A HISTORY OF THE RANCHOS; THE SPANISH, MEXICAN, AND AMERICAN OCCUPATION OF SAN DIEGO COUNTY AND THE STORY OF THE OWNERSHIP OF THE LAND GRANTS THEREIN. (Front cover title: "A History of the Ranchos of San Diego County, California.")

First edition (not stated). [10], 86 pages plus covers. Staple-bound booklet: H 23.25cm x L 15.25cm. Tan paper covers toned and mildly soiled; toned spine paper scuffed and worn lengthwise with losses to muted lettering and approximate 1.25cm chip at head which leaves quire tips exposed; covers' fore-edges and top/bottom edges originally overlapped those of the text block but are now bumped and/or mostly worn even with the latter; front cover's top margin has tearing and chip at top left. Mild vertical crease to booklet. Front free endpaper has six-line ink gift inscription dated July 31, 1939 from Frank G. Forward, presumably a son of Union Title Insurance and Trust Company founder James D. Forward who authored the booklet's Foreword; interior pages are otherwise clean. Binding is firm. Only a good copy but among the least common of the California FWP publications. Sponsored by the San Diego Historical Society; authorship credited to R.W. Brackett with research and editorial supervision by the Federal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration, Southern California. Engravings on wood and cover design by Frank C. Barks of the San Diego Federal Art Project; map illustration on page [8] keyed to a list of twenty-nine ranchos on the opposing recto of page [9]. Preface by Federal Writers' Project State Director for Southern California Leon Dorias who credits San Diego Project Supervisor Clyde L. Parker for direct supervision of the booklet's preparation. Also includes a Bibliography. Text reviews history of San Diego's various ranchos, i.e. ranches, with headpiece illustrations of their respective cattle brands. Description copyright David Hallinan, Bookseller.…