Rancho San Julian
Rancho San Julian is a large old Mexican land grant in what is now Santa Barbara County, California. It covers about 48,222 acres and sits west of present-day Santa Barbara. The grant was made in 1837 by Governor Juan B. Alvarado to José de la Guerra y Noriega. The name probably honors José Antonio Julian de la Guerra. Before Mexican rule, the land was known as Rancho del Rey (Ranch of the King) and used for cattle grazing since 1816; it was later renamed Rancho Nacional by the Mexican authorities.
The six square league grant was given in 1837 to George Rock for José de la Guerra, and the claim was later purchased and the title perfected by de la Guerra. José de la Guerra (1779–1858) served as Comandante of the Presidio of Santa Barbara from 1827 to 1842.
After California became part of the United States, the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo said existing land grants would be honored. The 1851 Land Act required claims to be filed, so a claim for Rancho San Julian was filed in 1852 and the grant was patented to José de la Guerra in 1873. The official survey later showed about twice the area of the original six leagues.
De la Guerra died in 1858. Severe drought and financial problems led the family to mortgage the property to Gaspar Oreña (1824–1904). In 1854, Oreña married Antonia María de la Guerra, the youngest daughter of José de la Guerra. Oreña acquired Rancho La Espada and Rancho San Julian from the de la Guerras in 1864 to help settle debts, and he kept them until 1867 when he sold them to the Dibblee-Hollister partnership.
Albert and Thomas Dibblee, with W. W. Hollister, bought several Santa Barbara ranches, including Rancho San Julian. In 1868 Thomas Dibblee moved to Santa Barbara and married Francesca de la Guerra, José de la Guerra’s granddaughter. Francesca was the daughter of Josefa Moreno and Pablo de la Guerra, who was José de la Guerra’s son. Thomas Dibblee’s grandson, Thomas Wilson Dibblee Jr., became a well-known geologist.
Today, a descendant, Elizabeth Poett, has filmed three seasons of Ranch to Table on Rancho San Julian for the Magnolia Network, sharing scenes from the ranch.
Coordinates: 34°32′24″N 120°22′48″W
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 02:22 (CET).