Abstract
AND THEIR SUBURBS DOMINATE coastal California, the historical locale of Mexican ranchos. Only two large stretches of open land remain between Mexico and the northern boundary of Santa Barbara County: to the south is Camp Pendleton while north of Gaviota Pass are the Dibblee and Hollister ranches and Vandenberg Air Force Base.1 Most of North Vandenberg was once the Mexican Rancho Jesus Maria, a grant of over 44,000 acres.2 In spite of its coastal access and attractive climate, it was never surveyed for subdivision. Except for recent military installations, the land is still open and pristine in character. This study explores land ownership and the kinds of men who made decisions about land use on the Jesus Maria from the time of Spanish exploration to its acquisition by the United States government. The purpose is both to clarify how the original grant changed hands from Mexican ownership to American and to discover, why over the years, developers and small farmers passed it by.
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