Rancho Lomerias Muertas 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 San Benito County, California given in 1842 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 ...

José Antonio Castro José Antonio Castro González (born 11 August 1980) is a Mexican former professional footballer who played as a right-back. He gained notoriety for his performances with Club América and at the 2006 FIFA World Cup for Mexico. He is often refer ...

. The name means "barren hills". The grant was between the Pajaro River and the San Benito River, south of present-day Gilroy.

History

General José Castro was the son of José Tiburcio Castro, administrator of the secularized

Mission San Juan Bautista Mission San Juan Bautista is a Spanish mission in San Juan Bautista, San Benito County, California. Founded on June 24, 1797 by Fermín Lasuén of the Franciscan order, the mission was the fifteenth of the Spanish missions established in presen ...

, and grantee of

Rancho Sausal Rancho Sausal was a Mexican land grant in the Salinas Valley, in present-day Monterey County, California, given in 1834 by Governor José Figueroa to José Tibúrcio Castro. An additional grant was made by Governor Pío Pico in 1845. The name i ...

. In 1844, José Antonio Castro sold Rancho Lomerias Muertas to José María Sanchez. Sanchez was the grantee in 1835 of

Rancho Llano de Tesquisquita Rancho Llano de Tesquisquita was a Mexican land grant in present-day San Benito County and Santa Clara County, California given in 1835 by Governor José Castro to José María Sanchez. The name means "flats of Tesquisquita". The grant extended ...

directly to the north of Rancho Lomerias Muertas. Jose Maria Sanchez (1804–1852), came to California from Mexico in 1825 forming a partnership with Francisco Perez Pacheco, grantee of

Rancho Ausaymas y San Felipe Rancho Ausaymas y San Felipe was a Mexican land grant in present-day San Benito County and Santa Clara County, California a consists of two square leagues (San Felipe) given in 1833 by Governor José Figueroa and two square leagues (Ausaymas) giv ...

. In 1840, Sanchez married Encarnacion Ortega (1824–1894), the daughter of Quentin Ortega and Vicenta Butron of

Rancho San Ysidro Rancho San Ysidro was a Spanish land grant in present-day Santa Clara County, California, given in 1809 by Governor José Joaquín de Arrillaga to Ygnacio Ortega. Today's city of Gilroy is on former Rancho Ysidro lands, as is nearby Old Gilro ...

. The first rancho Sanchez bought was

Rancho Las Animas Rancho Las Ánimas (also called Las Ánimas o La Poza de Carnedero or La Brea) was a Spanish land concession in present-day Santa Clara County given in 1803 by Viceroy Félix Berenguer de Marquina to José Mariano Castro. The rancho was regrant ...

from the widow of Mariano Castro in 1835. 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 Lomerias Muertas 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 José M. Sanchez in 1866. With the acquisition of Rancho Lomerias Muertas, the Sanchez domain extended over with the Pajaro River dividing his lands. Sanchez drowned in the Pajaro River on Christmas Eve, 1852, leaving his widow, Maria Encarnacion Ortega Sanchez, and five children (sisters: Vicenta; Refugia; Candelaria; Guadalupe and one brother, José Gregorio). Numerous people were interested in gaining control of the vast Sanchez estate. In 1853, Maria Encarnacion Ortega Sanchez married her attorney, Thomas B. Godden. Godden was killed in the explosion of the steamboat "Jenny Lind" en route from Alviso to San Francisco on April 11, 1853. Maria Encarnacion Ortega's two husbands had died within four months of each other. In 1853, Maria Encarnacion Ortega married Dr. Henry L. Sanford. Sanford was killed in 1855, and Maria Encarnacion Ortega married George W. Crane (1827–1868), who died of

Measles Measles is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by measles virus. Symptoms usually develop 10–12 days after exposure to an infected person and last 7–10 days. Initial symptoms typically include fever, often greater than , cough, ...

in 1868. The Sanchez File
by Bill Roddy In 1864, the Sanchez heirs started selling their share of the land to Henry Miller. By 1867, Miller and Lux owned of the Sanchez ranchos. In 1871, and Maria Encarnacion Ortega married her fifth husband, Anastacio Alviso, who was shot and killed shortly after their marriage.

References

{{California history Lomerias Muertas Lomerias Muertas

History

See also

References