphy Sr., who brought his family to California with the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party
Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party
The Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party consisted of ten families who migrated from Iowa to California prior to the Mexican-American War or the California Gold Rush. The Stephens Party is significant in California history because they were the first wagon train to cross the Sierra Nevada during the...
in 1844.
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 Pastoria de las Borregas was filed by Mariano Castro 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...
for 4172 acres (16.9 km²)in 1881.
A claim was filed by Martin Murphy, Jr. with the Land Commission in 1852, and the grant was patented for 4894 acres (19.8 km²) in 1865.
Martin Murphy, Jr. died in 1884, and his wife Mary Bolger Murphy died in 1892. Their rancho was divided among their children and grand children; each received 820 acres (3.3 km²).