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Unrecorded promotional map and pamphlet promoting the recent subdivision of Rancho Buena Vista, focusing on the Lands of the Buena Vista Land Corporation and the 300 Colony Tracts.

The map map identifies roads and avenues, along with areas marked as san and timber. The map also includes many manuscript notes for a number of the lots noting what would appear to be the selling prices, which may in fact be the original prices paid at auction for these lots.

A fine promotional item for the " 300 Colony Tracts ." The description on the front of the map notes:

This famous rancho is the property of the Buena Vista Land Co. and comprises 7725 acres of the most fertile land in Monterey County and is not excelled in the State of California. It is the best large body of land ever subdivided adapted to general and mixed faming and fruit growing in a pre-eminent degree. All lies withing from 1 to 4 miles of Spence Station and Salinas City. Good Roads Touching Every Lot.

The Terms of Sale are shown as:

One third cash balance in three equal payments due in 2, 3 & 4 years with interest at 7% per annum less the mortgatge tax making the interest less than 6 per cent. A deposit of ten per cent will be required on the fall of the hammer. Balance of 1st Payment within 30 days of from day of Sale. Deferred payments secured by Mortgage exectuted when deed delivered.

The verso of the map extolls the virtues of this "Magificient Property", with its "Unparalleled Attractions".

Rancho Buena Vista was first José Maria Soberanes (1753-1803), who was 16 when he accompanied the Portola expedition to San Francisco Bay in 1769. Soberanes married Maria Josefa Castro (1759-1822) and retired from the military in 1795, and with his father-in-law, Joaquin Ysidro de Castro, received Rancho Buena Vista. Soberanes died in 1803 and his widow Maria Josefa Soberanes moved to Monterey with her sons Feliciano Soberanes (1788-1868) and Mariano Soberanes (1794-1859). Rancho Buena Vista was abandoned.

The Rancho was next granted to Jose Mariano Estrad and his son Jose Santiago Estrada by Governor Pablo Vicente de Sola in 1822. Jose Santiago and his brothers confirmed their title to the land in 1869. Ranco Buena Vista was initally leased in Otober 1872 as a Dairy Ranch by Hiram Corey. He then bought 450 dairy cattle from Nevada, and when his 5 years' lease expired renewed the same for 7 years. In 1883, he purchased the ranch for $110,000 and operated it until 1889, when he sold the Ranch to the Buena Vista Land Company for $30 per acre, at which time the land was divided into 146 lots.

The Ranch was surveyed by C. O. King of San Luis Obispo. An article in the Salinas weekly dated December 6, 1888 notes:

The San Luis Obispo 'Tribune' of Nov. 30th says: "Mr. C.O. KING leaves for Salinas in a day or 2, and will probably be absent for several months, having accepted the supervision of the subdivision of the Buena Vista Ranch, a magnificent body of land about 8,000 acres, situated about 3 miles south of the town named. The land is of fine quality, being especially valuable for the production of beets, the manufacture of sugar from which is growing to be such an enormous industry in the Salinas valley."

A rare example of an original commercial subdivision map for an original California Rancho.

No copies located on OCLC or elsewhere. Apparently a unique survival. We have also never handled a map published by the Dickman Jones firm of San Francisco.