Rancho Roblar de la Miseria
Encyclopedia
Rancho Roblar de la Miseria was a 16887 acres (68.3 km²) Mexican land grant
in present day Sonoma County, California
given in 1845 by Governor Pío Pico
to Juan Nepomuceno Padilla. "El Roblar de la Miseria" means "The Oak of the Misery". The grant extended along the Petaluma River
from Hessel, Roblar, Liberty and Two Rock
south to Petaluma
.
in 1845. Padilla was involved in a dispute over the position with José de la Cruz Sánchez
and his brother Francisco Sanchez. In 1845, Pio Pico awarded Padilla the four square league Rancho Roblar de la Miseria, and later, Padilla received the five square league Rancho Bolsa de Tomales
in Marin County
.
During the Bear Flag Revolt in June 1846, a band of Californios led by Captain Juan Padilla, killed two members of the Bear Flag Party, Thomas Cowie and George Fowler. Padilla and his band to retreated to Rancho Olompali
, and a group of Americans set fire to Padilla’s Sonoma ranch. In 1848, after he returned from Los Angeles, Padilla, who long had been blamed for the murders in Santa Rosa
, was attacked by a group of former Bear Flaggers in a Sonoma
hotel. In 1849, Padilla sold Rancho Bolsa de Tomales. In 1850 Padilla sold all of Rancho Roblar de la Miseria, except one half square league to be taken from the southeast corner, to Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo
and his son-in-law, John B. Frisbee, and returned to Los Angeles. Juan Nepomuceno Padilla married Maria Marta Avila (1825–) in 1851.
In 1850, soon after purchasing it, Vallejo and Frisbee sold Rancho Roblar de la Miseria to Daniel Wright, Erwin Hill, Edward E. Dunbar, Hardin Bigelow, Francis Salmon, John S. Ellis, and A.N. Norstrand.
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 Roblar de la Miseria was filed with the Public Land Commission
in 1852, and the grant was patented
to Bigelow, Dunbar, Ellis, Hill, Norstrand, Salmon, Wright and Frisbee in 1858.
In 1852, Daniel Wright, Francis Salmon and others, claimed to Land Commission, that in 1850, Padilla sold the one half square league to Dr. August F. Heyermann, and they added Heyerrnann to the claim. However, in 1860, Padilla sold the half square league to Gustave Touchard, Clement Beyreau and Abram W. Thompson. In 1863, Francis Salmon, one of the grantees of Vallejo and Frisbie, commenced a suit to recover the half square league. The California Supreme Court ruled that was no legal evidence that Padilla had ever sold the half square league to Heyermann.
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 Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, located on the northern coast of the U.S. state of California, is the largest and northernmost of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. Its population at the 2010 census was 483,878. Its largest city and county seat is Santa Rosa....
given in 1845 by Governor Pío Pico
Pío Pico
Pío de Jesús Pico was the last Governor of Alta California under Mexican rule.-Origins:...
to Juan Nepomuceno Padilla. "El Roblar de la Miseria" means "The Oak of the Misery". The grant extended along the Petaluma River
Petaluma River
The Petaluma River is a river in the California counties of Sonoma and Marin that becomes a tidal slough near its mouth. It springs from farmlands southwest of Cotati and flows generally southward through Petaluma's old town and of tidal marshes to end in northwest San Pablo Bay.-History:The word...
from Hessel, Roblar, Liberty and Two Rock
Two Rock, California
Two Rock is an unincorporated community in Sonoma County, California, United States. It is located on Stemple Creek in a rural area west of Petaluma...
south to Petaluma
Petaluma, California
Petaluma is a city in Sonoma County, California, in the United States. In the 2010 Census the population was 57,941.Located in Petaluma is the Rancho Petaluma Adobe, a National Historic Landmark. It was built beginning in 1836 by General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, then Commandant of the San...
.
History
Juan Nepomuceno Padilla (1824–) came from Mexico to California. Padilla was elected as the alcalde of Yerba BuenaYerba Buena (town)
Yerba Buena was the original name of San Francisco when in the Spanish Las Californias Province of New Spain, and then after 1822 in the Mexican territory of Alta California, until the Mexican American War ended with the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, when California became a territory of the...
in 1845. Padilla was involved in a dispute over the position with José de la Cruz Sánchez
José de la Cruz Sánchez
José de la Cruz Sánchez was the eleventh Alcalde of San Francisco in 1845.-Life:José de la Cruz Sánchez was the eldest son of José Antonio Sánchez grantee of Rancho Buri Buri in present day San Mateo. José de la Cruz married Josefa Ramona Eduarda Mercado y Sal and they had eight children...
and his brother Francisco Sanchez. In 1845, Pio Pico awarded Padilla the four square league Rancho Roblar de la Miseria, and later, Padilla received the five square league Rancho Bolsa de Tomales
Rancho Bolsa de Tomales
Rancho Bolsa de Tomales was a Mexican land grant in present day Marin County and Sonoma County, California given in 1846 by Governor Pío Pico to Juan Nepomuceno Padilla. The name means "the Pool of the Tomales Indians," which referred to Burbank’s Lake. The grant extended along the Pacific coast...
in Marin County
Marin County, California
Marin County is a county located in the North San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. As of 2010, the population was 252,409. The county seat is San Rafael and the largest employer is the county government. Marin County is well...
.
During the Bear Flag Revolt in June 1846, a band of Californios led by Captain Juan Padilla, killed two members of the Bear Flag Party, Thomas Cowie and George Fowler. Padilla and his band to retreated to Rancho Olompali
Rancho Olompali
Rancho Olompali was a Mexican land grant in present day Marin County, California given in 1834 by governor Manuel Micheltorena to Camilo Ynitia, son of a Coast Miwok chief. The name Olómpali comes from the Coast Miwok language and likely means southern village or southern people. The land...
, and a group of Americans set fire to Padilla’s Sonoma ranch. In 1848, after he returned from Los Angeles, Padilla, who long had been blamed for the murders in Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa, California
Santa Rosa is the county seat of Sonoma County, California, United States. The 2010 census reported a population of 167,815. Santa Rosa is the largest city in California's Wine Country and fifth largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area, after San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and Fremont and 26th...
, was attacked by a group of former Bear Flaggers in a Sonoma
Sonoma, California
Sonoma is a historically significant city in Sonoma Valley, Sonoma County, California, USA, surrounding its historic town plaza, a remnant of the town's Mexican colonial past. It was the capital of the short-lived California Republic...
hotel. In 1849, Padilla sold Rancho Bolsa de Tomales. In 1850 Padilla sold all of Rancho Roblar de la Miseria, except one half square league to be taken from the southeast corner, to Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo
Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo
Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo was a Californian military commander, politician, and rancher. He was born a subject of Spain, performed his military duties as an officer of Mexico, and shaped the transition of California from a Mexican district to an American state...
and his son-in-law, John B. Frisbee, and returned to Los Angeles. Juan Nepomuceno Padilla married Maria Marta Avila (1825–) in 1851.
In 1850, soon after purchasing it, Vallejo and Frisbee sold Rancho Roblar de la Miseria to Daniel Wright, Erwin Hill, Edward E. Dunbar, Hardin Bigelow, Francis Salmon, John S. Ellis, and A.N. Norstrand.
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 Roblar de la Miseria 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 Bigelow, Dunbar, Ellis, Hill, Norstrand, Salmon, Wright and Frisbee in 1858.
In 1852, Daniel Wright, Francis Salmon and others, claimed to Land Commission, that in 1850, Padilla sold the one half square league to Dr. August F. Heyermann, and they added Heyerrnann to the claim. However, in 1860, Padilla sold the half square league to Gustave Touchard, Clement Beyreau and Abram W. Thompson. In 1863, Francis Salmon, one of the grantees of Vallejo and Frisbie, commenced a suit to recover the half square league. The California Supreme Court ruled that was no legal evidence that Padilla had ever sold the half square league to Heyermann.