Rancho Rio de los Putos
Encyclopedia
Rancho Rio de los Putos was a 17755 acres (71.9 km²) Mexican land grant
in present day Solano County
and Yolo County, California
given in 1842 by Governor Juan B. Alvarado to William Wolfskill
. The grant extended a long both banks of Putah Creek
(formerly Rio Los Putos) and encompassed present day Winters
. On current maps, the four leagues include 10750 acres (43.5 km²) on the south side of Putah Creek in Solano County, and 7005 acres (28.3 km²) on the north side of Putah Creek in Yolo County.
, and in 1828 followed his eldest brother, William Wolfskill to New Mexico
. John Wolfskill spent ten years in New Mexico, then joined his brother William in Southern California in 1838. John wasn’t a Mexican citizen and could not receive a land grant. In 1842, Governor Alvarado granted the four square league Rancho Rio de los Putos to William Wolfskill, a Mexican citizen. Brother John set out a short time later with cattle, oxen, a few horses and a satchel of cuttings and seeds to settle on his dream land, and arrived at Putah Creek in mid-July 1842 - the first American settler in Solano County.
In 1849 William Wolfskill transferred half of Rancho Rio de los Putos to John, and transferred the rest to John in 1854.
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 Rio de los Putos was filed with the Public Land Commission
in 1852, and the grant was patented
to William Wolfskill in 1858.
There was a boundary dispute as the grant overlapped the Rancho Los Putos
grant of Peña and Vaca. A survey adjusting the boundaries was made in 1858.
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 Solano County
Solano County, California
Solano County is a county located in Bay-Delta region of the U.S. state of California, about halfway between San Francisco and Sacramento and is one of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. The county's population was reported by the U.S. Census to be 413,344 in 2010...
and Yolo County, California
Yolo County, California
Yolo County is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of California, bordered by the other counties of Sacramento, Solano, Napa, Lake, Colusa, and Sutter. The city of Woodland is its county seat, though Davis is its largest city....
given in 1842 by Governor Juan B. Alvarado 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:...
. The grant extended a long both banks of Putah Creek
Putah Creek
Putah Creek is a major stream in Northern California, a tributary of the Yolo Bypass. The creek has its headwaters in the Mayacamas Mountains, a part of the Coast Range...
(formerly Rio Los Putos) and encompassed present day Winters
Winters, California
Winters is a city in Yolo County, California. The population was 6,624 as of the 2010 census. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is near Lake Berryessa. It is noted as the one-time residence of cartoonist R...
. On current maps, the four leagues include 10750 acres (43.5 km²) on the south side of Putah Creek in Solano County, and 7005 acres (28.3 km²) on the north side of Putah Creek in Yolo County.
History
John Reid Wolfskill (1804–1897) was born in KentuckyKentucky
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...
, and in 1828 followed his eldest brother, William Wolfskill to New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
. John Wolfskill spent ten years in New Mexico, then joined his brother William in Southern California in 1838. John wasn’t a Mexican citizen and could not receive a land grant. In 1842, Governor Alvarado granted the four square league Rancho Rio de los Putos to William Wolfskill, a Mexican citizen. Brother John set out a short time later with cattle, oxen, a few horses and a satchel of cuttings and seeds to settle on his dream land, and arrived at Putah Creek in mid-July 1842 - the first American settler in Solano County.
In 1849 William Wolfskill transferred half of Rancho Rio de los Putos to John, and transferred the rest to John in 1854.
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 Rio de los Putos 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 William Wolfskill in 1858.
There was a boundary dispute as the grant overlapped the Rancho Los Putos
Rancho Los Putos
Rancho Los Putos was a Mexican land grant in present day Solano County, California given in 1843 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to Juan Felipe Peña and Juan Manuel Cabeza Vaca. The Los Putos name comes from the nearby Putah Creek...
grant of Peña and Vaca. A survey adjusting the boundaries was made in 1858.