Rancho Bolsa de las Escorpinas was a

Mexican land grant The Spanish and Mexican governments made many concessions and land grants in Alta California (now known as California) and Baja California from 1775 to 1846. The Spanish Concessions of land were made to retired soldiers as an inducement for ...

in present-day Monterey County, California given in 1837 by Governor

Juan B. Alvarado Juan Bautista Valentín Alvarado y Vallejo (February 14, 1809 – July 13, 1882) was a Californio politician that served as Governor of Alta California from 1837-42. Prior to his term as governor, Alvarado briefly led a movement for independen ...

to Salvador Espinoza. The grant was northwest of present-day Salinas, bounded on the south by today's Espinosa Lake. Espinosa Road runs east–west through the former rancho lands.

History

The first European land exploration of

Alta California Alta California ('Upper California'), also known as ('New 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 ...

, the Spanish Portolà expedition, camped in the vicinity of Espinosa Lake on October 7, 1769. The party had spent the previous six nights near Blanco and continued north the next day to the Pajaro River, staying to the inland side of Elkhorn Slough. Salvador Maria Espinoza (1796–) married Maria Josefa Lugarda Castro (1796–1848) in 1814. Espinosa served in a number of public offices in Monterey including

alcade Alcalde (; ) 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'' (the municipal council) a ...

and regidor. He was

mayordomo Mayordomo or Chocolate Mayordomo is a brand of Mexican (English: "table chocolate") produced by the company Chocolate Mayordomo De Oaxaca, S. De R.L. De C.V., and based in Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico. The company manufactures Mole (s ...

(administrator) at

Mission Soledad Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion *Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity * Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...

in 1836–1839. He received the two square league Rancho Bolsa de las Escorpinas in 1837. Salvador's brother, José Trinidad Espinoza, was grantee of neighboring

Rancho Los Gatos or Santa Rita Rancho Los Gatos or Santa Rita was a Mexican land grant in present-day Monterey County, California given in 1837 by Governor Juan B. Alvarado to José Trinidad Espinoza. The grant was northwest of present-day Salinas, bounded on the north by ...

. Salvador's son, Jose Carlos Cayetano Espinosa, was the grantee of Rancho Posa de los Ositos. With the cession of California to the United States following the

Mexican-American War Mexican Americans ( es, mexicano-estadounidenses, , or ) are Americans of full or partial Mexicans, Mexican heritage. In 2019, Mexican Americans comprised 11.3% of the US population and 61.5% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% ...

, 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 Bolsa de las Escorpinas 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 a three-member Public Land Commission to determine the validity of prior Spanish and Mexican la ...

in 1852, and the grant was patented to Salvador Espinoza in 1876. Report of the Surveyor General 1844 - 1886

References

{{California history Bolsa de las Escorpinas Bolsa de las Escorpinas Bolsa

History

See also

References