Alta California

Spain claimed Alta California after its conquest of Mexico (1519-1521).

When reports of British and Russian encroachment in Northern California began to circulate in the 1760s, Spain expanded its colonial settlements to defend the California coast. Spanish colonialism relied upon the building of a fort (presidio), an agricultural town (pueblo), a livestock enterprise (rancho) and a religious-economic mission (misíon).

Today’s Redwood City was located midway between Mission San Francisco de Asís (today’s Mission Dolores) at San Francisco and Mission Santa Clara de Asís at Santa Clara. Don José Darío Argüello was awarded a 69,000-acre land grant for his military service to the Spanish crown in 1795 and was appointed governor in 1814. One section of the rancho stretched along the California coast from Point Aňo Nuevo to Point San Pedro. The second grant, at 35,420 acres, was bounded by San Mateo Creek to the north, San Francisquito Creek to the south, San Francisco Bay to the east and the Coast Range Mountains to the west. It was known as Rancho de las Pulgas (Ranch of the Fleas). Cattle and horses were raised on the land, which today encompasses Stanford Redwood City. The Argüellos also helped to sustain the missions by giving the Franciscan priests food, hides and tallow.