Rancho Santa Ysabel (Ortega)
Rancho Santa Ysabel was a 17,719-acre (71.71 km2) Mexican land grant in present-day San Diego County, California given in 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to José Joaquín Ortega and Edward Stokes after the Mexican secularization act of 1833. The grant was located in the Santa Ysabel Valley at the northern Cuyamaca Mountains, and encompassed present-day Santa Ysabel.
The four square league former Mission San Diego de Alcalá lands in the Santa Ysabel Valley had the 1818 Santa Ysabel Asistencia (sub-mission) on them. They were granted in 1844 to José Joaquin Ortega and his son-in-law, Edward Stokes. Stokes and his father-in-law Ortega received two Mexican land grants - Rancho Valle de Pamo in the Santa María Valley in 1843 and Rancho Santa Ysabel in 1844.
José Joaquin Geronimo Ortega (1801–1865), grandson of José Francisco Ortega, married Maria Casimira Pico (1804–1883), sister of Pío Pico and Andrés Pico, in 1821. José Joaquin Ortega served as majordomo and administrator of San Diego Mission from 1835 to 1840, and as majordomo of Mission San Luis Rey de Francia during the years 1843-45. Based on this experience, he knew the best of the ex-mission lands when seeking grants. He also served as justice, elector, alternate member of the assembly, alcalde, and county supervisor.
In 1840, English sailor Edward Stokes came to California from Hawaii. In 1842 he married Maria del Refugio Ortega (1823–1918), daughter of José Joaquin Ortega. Stokes died soon after the Battle of San Pasqual. His widow Maria Ortega married in 1859 Agustin Olvera, grantee of the Rancho Cuyamaca.
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