About This Book
A historical account traces the large Spanish and Mexican land grants that once divided California, describing how ranchos were granted, traded, and subdivided as ownership passed from original grantees through Mexican citizens to American purchasers. It recounts individual rancho histories and transactions, the shifting uses from cattle, hides, and vineyards to towns and seaside developments, and the ways place and road names preserve rancho origins. Numerous examples illustrate patterns of sale, mortgage, personal honor, and planned development that reshaped the regional landscape and community identities.
About the Author
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