Rancho Suscol (Paperback)

Rancho Suscol traces a vast Mexican land grant, its people and structures, through changing California policies.

Rancho Suscol was a Mexican land grant given to General Mariano Vallejo in 1843 that encompassed approximately 80,000 acres, including what are now Benicia, Vallejo, American Canyon, southern Napa County, and Green Valley. The story of the rancho includes many significant people who resided on the land, as well as important structures. These individuals influenced the development and use of the land.

This book provides an overview of the phases California land policies underwent from the time of Native Americans through the American period. It touches on the Spanish Empire, the romance of the California missions, the gigantic ranchos, the American conquest, honest and not-so-honest lawyers, men and women of courage and foresight, and the settlement of large areas of the West.

It also addresses the destruction of entire Indigenous ways of life due to disease and social disruption. The evil of slavery touched the ranchos, as did the heroism that helped bring it to an end. The Supreme Court played a role in determining ownership of the land.

Table of Contents

Chapter One: The Land
Chapter Two: The Patwin, Wintun, and Pomo Peoples
Chapter Three: Mission San Francisco Solano and Nationalization
Chapter Four: Vallejo Comes to Rancho Nacional Suscol
Chapter Five: Mexican Land Grants
Chapter Six: Robert Baylor Semple and Rancho Suscol
Chapter Seven: The Military Reservation at Benicia
Chapter Eight: John Frisbie and Founding of the City of Vallejo
Chapter Nine: Vallejo Proves His Title to Rancho Suscol
Chapter Ten: Death by Litigation
Chapter Eleven: To the Supreme Court and Preemption
Chapter Twelve: The Rancho in Transition
Chapter Thirteen: Echoes of the Past

James E. Lessenger, MD, is a physician and historian. He has published nine books and pamphlets in the fields of medicine and history. Currently a research historian at the Museum of History Benicia, he manages the research library and sits on the board of directors. His books include The Benicia State Capital and Images of America: The Benicia Arsenal as a co-author.

H. Allan Gandy is a California Polytechnic State University graduate, San Luis Obispo, with a degree in Metallurgical Engineering. He has been a resident of Benicia, California, for forty-eight years and has an interest in its history. He is a docent and research associate at the Museum of History Benicia and has previously written The Sandstone Powder Magazine at the Benicia Arsenal: Benecia’s Little-Known Gem, The Clock Tower: A History of Benicia’s Mighty Fortress, and co-authored Images of America: The Benicia Arsenal. Allan is an amateur geologist who has a passion for studying the geology of California and its landscapes.