Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
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  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
The Tragedy of Martina Castro: Part One of the History of Rancho Soquel Augmentation

The Tragedy of Martina Castro: Part One of the History of Rancho Soquel Augmentation

Whaley, Derek R.
Stevens, Stanley D.
Powell, Ronald G.

Paperback

Series: The Secret History of Santa Cruz County, Book 1

19th Century United States History

ISBN10: 1953609384
ISBN13: 9781953609380
Publisher: Lightning Source Inc
Published: Oct 25 2020
Pages: 612
Weight: 1.95
Height: 1.36 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
A child of New Spain, Martina Castro became a leading figure in the tiny pueblo of Branciforte during California's two decades as a Mexican colony. But her wealth, fame and influence quickly turned to destitution, infamy and irrelevance once California became a U.S. territory in 1848. By the time of her death, her three husbands were long dead and all eight of her surviving children had turned against her in a protracted struggle over her land, title, and legacy. Close relatives such as Rafael Castro and Thomas Fallon exploited her naivete for profit, while opportunists such as Frederick A. Hihn and Louis Depeaux took advantage of her hospitality. Even backcountry settlers like Mountain Charlie McKiernan, Brad Morrell and Lyman Burrell were swept into the battles over Martina's massive land grants: Rancho Soquel and its ill-defined Augmentation. Hers was a struggle over the rights of a Californio in annexed territory, of Mexican law in an American legal system, of the status of a woman in a man's world. This is the story of Martina Castro and how her tribulations shaped the course of history in Santa Cruz County.

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