Rancho Acalanes

Rancho Acalanes was a 3329 acre Mexican land grant in present-day Contra Costa County, California.

The rancho included present-day Lafayette and northern Orinda.

Most of what is currently Lafayette was given as a Mexican land grant, Rancho Acalanes to Candelario Valencia in 1834.

The rancho included present-day Lafayette and northern Orinda.

Present-day Orinda is located within four Mexican land grants: Rancho Laguna de los Palos Colorados, Rancho Acalanes, Rancho El Sobrante and Rancho Boca de la Cañada del Pinole.

It was given in 1834 by Governor José Figueroa to Candelario Valencia.

Candalario's sister, Maria Manuela Valencia, received Rancho Boca de la Canada del Pinole, a grant located between Martinez and Lafayette in 1842.

Maria Manuela Valencia's brother, Candelario Valencia, was the grantee of Rancho Acalanes.

Rancho Acalanes was a 3329 acre Mexican land grant in present-day Contra Costa County, California.

The name Acalanes seems to have come from Ahala-n, the name of a Costanoan native village in the area.

Candelario Valencia was the son of Jose Manuel Valencia, one of Anza's soldiers.

Candelario Valencia was married to Paula Sánchez who was the sister of Francisco Sanchez and José de la Cruz Sánchez.

Candelario Valencia was married to Paula Sánchez who was the sister of Francisco Sanchez and José de la Cruz Sánchez.

Candalario's sister, Maria Manuela Valencia, received Rancho Boca de la Canada del Pinole, a grant located between Martinez and Lafayette in 1842.

Valencia was involved in a boundary dispute with his Rancho Laguna de los Palos Colorados neighbor to the south, Joaquin Moraga.

The conflict was temporarily resolved in 1844 by Governor Micheltorena, who set the boundary line by decree, but the dispute was not finally resolved until there had been a survey in 1860, and a re-survey in 1875.

Valencia returned to his other property near Mission Dolores in San Francisco, complaining of harassment by Indians (his sister Maria Manuela's husband, Felipé Briones, was killed by Indians in 1839).

Valencia sold Rancho Acalanes to William Leidesdorff, who may never have seen the rancho before he resold it to Elam Brown.

Brown was soon chosen alcalde of his area, and was a delegate to the 1849 California Constitutional Convention in Monterey.

Brown was soon chosen alcalde of his area, and was a delegate to the 1849 California Constitutional Convention in Monterey.

Brown was soon chosen alcalde of his area, and was a delegate to the 1849 California Constitutional Convention in Monterey.

Brown also became a representative to his district in the first and second sessions of the California State Assembly, but he withdrew from politics after 1852 to devote his time to his rancho.

As a member of the State Assembly and a ranch-owner, Brown - together with John Bidwell, Mariano Vallejo, and David Douglas - was responsible for writing the 1850 "Act for the Government and Protection of Indians," which allowed any white male, with a judge's approval, to take on Indigenous Californian children as "apprentices" or involuntary servants, ostensibly for the purpose of "civilizing" them; "like the other authors" of this Act, Brown "made extensive use of servile Indian laborers" at the Rancho Acalanes.

As a member of the State Assembly and a ranch-owner, Brown - together with John Bidwell, Mariano Vallejo, and David Douglas - was responsible for writing the 1850 "Act for the Government and Protection of Indians," which allowed any white male, with a judge's approval, to take on Indigenous Californian children as "apprentices" or involuntary servants, ostensibly for the purpose of "civilizing" them; "like the other authors" of this Act, Brown "made extensive use of servile Indian laborers" at the Rancho Acalanes.

As a member of the State Assembly and a ranch-owner, Brown - together with John Bidwell, Mariano Vallejo, and David Douglas - was responsible for writing the 1850 "Act for the Government and Protection of Indians," which allowed any white male, with a judge's approval, to take on Indigenous Californian children as "apprentices" or involuntary servants, ostensibly for the purpose of "civilizing" them; "like the other authors" of this Act, Brown "made extensive use of servile Indian laborers" at the Rancho Acalanes.

With the cession of California to the United States following the Mexican-American War, the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo provided that the land grants would be honored.

With the cession of California to the United States following the Mexican-American War, the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo provided that the land grants would be honored.

With the cession of California to the United States following the Mexican-American War, the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo provided that the land grants would be honored.