Rancho Los Nietos was one of the first, and the largest,
Spanish land concession in
Alta California. Located in present-day
Los Angeles County and
Orange County
Orange County most commonly refers to:
*Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Orange County may also refer to:
U.S. counties
*Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando
*Orange County, Indiana
*Orange County, New ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
. Rancho Los Nietos was awarded to
Manuel Nieto in 1784. The rancho remained intact until 1834, when Governor
Jose Figueroa officially declared the Rancho Los Nietos grant under
Mexican rule and ordered its partition into six smaller ranchos.
Today, all parts of the following places are located on what was once Rancho Los Nietos, spanning the cities of
Southest LA and north Orange County:
*
Anaheim
*
Artesia
*
Bellflower
*
Buena Park
Buena Park (''Buena'', Spanish for "Good") is a city in Orange County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census its population was 84,034. It is the location of several tourist attractions, namely Knott's Berry Farm. It is about 12 m ...
*
Bolsa Chica State Beach—
Bolsa Chica Reserve
*
Cerritos
*
Cypress
*
Downey Downey may refer to:
People
* Downey (surname)
*Robert Downey Jr.
Places
* Downey, California, US
* Downey, Idaho, US
* Downey, Iowa, US
Businesses
* W. & D. Downey, photographic studio
* Downey Studios, created out of a former Boeing plant
Sch ...
*
Fullerton
*
Garden Grove
*
Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County, California, Orange County in Southern California, located southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. The city is named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington. The population was 198,711 duri ...
*
Lakewood
*
Long Beach
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California.
Incorporate ...
*
Los Alamitos
*
Naples
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
*
Norwalk
*
Santa Fe Springs
Santa Fe Springs (''Santa Fe'', Spanish for "Holy Faith") is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is one of the Gateway Cities of southeast Los Angeles County. The population was 16,223 at the 2010 census, down from 17,43 ...
*
Seal Beach
Seal Beach is a coastal city in Orange County, California, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 25,242, up from 24,168 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 census.
Seal Beach is located in the w ...
*
Sunset Beach
*
Whittier
History
Spanish grant
In 1784, Spanish governor
Pedro Fages granted to Manuel Nieto, a former sergeant in the Spanish army, provisional use of all land between the
Santa Ana River and the
Los Angeles River
, name_etymology =
, image = File:Los Angeles River from Fletcher Drive Bridge 2019.jpg
, image_caption = L.A. River from Fletcher Drive Bridge
, image_size = 300
, map = LARmap.jpg
, map_size ...
from the
Mission San Gabriel Arcángel to the sea.
The original grant was , but the
San Gabriel Mission contested the Los Nietos grant on the grounds that it encroached upon the southern portion of its property. A decision in favor of the mission was reached and Rancho Los Nietos was reduced to nearly half of its original size, but still leaving Corporal Nieto with . At first it was called La Zanja, but later it was known simply as Rancho Los Nietos.
Upon Manuel Nieto's death in 1804, Rancho Los Nietos passed to his wife and four children.
Mexican declaration and partition
The rancho remained intact until 1833, when the Nieto heirs petitioned Mexican Governor
José Figueroa
José Figueroa (1792 – 29 September 1835), was a General and the Mexican Governor of Alta California from 1833 to 1835. He wrote the first book to be published in California.
Background and governorship
Figueroa was a Mestizo of Spanish ...
for a partition and distribution of the land. In 1834, governor Figueroa officially declared the Los Nietos grant under Mexican rule and ordered its partition into six smaller ranchos.
HARRISON v. ULRICHS et al., (Circuit Court, Southern District California, August 12, 1889)
/ref>
Rancho Palo Alto was the smallest of the six ranchos. It is unknown exactly where or how large was Rancho Palo Alto as it did not appear on the partition map. It included the Coyote Hills and most of the Arroyo de los Coyotes, and may have been combined into Rancho Los Coyotes.
Legacy
Los Nietos Road in Santa Fe Springs and the unincorporated community known as West Whittier-Los Nietos are named after the rancho.
References
{{coord, 33.86, -118.01, region:US-CA, display=title
Nietos, Los
Los Nietos
Los Nietos
History of Los Angeles County, California
History of Orange County, California
History of Long Beach, California
1784 in Alta California
1784 establishments in Alta California
Anaheim, California
Buena Park, California
Cerritos, California
Cypress, California
Downey, California
Fullerton, California
Garden Grove, California
Lakewood, California
Norwalk, California
Santa Fe Springs, California
Whittier, California
18th century in Los Angeles