The 



University 

 estates 



The Days of a Man 1891 



settler, secured in 1837. It tnen comprised two 

 Spanish grants, the Rancho de San Francisquito, a 

 level area on which the University stands, and the 

 Rancho del Rincon de San Francisquito, compris- 

 ing the hills to the southward. Later, to provide 

 an adequate campus, Mr. Stanford bought also the 

 " Matadero Ranch" lying to the southeast, the 

 Coon Farm ("Adelante") at the junction of Los 

 Trancos and San Francisquito creeks, and the 

 "Rancho de los Trancos" (Felt Farm) higher up 

 on the stream from which it took its name. In the 

 original deed of gift, the whole estate, now com- 

 prising 8940 acres, was made the inalienable prop- 

 erty of the University. And while most of it is ordi- 

 nary farm land, it will ultimately have large value 

 for residence purposes, as with the growth of San 

 Francisco the demand for suburban homes will 

 greatly increase. 



In addition to the campus estate, the deed of gift 

 also ceded to the University the Vina Ranch (Tehama 

 County) of 55,000 acres, considered the finest large 

 farm in the state, and including a vineyard of 4000 

 acres in connection with which Stanford carried on 

 experiments in wine-making, and the Gridley Ranch 

 (Butte County) of 21,000 acres. These two prop- 

 erties were at first also made inalienable, but the 

 clause concerning them was afterward rescinded by 

 Mrs. Stanford, and all the land (except of course the 

 Palo Alto tract) has now (1920) been sold. 



On the home ranch were reared and trained the 

 splendid horses in which Stanford delighted, and in 

 the breeding and training of which he had for years 

 been deeply interested. Planning beforehand the 

 theoretical type he wanted, he bred to that ideal 



C 370 3 



