Rancho Punta de los Reyes 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

Marin County, California Marin County is a County (United States), county located in the northwestern part of the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 262,231. Its county seat and ...

, given in 1836 by Governor Nicolás Gutiérrez to James Richard Berry. The grant was east of

Rancho Las Baulines Rancho Las Baulines was a Mexican land grant in present-day Marin County, California, given in 1846 by Governor Pío Pico to Gregorio Briones. The grant extended around Bolinas Lagoon and encompassed present-day Stinson Beach and Bolinas. Hist ...

and south of Rancho Tomales y Baulines.

History

James Richard Berry (–1847), an Irishman and a colonel in the Mexican army, came to California from Mexico. In 1836, Governor Gutierriez, granted Berry the eight square league Rancho Punta de los Reyes. In 1838, Berry sold the two square league portion along the western shore of Tomales Bay (known as the "Inverness Pocket") of the

Rancho Punta de los Reyes Rancho Punta de los Reyes was a Mexican land grant in present day Marin County, California, given in 1836 by Governor Nicolás Gutiérrez to James Richard Berry. The grant was east of Rancho Las Baulines and south of Rancho Tomales y Baulines. Hi ...

grant, to Joseph Snook (1798–1848), grantee of

Rancho San Bernardo San Bernardo (also, Rancho San Bernardo) is a village in Chihuahua, Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United ...

. When, in 1843, Rafael Garcia, the owner of adjacent Rancho Tomales y Baulines, moved his cattle onto Berry’s remaining land, Berry moved west, squatting on Antonio Osio’s

Rancho Punta de los Reyes Sobrante Rancho Punta de los Reyes Sobrante was a Mexican land grant in present-day western Marin County, California, given by Governor Manuel Micheltorena in 1843 to Antonio Maria Osio. The name means "Leftover of Point Reyes Ranch". It comprised much of ...

. In 1844, Berry sold Rancho Punta de los Reyes to Stephen Smith of

Rancho Bodega Rancho Bodega was a Ranchos of California, Mexican land grant in present day Sonoma County, California given in 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to Stephen Smith. Bodega takes its name from the Peruvian explorer Juan Francisco de la Bodega y ...

, to whom he owed money. Berry moved to John Martin’s

Rancho Corte Madera de Novato Rancho Corte Madera de Novato was a Mexican land grant in present day Marin County, California given in 1839 by Governor Juan Alvarado to John Martin. The name means the "lumber mill of Novato". The grant extended along Hicks Valley north west ...

and died there in 1847. In 1848, Smith sold Rancho Punta de los Reyes to Bethuel Phelps. Dairy and Beef Ranches on the Point Reyes Peninsula 1834-1945
D.S. Livingston, National Park ServiceRobert H. Becker, "Historical Survey of Point Reyes," Land Use Survey. Proposed Point Reyes National Seashore (San Francisco: Region Four Office, National Park Service, February, 1961) 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 Punta de los Reyes 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 Bethuel Phelps in 1866. Report of the Surveyor General 1844 - 1886
In 1854, Bethuel Phelps sold Rancho Punta de los Reyes to Andrew Randall. Randall (1819–1856), a native of

Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...

, came to California on the U.S.S. ''Portsmouth'' in 1846. Randall was a geologist with medical training. He founded, and was elected chairman of the

California Academy of Sciences The California Academy of Sciences is a research institute and natural history museum in San Francisco, California, that is among the largest museums of natural history in the world, housing over 46 million specimens. The Academy began in 1853 ...

. In addition to Rancho Punta de los Reyes and

in Marin County, Randall was the claimant for

Rancho Cañada de la Segunda Rancho Cañada de la Segunda was a Mexican land grant in present-day Monterey County, California given in 1839 by Governor José Castro to Lazaro Soto. The grant extended along the north bank of the Carmel River, from the Pacific coast and pre ...

and Rancho San Lorenzo in

Monterey County 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. Montere ...

; and

Rancho Aguas Frias Rancho Aguas Frias was a Mexican land grant in present-day Butte County, California given in 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to Antonio Maria Osio and his son Salvador Osio. Aguas Frias means "cold water" in Spanish. The grant, located so ...

in Butte County - a little over . However, he had stretched his credit to the limit, and Randall could not or would not pay immediately. Joseph Hetherington, a creditor, undertook to force payment by hounding him on every occasion with insults and threats. Hetherington fatally shot Randall in a

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

hotel on July 24, 1856, and the

Committee of Vigilance Committee of Vigilance may refer to: *Committee of Vigilance and Safety formed at Faneuil Hall * New York Committee of Vigilance, group that assisted the Underground Railroad * Vigilant Committee of Philadelphia, group that assisted the Undergroun ...

hanged Hetherington on July 29, 1856.

References

{{California history Punta de los Reyes (Phelps) Punta de los Reyes (Phelps) Punta

History

See also

References