Rancho Rinconada de Los Gatos

Rancho Rinconada De Los Gatos was the 1839 Alta California land grant of the the land where Los Gatos, California and Monte Sereno, California are today along with about a third of Campbell, California. It also included two small sections of what is now San Jose, California, 5 or 6 small sections of unincorporated Santa Clara County, and a small projection of Saratoga, California.

Land grant

When California came under control of the Mexican government, the governors gained the power to grant state lands. With the new régime most lands were turned into large Mexican-owned rancherias. The missions were secularized and their land and property also redistributed by local administrators.

Jose Maria Hernandez and Sebastian Fabian Peralta, who were brothers-in-law, were granted convert|6631|acre|km2|1 in 1839. They built an adobe home where Vasona Park is now. Approximately convert|2000|acre|km2|1 were sold to James Alexander Forbes in 1850, whereupon he built Forbes Mill.

The name

The name means "corner of the cats" or "Cat's Corner". The name is derived from the Cougars that are still present in the nearby hills as well as the corner formed by El Sereno and El Sombroso mountains.

Boundaries of the Rancho

The boundaries, denoted with modern landmarks, were:
* The Northwestern and Western boundary followed San Tomas Aquino Creek from John D. Morgan Park, North of Westmont High School, and along Quito Road & Austin Way
* The Western corner was near where San Tomas Aquino Creek meets Canon Drive
* The Southwestern boundary roughly parallels State Route 9 about 0.75 miles to its Southwest
* The Southwest corner was near the Santa Cruz Avenue exit of State Route 17
* The Southeast corner was near where Kennedy Road crosses Ross Creek
* The Eastern corner was near the corner of Camino del Cerro and Blossom Hill Road
* The Northern boundary was at Rincon Avenue across the North end of John D. Morgan Park in central Campbell

Waterways of the Rancho

Los Gatos Creek flowed through the center of the rancho. The natural lake in what is now Los Gatos Creek Park was on the Eastern boundary. San Tomas Aquino Creek flowed around the Western and Northwestern edges. Ross Creek was in the Southeast.

ee also

*Ranchos of California

References

* [http://www.los-gatos.org/main/history2.html Summary of history]
* [http://www.los-gatos.org/main/history.html Timeline]
* [http://www.mercurynews.com/wherewelive/ci_5162941 Mercury News mention]
* [http://content.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/hb8489p124/?order=2 Plat map of the Rancho]
* Boundaries shown with a red dashed line on a 2001 Rand McNally San Jose Street Map