Rancho de las Pulgas

Rancho de las Pulgas was a Spanish land grant to José Darío Argüello, later Luis Antonio Argüello, then later Luis's widow, Maria Soledad Ortega de Argüello. Granted multiple times, it was finally patented under a United States Supreme Court ruling. The grant covers what are now the cities San Mateo, Belmont, San Carlos, Redwood City, Atherton & Menlo Park; about 142 km² (35,000 acres). The condensed legal description is "San Mateo Creek south to San Francisquito Creek, and from San Francsico Bay to the foothills about 1 league more or less".

While its original humor is lost, the translation of the name still provides a chuckle. Literally, the name is "Ranch of the Fleas", or correctly translated "Fleas' Ranch".

External links

* [http://supreme.justia.com/us/59/539/case.html De Arguello v. U S, 59 U.S. 539 (1855)] , Opinion and ruling of the United States Supreme Court in 1855.