parochialism, their love of leisure, and their dependence on foreign imports, 

 however, contributed to the eventual American takeover which, in turn, marked 

 the rapid decline of the Mexican rancho lifestyle in California. 10 



D. Marin County Ranches 



In 1834 the first Mexican rancho granted in today's Marin County went 

 to John Reed, an Irishman by birth and a naturalized Mexican citizen. Twenty 

 other applicants received the remaining land in Marin County before the 

 American takeover in June, 1846, seven of whose ranches lay within the 

 existing boundaries of Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Point Reyes 

 National Seashore, four of which are pertinent to this report. 11 



12 



1. Rancho las Baulines 



Possibly in response to the Decree of 1833, which set the secularization 

 of the missions into motion, Rafael Garcia moved his family to Bolinas Bay, and 

 constructed the first known non-aboriginal residence on the western shore since 

 Mission San Rafael had laid claim to the lands. Garcia had completed his 

 required ten years service as a frontier soldier in the Mexican army during 

 which time he apparently commanded a small force of soldiers, commonly called 



10 Sir George Simpson, Narrative of a Journey Round the World. During the Years 1841 and 

 1842. 2 Volumes (London: Henry Colburn, 1847), Vol. 1: 294; Charles L. Camp, ed., "James 

 Clyman, His Diaries and Reminiscences," California Historical Society Quarterly 5. No. 3 

 (September 1926), pp. 257-258; J. P. Munro-Fraser, History of Marin County. California (San 

 Francisco: Alley, Bowen & Co., 1880), pp. 47-49; Dwinelle, Colonial History, p. 86; Caughey, Pacific 

 Coast, pp. 155-156; Robinson, Land in California, p. 139; Lieutenant Wise, U.S.N., Los Gringos: or 

 An Inside View of Mexico and California, with Wanderings in Peru. Chile, and Polynesia (New 

 York: Baker and Scribner, 1849), p. 71; Cowan, Ranchos. pp. 5-9. 



"Reed's Rancho Corte de Madera del Presidio covered one square league of land on the 

 Tiburon Peninsula. Jack Mason, in collaboration with Helen Van Cleave Park, Early Marin. 2nd 

 rev. ed. (Inverness: North Shore Books, 1976), p. 11; Munro-Fraser, Marin County, p. 189. 



12 The name Bolinas apparently originates from a Spanish (H. H. Bancroft was convinced it was 

 Spanish for whale) or Indian word and has seen many spellings: Baulines, Baulinas, Baulenes, 

 Ballenas. This report uses the spelling contained on the original land grant patent, Rancho las 

 Baulines. 



10 



