Rancho San Carlos de Jonata
Encyclopedia
Rancho San Carlos de Jonata was a 26634 acres (107.8 km²) Mexican land grant
in present day Santa Barbara County, California
given in 1845 by Governor Pío Pico
to Joaquín Carrillo and Jose Maria Covarrubias. The grant was west of Mission Santa Inés
in the Santa Ynez Valley
, and extended north from the Santa Ynez River
along Zaca Creek. The grant encompasses present day Solvang
and Buellton
.
(1791–1837) and Maria Concepcion Nicanor Pico (1797–1871). Joaquin Carrillo married Manuela Carrillo and served as Santa Barbara County Judge from 1851–1853, a position later held by José María Covarrubias from 1861–1863. Joaquín Carrillo owned with his brother Rancho Lompoc
and Rancho Mission Vieja de la Purisma
.
José María Covarrubias (c.1809–1870), a Frenchman who became a Mexican citizen and came to California in 1834 with the Hijar-Padres Colony to be a schoolteacher. Covarrubias held several key government posts in Monterey
and Santa Barbara
. Covarrubias married María Carrillo, sister of Joaquín Carrillo. He served as alcalde
at Santa Barbara. In 1843 Covarrubias received the Rancho Castac
land grant. Covarrubias was a member of the 1849 California Constitutional Convention, and member of the California State Assembly
for four terms 1849–1862. In 1850, Covarrubias bought the Island of Santa Catalina
land grant from Thomas M. Robbins.
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 the six square league Rancho San Carlos de Jonata was filed with the Public Land Commission
in 1853, and the grant was patented to Joaquín Carrillo and José M. Covarrubias in 1872.
Rufus Thompson (R.T.) Buell (1827-1905) was born in Vermont. In 1853 Buell joined the California Gold Rush
, but by 1857 was dairy farming in Marin County
, and in 1865, Monterey County
. In 1866, R.T. Buell and his brother, Alonzo Wilcox Buell, bought a quarter of Rancho San Carlos de Jonata from Joaquín Carrillo and José M. Covarrubias. By 1872 R.T had bought the entire Rancho, and dissolved the partnership with his brother Alonzo. A severe drought forced Buell to sell 11000 acres (45 km²) of the rancho in the 1870's.
This property would sold in 1911 to the Danish American Company to establish a Danish colony called "Solvang". The remaining rancho was partitioned among his seven heirs upon his death in 1915.
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 Barbara County, California
Santa Barbara County, California
Santa Barbara County is a county located in the southern portion of the U.S. state of California, on the Pacific coast. As of 2010 the county had a population of 423,895. The county seat is Santa Barbara and the largest city is Santa Maria.-History:...
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 Joaquín Carrillo and Jose Maria Covarrubias. The grant was west of Mission Santa Inés
Mission Santa Inés
Mission Santa Inés was founded on September 17, 1804 by Father Estévan Tapís, who had succeeded Father Fermín Lasuén as President of the California mission chain...
in the Santa Ynez Valley
Santa Ynez Valley
The Santa Ynez Valley is located in Santa Barbara County, California, between the Santa Ynez Mountains to the south and the San Rafael Mountains to the north. The Santa Ynez River flows through the valley from east to west. The Santa Ynez Valley is separated from the Los Alamos Valley, to the...
, and extended north from the Santa Ynez River
Santa Ynez River
The Santa Ynez River is one of the largest rivers on the Central Coast of California. It is long, flowing from east to west through the Santa Ynez Valley, reaching the Pacific Ocean at Surf, near Vandenberg Air Force Base and the city of Lompoc....
along Zaca Creek. The grant encompasses present day Solvang
Solvang, California
Solvang is a city in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. It is one of the communities that make up the Santa Ynez Valley. The population was 5,245 at the 2010 census, down from 5,332 at the 2000 census...
and Buellton
Buellton, California
Buellton is a small city in Santa Barbara County, California, United States. The city of Buellton is one of the communities that make up the Santa Ynez Valley...
.
History
José Joaquin Carrillo (1801–1868) was the son of Domingo Antonio Ygnacio CarrilloJosé Raimundo Carrillo
Captain José Raimundo Carrillo was an early Spanish settler of San Diego, California and founder of the Carrillo family in Spanish California.-Biography:Carrillo was born in 1749 in New Spain at Loreto, Baja California...
(1791–1837) and Maria Concepcion Nicanor Pico (1797–1871). Joaquin Carrillo married Manuela Carrillo and served as Santa Barbara County Judge from 1851–1853, a position later held by José María Covarrubias from 1861–1863. Joaquín Carrillo owned with his brother Rancho Lompoc
Rancho Lompoc
Rancho Lompoc was a Mexican land grant in present day Santa Barbara County, California given in 1837 by Governor Juan B. Alvarado to Joaquín Carrillo and José Antonio Carrillo...
and Rancho Mission Vieja de la Purisma
Rancho Mission Vieja de la Purisma
Rancho Mission Vieja de la Purisma was a Mexican land grant in present day northern Santa Barbara County, California given in 1845 by Governor Pío Pico to Joaquín Carrillo and José Antonio Carrillo...
.
José María Covarrubias (c.1809–1870), a Frenchman who became a Mexican citizen and came to California in 1834 with the Hijar-Padres Colony to be a schoolteacher. Covarrubias held several key government posts in 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 Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
. Covarrubias married María Carrillo, sister of Joaquín Carrillo. He served as alcalde
Alcalde
Alcalde , or Alcalde ordinario, is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and administrative functions. An alcalde was, in the absence of a corregidor, the presiding officer of the Castilian cabildo and judge of first instance of a town...
at Santa Barbara. In 1843 Covarrubias received the Rancho Castac
Rancho Castac
This is an article about a former California rancho. For a community of a similar name in the same general area, see Castaic, California.Rancho Castac or Rancho Castec was a Mexican land grant in present-day Kern and Los Angeles counties, California, made by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to Jose...
land grant. Covarrubias was a member of the 1849 California Constitutional Convention, and member of the California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
for four terms 1849–1862. In 1850, Covarrubias bought the Island of Santa Catalina
Santa Catalina Island, California
Santa Catalina Island, often called Catalina Island, or just Catalina, is a rocky island off the coast of the U.S. state of California. The island is long and across at its greatest width. The island is located about south-southwest of Los Angeles, California. The highest point on the island is...
land grant from Thomas M. Robbins.
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 the six square league Rancho San Carlos de Jonata 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 1853, and the grant was patented to Joaquín Carrillo and José M. Covarrubias in 1872.
Rufus Thompson (R.T.) Buell (1827-1905) was born in Vermont. In 1853 Buell joined the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
, but by 1857 was dairy farming 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...
, and in 1865, Monterey County
Monterey County, California
Monterey County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, its northwestern section forming the southern half of Monterey Bay. The northern half of the bay is in Santa Cruz County. As of 2010, the population was 415,057. The county seat and largest city is Salinas...
. In 1866, R.T. Buell and his brother, Alonzo Wilcox Buell, bought a quarter of Rancho San Carlos de Jonata from Joaquín Carrillo and José M. Covarrubias. By 1872 R.T had bought the entire Rancho, and dissolved the partnership with his brother Alonzo. A severe drought forced Buell to sell 11000 acres (45 km²) of the rancho in the 1870's.
This property would sold in 1911 to the Danish American Company to establish a Danish colony called "Solvang". The remaining rancho was partitioned among his seven heirs upon his death in 1915.