Rancho La Ballona

In 1821 they applied again, joined by Augustin's brother Ygnacio, and Felipe's son Tomas. The military commander, José de la Guerra y Noriega, gave them permission to graze cattle on the future Rancho La Ballona lands, when they were living in the Pueblo de Los Ángeles. In 1839 Mexican Governor Alvarado confirmed the land grant for Rancho La Ballona to them. rail stop, Port Ballona (shortly to become Playa Del Rey), and Ballona Wetlands The cession of California to the United States followed the Mexican–American War, and the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo promised that the existing land grants would be honored. In accordance with the Land Act of 1851, the Machados and Talamanteses registered their claim for Rancho La Ballona with the Board of California Land Commissioners, and it was approved in 1854. The US District Court upheld the decision on appeal in 1873, 8 years after Agustín Machado had died, and Rancho La Ballona was patented at to the original four claimants. In 1857, Benjamin D. Wilson received title to one fourth of Rancho La Ballona on a foreclosure of a loan he had made to Tomas Talamantes in 1854. Wilson sold his portion of Rancho La Ballona to George A. Sanford and John D. Young, who in 1863 had petitioned for a division of the lower Ballona Valley land. A decree dividing it into 23 sections was issued in 1868. Each of the 23 long narrow parcels was to have three types of land: "pasture", "irrigable"; and "bay" (Santa Monica Bay). In 1928, an “old-timer” told the Los Angeles Times that “The Rancho Rincon de Los Bueyes of 3,000 acres was owned by Don Francisco Higuera. Adjoining Rincon de Los Bueyes were the ranchos off Don Ignacio Machado, Andres Machado, Antonio Machado, Bernardino Machado, Macedonia Aguilar, Ellenda Young, and Cy Sandford, along what is now the Inglewood Road.” Camp Latham During the Civil War General George Wright ordered troops to secure Port Ballona against a possible seizure by pro-Confederates, and by 1862 6,000 Union troops were stationed Port Ballona. Their post was named Camp Latham, after Milton Latham. ==Machado family==