Rancho Ex-Mission Soledad 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 the

Salinas Valley The Salinas Valley is one of the major valleys and most productive Agriculture, agricultural regions in California. It is located west of the San Joaquin Valley and south of San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley. The Salinas River (Califo ...

, in present-day

Monterey County, California Monterey County ( ), officially the County of Monterey, is a county located on the Pacific coast in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, its population was 439,035. The county's largest city and county seat is Salinas. Monte ...

. It was given in 1845 by Governor

Pío Pico Don Pío de Jesús Pico (May 5, 1801 – September 11, 1894) was a Californio politician, ranchero, and entrepreneur, famous for serving as the last governor of California (present-day U.S. state of California) under Mexican rule. A member of ...

to Feliciano Soberanes. The grant derives its name from the

secularized In sociology, secularization (or secularisation) is the transformation of a society from close identification with religious values and institutions toward non-religious values and secular institutions. The ''secularization thesis'' expresses the ...

Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad ( es, Misión Nuestra Señora de la Soledad), commonly known as Mission Soledad, is a Spanish mission located in Soledad, California. The mission was founded by the Franciscan order on October 9, 1791 to con ...

, but was called ex-Mission because of a division made of the lands held in the name of the Mission — the church retaining the grounds immediately around, and all of the lands outside of this are called ex-Mission lands. The grant was adjacent Mission Soledad, west of the Salinas River and Soledad.

History

The Soberanes family patriarch, José Maria Soberanes (1753–1803) accompanied the

Portola expedition Portola may refer to: * ''Portola'' (album), a 1998 album by Rose Melberg * Portola, California * Portola, San Francisco, California People with the surname * Gaspar de Portolá Gaspar de Portolá y Rovira (January 1, 1716 – October 10, 1 ...

to San Francisco Bay in 1769. Soberanes married Maria Josefa Castro (1759–1822) and received Rancho Buena Vista. Soberanes sons, Feliciano Soberanes (1788–1868) and Mariano Soberanes (1794–1859), were granted

Rancho El Alisal Rancho El Alisal was a Mexican land grant in present-day Monterey County, California, given in 1833 by Governor José Figueroa to the brothers Feliciano and Mariano Soberanes and to William Edward Petty Hartnell. Alisal means Alder tree (sycamo ...

in 1833. Feliciano Soberanes (1788–1868) was born in

Monterey Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under both ...

where he spent his whole life. He was regidor in 1829 and 1830, and then alcade at Monterey in 1838–1839. He married Maria Antonia Rodriguez (1795–1883) in 1810. Feliciano Soberanes was granted

Rancho San Lorenzo Rancho San Lorenzo was a Mexican land grant given in 1841 by Governor Juan Alvarado to Guillermo Castro a career soldier posted to the Pueblo of San José. The land grant included present day Hayward, San Lorenzo, and Castro Valley, including ...

in 1841. Feliciano's daughter, Maria Josefa Soberanes, was granted Rancho Los Coches in 1841. Feliciano's son, Francisco Maria Soberanes (1818–1887), was granted Rancho Sanjon de Santa Rita in 1841. Feliciano became administrator of Mission Soledad lands and received the two square league Rancho Ex-Mission Soledad in 1845. 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 jurisdictio ...

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 The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ( es, Tratado de Guadalupe Hidalgo), officially the Treaty of Peace, Friendship, Limits, and Settlement between the United States of America and the United Mexican States, is the peace treaty that was signed on 2 ...

provided that the land grants would be honored. As required by the Land Act of 1851, a claim for Rancho Ex-Mission Soledad 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 1853, and the grant was patented to Feliciano Soberanes in 1874. When Feliciano died in 1868, his son, Francisco Soberanes, acquired Rancho Ex-Mission Soledad, and later purchased the adjoining Rancho Paraje de Sanchez. Francisco Soberanes married Ysabel Boronda, daughter of José Manuel Boronda, grantee of

Rancho Los Laureles Rancho Los Laureles was a Mexican land grant in present-day Monterey County, California given in 1839 by Governor Juan Alvarado to José M. Boronda and Vicente Blas Martínez. Los Laureles refers to the California Bay Laurel tree. The grant e ...

. When Francisco Soberanes died in 1887, he left half of his estate to his widow, Ysabel Boronda Soberanes and the other half to his six surviving children. Shortly after the distribution of the estate under the will, the widow, Ysabel Bornoda Soberanes, transferred her entire share of the property to one son, Abel Soberanes, to the exclusion of the other five heirs. In 1891, Benito Soberanes, one of the other sons, petitioned to have the mother declared incompetent. Francisco Soberanes's son Benito Soberanes lost his share of the rancho to banks, who sold it to Charles Romie. Romie sold the property to

The Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestant church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. The organisation reports a worldwide membership of over 1.7million, comprising soldiers, officers and adherents col ...

, who created Fort Romie, California.

References

{{Monterey County, California Ex-Mission Soledad Ex-Mission Soledad Salinas Valley Spanish missions in California Ex-Mission Soledad

History

See also

References