Misplaced Pages

#886113

21-547: José Joaquín Estudillo (1800 – 1852), son of Spanish soldier José María Estudillo and brother of José Antonio Estudillo , was born at the Presidio of Monterey and joined the Spanish Army at the age of 15. In 1823, Estudillo married Juana del Carmen Martinez (daughter of Ygnacio Martínez , grantee of Rancho El Pinole ). In 1835, Estudillo was the commissioner for the secularization of Mission San Francisco de Asís . In 1835, he

42-504: A rancho on the headlands across the Golden Gate from the Presidio, to be called " Rancho Saucelito ". The Spanish word saucelito is believed to refer to a small cluster of willows, a moist-soil tree, indicating the presence of a freshwater spring and/or creek (possibly Coyote Creek ). Before filing his claim, Richardson had already capitalized on the freshwater source by establishing

63-447: A grand house in 1850, lavishly furnishing it with wares from around the world. On the other hand, squatters overran his land and wreaked havoc with his horses and cattle (before they were sold), so much that their encampment became known as "Squatterville". It was only through the efforts of two of Estudillo's sons-in-law, John B. Ward and William Heath Davis , that the squatters were brought under control. Ward and Davis later laid out

84-584: A separate claim for Rancho San Leandro in 1853, but it was rejected. Squatters encroached on the Estudillo land in 1851 such that their encampment became known as "Squatterville". José Joaquín Estudillo died in June 1852 in San Francisco . Through the efforts of two of Estudillo's sons-in-law, John B. Ward and William Heath Davis , the squatters were brought under control. Property was deeded to Clement Boyreau to bring

105-534: A watering station near the present-day town of Sausalito . This station provided fresh water to visiting vessels, serving as a lucrative venture. The inlet between Sausalito and the Tiburon Peninsula , known today as Richardson Bay , marked the northern boundary of Richardson's claim. However, his legal ownership of the land was shaky due to competing claims and Mexican laws that designated headlands for military purposes rather than private ownership. Recognizing

126-400: The 2nd Alcalde of San Francisco (then known as Yerba Buena ). A member of the prominent Estudillo family of California , he is also considered the founder of the city of San Leandro . He was born at the Presidio of Monterey , to José María Estudillo , a Spanish soldier; his brother José Antonio Estudillo also played an important role in the settling of California. José Joaquín joined

147-590: The 6,829-acre (27.6 km ) Rancho San Leandro (named after Saint Leander , Estudillo's patron saint ) that he requested. That same year, Ignacio Peralta would build his adobe across the creek from Estudillo. The cession of Alta California to the United States and the California Gold Rush marked a turning point in his life. After the influx of Americans, the price of cattle increased from $ 2/head to $ 60. Estudillo sold off his entire stock, and built

168-538: The Land Act of 1851, a claim was filed for Rancho San Leandro with the Public Land Commission in 1852, and the grant was patented to José Joaquín Estudillo in 1863. The grant was for one square league ("more or less") and the official survey was larger than one square league. The vaguely defined eastern boundary of the grant caused problems with his Rancho San Lorenzo neighbor Guillermo Castro . Castro filed

189-529: The Peraltas' Rancho San Antonio on San Leandro Creek , the first settlers in what would later be known as Eden township. He petitioned Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado to receive a land grant for the land between San Leandro Creek and San Lorenzo Creek in January 1837. Five years went by without a reply. Realizing that his original petition had been lost, he sent a second one in 1842. This time, Alvarado granted him

210-487: The Spanish Army himself at the age of 15 as a soldado distinguido ("distinguished soldier") at the Monterey Presidio. It is unclear when he moved to Yerba Buena, but records indicate that he was the commissioner in charge of the secularization of Mission San Francisco de Asís at the beginning of 1835. In July that year he petitioned the alcalde , Francisco de Haro , for a land grant in that area. Haro forwarded

231-460: The case to federal court. After the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Estudillo family, many of the squatters purchased the land. 37°43′12″N 122°09′00″W  /  37.720°N 122.150°W  / 37.720; -122.150 Jos%C3%A9 Joaqu%C3%ADn Estudillo José Joaquín Estudillo (May 7, 1800 – June 7, 1852) was a Californio statesman and ranchero who served as

SECTION 10

#1732851632887

252-409: The challenges to his claim, Richardson shifted his focus and settled outside the Presidio. There, he constructed the area's first two-story wood-frame house and laid out the street plan for the pueblo of Yerba Buena of Yerba Buena, now known as Portsmouth Square . This settlement aimed to serve as a trading post and supply point for ships navigating San Francisco Bay. Richardson's seafaring experience

273-583: The city of Sausalito . Richardson arrived as second mate aboard the British whaling ship Orion in San Francisco Bay in 1822, shortly after Mexico had won its independence from Spain. An English mariner who had picked up a fluency in Spanish during his travels, he jumped ship after meeting and dancing with a local woman, Maria Antonia Martinez, at an all-night fiesta. He quickly became an influential presence in

294-413: The now-Mexican territory. By 1825, Richardson had assumed Mexican citizenship, converted to Roman Catholicism and married Maria Antonia Martinez (1803–1887), the eldest daughter of Ygnacio Martinez , commandant of the Presidio of San Francisco and, in 1842, grantee of Rancho El Pinole . His ambitions now expanding to land holdings of his own; Richardson submitted a petition to Governor Echeandía for

315-506: The rancho, while still serving as port captain of Yerba Buena. He had financial problems in his later years and died in bankruptcy . Richardson Bay and Richardson Ave. in San Francisco's Marina District are named for William Richardson. Richardson Street is one of five consecutive streets in Martinez, California named for the sons-in-law of Don Ygnacio Martinez (whose land grant included

336-537: The request to Governor José Figueroa , who denied the request on the grounds that the ayuntamiento (Town Hall) attached to the Mission did not have the authority to grant such requests. The governor reversed himself a few months later in September, however, stating that a building-lot could be granted to Estudillo, provided it was not within two hundred varas (yards) of the beach, and that other persons might obtain grants of

357-561: The same kind and establish themselves there, although no records exist to show that Estudillo did receive such a grant afterwards. In November 1835, he was elected alcalde of Yerba Buena. Using the terms set by Figueroa, the first land grant issued in that area was approved by Estudillo himself, as alcalde on June 2, 1836. The recipient of that land grant was William A. Richardson , who had just become Estudillo's brother-in-law. After his one-year term, Estudillo, his wife, and ten children moved across San Francisco Bay , settling just outside

378-423: The town site that would become San Leandro. Estudillo died in 1852. His descendants donated the land where his house, Casa de Estudillo , stood for construction of St. Leander's Church. That site was declared California Historical Landmark #279, and sits on the street that now bears his name, Estudillo Avenue. William A. Richardson William Anthony Richardson (August 27, 1795 – April 20, 1856)

399-582: Was an early California entrepreneur, influential in the development of Yerba Buena , the forerunner of the city of San Francisco . Richardson was the first to receive a land grant in the city, deeded to him by the alcalde , José Joaquín Estudillo . He was subsequently granted the Rancho Saucelito , an even larger rancho land holding across San Francisco Bay comprising a large portion of present-day southeastern Marin County . On these lands, he founded

420-542: Was elected alcalde of Yerba Buena . After his one-year term, Estudillo, his wife, and ten children moved across the San Francisco Bay, settling on San Leandro Creek just south of the Peraltas' Rancho San Antonio . With the cession of California to the United States following the Mexican-American War , the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo provided that Mexican land grants would be honored. As required by

441-400: Was instrumental in his also being appointed Port Captain, responsible for overseeing maritime commerce and often personally piloting arriving ships to their anchorage. After years of lobbying and legal wrangling, Richardson was given clear title to all 19,751 acres (79.93 km ) of Rancho Saucelito on February 11, 1838. By 1841, he had sold his holdings across the bay and taken possession of

SECTION 20

#1732851632887
#886113