Rancho Campo de los Franceses
Rancho Campo de los Franceses was a 48,747-acre (197.27 km2) Mexican land grant in present day San Joaquin County, California given in 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to Guillermo Gulnac. "Campo de los Franceses” which in English means “French Camp” refers to French-Canadian fur trappers who wintered there. The grant included present day French Camp and .
Karl David Weber (1814-1881), born in Steinwenden Germany, immigrated to America in 1836, and after spending time in Texas, came overland from Missouri to California with the Bartleson-Bidwell Party in 1841. Shortly after his arrival, Karl called himself Charles. Weber went to work for John Sutter who vouched for "Carlos Maria Weber" to the Mexican authorities. In 1842, Weber settled in the Pueblo of San José and became a business partner of Guillermo (William) Gulnac. William Gulnac (1801-1851), born in Hudson, New York, was a blacksmith and fur trapper who came to the Pueblo of San José in 1833. William Gulnac married Maria Ceseña, sister of Liberata Ceseña patentee of Rancho Laguna Seca, and became a naturalized Mexican citizen. He was elected as regidor in 1839. Weber and Gulnac operated several businesses. They set up a corn-mill, ran a bakery and a smithy, mined for salt, made shoes and soap, and kept cattle and horses.
Gulnac, a Mexican citizen, petitioned Governor Micheltorena for a tract of land eleven leagues in extent, for the benefit of himself and eleven other families, who were to assist him in forming a settlement upon the land. The Governor ordered that the petitioner should say whether the grant was asked for a colony, and that in that case the names of the families should be stated in the title; but if he desired it for himself individually, that he should ask for it within reasonable limits. The grant recites that is for the benefit of Gulnac and his family and that of eleven other families; but their names are not mentioned. It may be presumed that the Governor finally determined to grant the land to Gulnac alone, leaving him to make such arrangements with the families who were to settle upon the land as he might see fit.
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