Rancho San Julian was a Mexican land grant and present-day ranch in present-day

Santa Barbara County, California Santa Barbara County, officially the County of Santa Barbara (), is a County (United States), county located in Southern California. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 448,229. The county seat is Santa Barbara, California ...

given in 1837 by Governor Juan B. Alvarado to José de la Guerra y Noriega. The grant name probably refers to José Antonio Julian de la Guerra. The grant was located west of present-day Santa Barbara.

History

Known as the Rancho del Rey (Ranch of the King) under Spain, this land west of the Presidio of Santa Barbara served since 1816 as a presidial cattle grazing ground. The ranch was renamed Rancho Nacional by the Mexican authorities. In 1837, the six square league Rancho San Julian land grant was made by Governor

Juan Bautista Alvarado Juan Bautista Valentín Alvarado y Vallejo (February 14, 1809 – July 13, 1882) usually known as Juan Bautista Alvarado, was a Californio politician that served as governor of Alta California from 1837 to 1842. Prior to his term as governor, Al ...

to George Rock acting for José de la Guerra. The claim was later purchased, and the title perfected by de la Guerra. José de la Guerra (1779 – 1858) was Comandante of the Presidio of Santa Barbara from 1827 to 1842. With the

cession The act of cession is the assignment of property to another entity. In international law it commonly refers to land transferred by treaty. Ballentine's Law Dictionary defines cession as "a surrender; a giving up; a relinquishment of jurisdicti ...

Alta California Alta California (, ), also known as Nueva California () among other names, was a province of New Spain formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but was made a separat ...

to the United States following the

Mexican-American War Mexican Americans are Americans of full or partial Mexican descent. In 2022, Mexican Americans comprised 11.2% of the US population and 58.9% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexican Americans were born in the United State ...

, the 1848

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo officially ended the Mexican–American War (1846–1848). It was signed on 2 February 1848 in the town of Villa de Guadalupe, Mexico City, Guadalupe Hidalgo. After the defeat of its army and the fall of the cap ...

provided that the land grants would be honored. As required by the Land Act of 1851, a claim for Rancho San Julian was filed with the

Public Land Commission The California Land Act of 1851 (), enacted following the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and the admission of California as a state in 1850, established the California State Lands Commission to determine the validity of prior Spanish and Mexican l ...

in 1852, and the grant was

patented A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A ...

to José de la Guerra in 1873. The official survey was about double the area of the six square league grant. De la Guerra died in 1858. Severe drought and financial burdens forced the de la Guerra family to mortgage the property to Gaspar Oreña (1824–1904). In 1854, Gaspar Oreña had married his cousin, Antonia María de la Guerra, youngest daughter of José de la Guerra, after her husband Cesario Armand Lataillade (1819–1849) died. Oreña acquired Rancho La Espada and Rancho San Julian from the de la Guerras in 1864, as partial payment for money owed him by the de la Guerra siblings. He held on to them until 1867 when he sold them both to the Dibblee-Hollister partnership. Albert Dibblee (1816–1895), born Pine Plains,

Dutchess County Dutchess County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2020 census, the population was 295,911. The county seat is the city of Poughkeepsie. The county was created in 1683, one of New York's first twelve counties, and later org ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

came to California in 1848. In 1858 Dibblee bought Rancho Santa Anita, and in 1860 his brother, Thomas Bloodgood Dibblee (1823–1895), came from New York to join him. Albert Dibblee and Thomas Dibblee formed a partnership with Colonel W.W. Hollister (1818 - 1886) and bought several land grants in the Santa Barbara area, including Rancho San Julian. In 1868, Thomas Dibblee moved to Santa Barbara and married José de la Guerra's granddaughter, Francesca de la Guerra (1849-). Francesca was the daughter of Josefa Moreno and

Pablo de la Guerra Pablo de la Guerra (29 November 1819 – 5 February 1874) was a Californio politician, judge, and signer of the Californian Constitution in 1849. He served several terms in the California State Senate between 1849 and 1862, and as acting lieu ...

, who was the son of José de la Guerra. Thomas Dibblee's grandson, Thomas Wilson Dibblee Jr., was a notable geologist. As of 2023, Thomas and Francesca de la Guerra Dibblee's descendant Elizabeth Poett has filmed three seasons of a cooking show, ''Ranch to Table,'' on Rancho San Julian for the

Magnolia Network Magnolia Network is an American basic cable network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery in partnership with Chip Gaines, Chip and Joanna Gaines, the founders of lifestyle company Magnolia. It broadcasts personality-based lifestyle programs related ...

, featuring scenes from the ranch.

References

External links

*
Ranchos of Santa Barbara County Map
{{Authority control San Julian Santa Barbara, California San Juli

History

See also

References

External links