Rancho El Tejon

Rancho El Tejon was a 97,617-acre (395.04 km²) Mexican land grant in the Tehachapi Mountains, in present day Kern County, California given in 1843 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to José Antonio Aguirre and Ygnacio del Valle.^[1] El Tejon means "The Badger" in Spanish.The rancho is now a part of the 270,000 acres (1,093 km²) Tejon Ranch.^[2][3]

History

José Antonio Aguirre (1799–1860) was a merchant who lived in Santa Barbara and San Diego. Ygnacio del Valle was (1808–1880) was a landowner and one time alcalde of Los Angeles. Neither of the owners lived on the rancho. They chose instead to hire a "mayordomo" (ranch foreman) to be in full charge of the vaqueros needed to guard the cattle.

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 El Tejon was filed with the Public Land Commission in 1852,^[4] and the grant was patented to Aguirre and del Valle in 1863.^[5]

Aguirre sold his undivided half interest in Rancho El Tejon to John (Juan) Temple in 1857. In 1865, Edward Beale purchased Rancho El Tejon from Ygnacio del Valle and Juan Temple. Beale would acquire three other Mexican Land Grants (Rancho Los Alamos y Agua Caliente, Rancho Castac and Rancho La Liebre) to create the present Tejon Ranch.^[6]

References

See also

• Ranchos of California
• List of Ranchos of California
• Index: Tehachapi Mountains

Coordinates: 35°02′51″N 118°45′36″W / 35.04742°N 118.75998°W / 35.04742; -118.75998