Rancho Fernandez 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 Butte County, California given to Dionisio Zenon Fernandez and Máximo Zenon Fernandez in 1846 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 ...

. The grant extended along the west bank of the Feather River, and encompassed present-day Oroville and Thermalito.

History

The four square league grant was made to brothers Dionisio Z. Fernandez and Máximo Z. Fernandez who were sons of José Zenon Fernandez, grantee of

Rancho Quito Rancho Quito was a Mexican land grant in present-day Santa Clara County, California given in 1841 by Governor Juan Alvarado to José Zenon Fernandez and José Noriega. The grant included present-day Saratoga, Campbell, and Cupertino. The easter ...

. 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 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 Fernandez 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 Dionisio Z. Fernandez, Máximo Z. Fernandez,

Josiah Belden Josiah Belden (May 4, 1815 – April 23, 1892), known in Spanish as Josías Belden, was a Californian politician and trader. He was born in Connecticut, eventually emigrating to Alta California (then part of Mexico). In California, he became a M ...

, and William R. Basham in 1867. In 1873, a conflict between the north boundary of the 1844 Flügge Rancho Boga grant and the south boundary of Rancho Fernandez went to the

US Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point of ...

.''Henshaw v. Bissell'', U.S. Supreme Court,85 U.S. 18 Wall. 255 255 (1873)
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References

{{California history, state=collapsed Fernandez Ranchos of Butte County, California Feather River Oroville, California Fernandez

History

See also

References