Rancho Soquel
Encyclopedia
Rancho Soquel was a 1668 acres (6.8 km²) Mexican land grant
in present day Santa Cruz County, California
given in 1833 by Governor José Figueroa
to Martina Castro. In 1844, Martina Castro was granted by Governor José Figueroa
a further 32702 acres (132.3 km²) grant known as the Soquel Augmentation. The grant along Monterey Bay
includes present day Soquel
and Capitola
. Rancho Aptos
of her brother Rafael Castro formed the south boundary of the grant.
, daughter of José Joaquín Castro (1768–1838), grantee of Rancho San Andrés
. Martina married Simon Cota, a soldier stationed at Monterey
, in 1824. When Simon died six years later, in 1830, Martina became a widow with four children. Martina married Irishman Michael Lodge (1797–1849) in 1831, and she was granted the half square league Rancho Soquel in 1833. With Lodge's encouragement, the grant was enlarged in 1844 by 32000 acres (129 km²) of mostly heavily forested land. Lodge recognized the potential and contracted John Hames and John Daubenbiss to built a sawmill.
In 1848, Michael Lodge and Martina joined the California Gold Rush
. Martina returned after three of her children died, but Lodge never returned and was presumed murdered. In 1849, Martina, at 42, married Louis Depeaux, a man 16 years younger than she was. Soon afterward, Depeaux left. A daughter, Carmelita (Carmel) Castro Lodge (1827-1923) married Thomas Fallon
in 1850.
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 was filed for the Soquel grant with the Public Land Commission
in 1852, and the grant was patented
to Martina Castro in 1860. A claim for the Soquel Augmentation grant was filed with the Land Commission in 1853, and the grant was patented to Martina Castro in 1860.
In Depeaux's absence, Martina gave each of her remaining eight children an undivided one-ninth of the Rancho Soquel grant. In 1856, with the onset of mental instability, Martina sold her remaining land and spent her last years with her daughter Guadalupe in Capitola until her death in 1890.
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 Cruz County, California
Santa Cruz County, California
Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, on the California Central Coast. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay. . As of the 2010 U.S. Census, its population was 262,382. The county seat is Santa Cruz...
given in 1833 by Governor José Figueroa
José Figueroa
General José Figueroa , was a General and the Mexican territorial Governor of Alta California from 1833 to 1835.Figueroa oversaw the initial secularization of the missions of upper California, which included the expulsion of the Spanish Franciscan mission officials.This also involved the issuing of...
to Martina Castro. In 1844, Martina Castro was granted by Governor José Figueroa
José Figueroa
General José Figueroa , was a General and the Mexican territorial Governor of Alta California from 1833 to 1835.Figueroa oversaw the initial secularization of the missions of upper California, which included the expulsion of the Spanish Franciscan mission officials.This also involved the issuing of...
a further 32702 acres (132.3 km²) grant known as the Soquel Augmentation. The grant along Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay
Monterey Bay is a bay of the Pacific Ocean, along the central coast of California. The bay is south of San Francisco and San Jose, between the cities of Santa Cruz and Monterey....
includes present day Soquel
Soquel, California
Soquel is a census-designated place in Santa Cruz County, California, United States. The population was 9,644 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Soquel is located at ....
and Capitola
Capitola, California
Capitola is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, United States, on the coast of Monterey Bay. The population was 9,918 at the 2010 census.-History:...
. Rancho Aptos
Rancho Aptos
Rancho Aptos was a Mexican land grant in present day Santa Cruz County, California given in 1833 by Governor José Figueroa to Rafael Castro. The grant on the Monterey Bay was immediately downcoast of his sister, Martina Castro's Rancho Soquel, and upcoast of his father, José Joaquín Castro's ...
of her brother Rafael Castro formed the south boundary of the grant.
History
Martina Castro (1807–1890), was born in Villa de BranciforteBranciforte
Branciforte or as it was named originally, Villa de Branciforte, was a secular pueblo established by the Spanish in the of Las Californias Province of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, in 1797 on the eastern bluff overlooking the San Lorenzo River...
, daughter of José Joaquín Castro (1768–1838), grantee of Rancho San Andrés
Rancho San Andrés
Rancho San Andrés was a Mexican land grant in present day Santa Cruz County, California given in 1833 by Governor José Figueroa to José Joaquín Castro. The grant on Monterey Bay extended from La Selva Beach on the north to Watsonville Slough on the south...
. Martina married Simon Cota, a soldier stationed at 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...
, in 1824. When Simon died six years later, in 1830, Martina became a widow with four children. Martina married Irishman Michael Lodge (1797–1849) in 1831, and she was granted the half square league Rancho Soquel in 1833. With Lodge's encouragement, the grant was enlarged in 1844 by 32000 acres (129 km²) of mostly heavily forested land. Lodge recognized the potential and contracted John Hames and John Daubenbiss to built a sawmill.
In 1848, Michael Lodge and Martina 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...
. Martina returned after three of her children died, but Lodge never returned and was presumed murdered. In 1849, Martina, at 42, married Louis Depeaux, a man 16 years younger than she was. Soon afterward, Depeaux left. A daughter, Carmelita (Carmel) Castro Lodge (1827-1923) married Thomas Fallon
Thomas Fallon
Thomas Fallon was an Irish-born, Canadian-raised American capitalist and politician, the tenth Mayor of San Jose, California.-Biography:...
in 1850.
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 was filed for the Soquel grant 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 Martina Castro in 1860. A claim for the Soquel Augmentation grant was filed with the Land Commission in 1853, and the grant was patented to Martina Castro in 1860.
In Depeaux's absence, Martina gave each of her remaining eight children an undivided one-ninth of the Rancho Soquel grant. In 1856, with the onset of mental instability, Martina sold her remaining land and spent her last years with her daughter Guadalupe in Capitola until her death in 1890.