 |
William Benitz | Page last modified: |
|
William Benitz | Page last modified: |
In the table below we list William’s real estate transactions on file at the Sonoma County Recorder’s Office, plus some we know of from Shasta County. His real estate transactions in Alameda County (i.e. Oakland) we list in a separate table (see above menu).
In broad terms, during his first ten years at Fort Ross (1845-1855), William was actively acquiring properties, essentially building up his capital. During the mid-1850’s he consolidated his holdings: selling his share in Rancho Herman, buying out his partner in Fort Ross, and settling his ownership issues over New Breisgau. During his last ten years at Fort Ross (1855-1866) he concentrated his activities on Fort Ross, operating it as a business enterprise (see Rancher above, in top menu).
William did very well for himself when you consider that when he arrived at Sacramento in 1843 he was, if not penniless, close to it. Twenty-four years later (1867) he sold his Fort Ross real estate for $64,000 (per the USCPI, more than $1 million USD-2000). His total capital worth was likely much more, for example we don't know when he sold his investments in Agua Caliente and Rancho Jonive, nor do we know the value of his other investments, such as in mines.
His letters of that period sketch his growng capital, largely amassed through real estate transactions. Basically he and his partners (Ernest Rufus and Charles Meyer) obtained property for little or nothing (Mexican grants) and sold them for considerable profit. He also made good money from his farming and ranching operations at Fort Ross, through the sale of agricultural products and livestock to the markets in the Bay area.
The acreages and monetary amounts in his letters vary (between letters and with the official documents), possibly because he includes other expenses such as lawyers. And undeniably, he was boasting to his older brother in Germany. We include some quotes from his letters, concentrating on his real estate transactions:
The Bancroft Library of the University of California at Berkeley, and the California State Archives hold a enormous amount of information about the ranchos, including original documents. Searching the web for each rancho will provide additional sites such as state parks — qualify the search to avoid other uses of the name, e.g. "California land grant Rancho Jonive".
The table contains the details of the purchases and sales. The use to which the ranchos were put is described in the pages.
Bear in mind that early property descriptions were made using land marks, their sizes approximated within boundaries defined by a river, mountain range, or a particular tree. The deeds use a mix of terms for the same unit of land area (see our page on Measures for a full description); here are most:
1 sitio (de ganado mayor) = California or Spanish league = 4,340 acres = 1,756 hectareas
1 vara = 33 inches = 0.8382 meters
1 California league = 2.6 miles = 4.2 km.
1 acre = 0.4047 hectareas
1 mile square = 640 acres = 259 hectareas
The following table lists William’s properties in alphabetical order (ignoring ‘Rancho’).
| Acres | Total | William Benitz | From: | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Description | Hect. | Value $ | Buy $ | Sell $ | Net $ | Partners | Document | / To: | Other Party |
| Rancho Agua Caliente (Sonoma) - portion | ||||||||||
| 13-Sep-47 | 1 mile square of land English measure, part of Mexican gov. grant to Lázaro Peña, 1840; passed to G. Vallejo, then Andrew Hoffman, then J. Dopken, 14-Nov-1846. | 640 a. 259 h. |
2,000 | 1,000 | Ernest Rufus William Bennett |
Book of Deeds, C:190 | Seller: | Jacob Dopken | ||
| ? | Same | $0 | 0? | Ernest Rufus William Bennett |
NOT FOUND | Buyer: | **Unknown ** | |||
| Totals: | 1,000 | 0 | -1,000 | |||||||
| Rancho Hermann / German (Sonoma) — (See ranch maps) | ||||||||||
| 8-Apr-46 | 5 sitios, bounded on north and east by Gualala river, west by Pacific Ocean. [True size: 4.05 sitios] | 17,580 a. 7,114 h. [true] |
0 | 0 | Ernest Rufus | Grant (see Court Case 257) |
Grantor: | Mexican Gov. Pío Pico |
||
| 2-Dec-47 | 1 sitio, northern end (given earlier by Rufus, 1846) | 4,340 a. 1,756 h. |
0 | 0 | Ernest Rufus | Book of Deeds 2nd Book, p.234 |
Gift to: | Frederick Hügal | ||
| 2-Dec-47 | 1¼ sitios, southern end (given earlier by Rufus, 1846) | 5,425 a. 2,195 h. |
0 | 0 | Ernest Rufus | Book of Deeds 2nd Book, p.233 |
Gift to: | Henry Haegler | ||
| 08-Jun-49 | 3 sitios ($-amount to which was added a ½ share of Rancho New Breisgau, see its record for 26 March 1850) | 13,020 a. 5,270 h. |
1,000 | 500 | Chas. Meyer Wm. Benet |
Indenture Book 12, p.346 |
Seller: | Ernest Rufus | ||
| 10-Jul-49 | 1 sitio, northern part | 4,340 a. 1,756 h. |
1 | 1 | Charles Meyer William Bennitz |
Book of Deeds, D:25 |
Quit Claim by: | Frederick Hügal | ||
| ? | Per letter, 27 Jun. '53, total price was $26,500. Per deed of 4 Jun. '55, WBz may have been prepaid (all of $11,500?). | -- | 11,500 | 5,750 | Charles Meyer William Bennitz |
NOT FOUND | Buyer: | Charles Wagner William Bihler |
||
| 04-Jun-55 | NW part: 2¼ Spanish leagues +/-, plus all cattle & horses branded by Meyer, Bennitz, Jim Davison, Henry Hegeler, and Frederick Hügel. | 9,765 a. 3,952 h. |
15,000 | 6,844 | Charles Meyer William Bennitz |
Book of Deeds, N:281 | Buyer: | Charles Wagner William Bihler |
||
| 18-Apr-62 | Bounded on north & east by Gualala river, west by Pacific | -- | 1 | 1 | Charles J. Meyer William Benitz |
Indenture Book 18, p.193 |
Quit Claim to: | William Bihler | ||
| 30-Jul-72 | 4 leagues, patented at 17,580.01 acres per US survey approved 30 July, 1872. | 17,580 a. 7,114 h. |
-- | -- | -- | -- | Charles Meyer, et al | Patent | Issuer: | US Board of Land Commissioners |
| Totals: | 501 | 12,595 | 12,094 | |||||||
| Rancho Jonive (Sonoma) - portion #1 | ||||||||||
| 26-Sep-50 | 1 Spanish mile (1,666 varas) square |
482 a. 195 h. |
-- | -- | -- | -- | Y.N. Nevill | Per Indenture Bk.6, p.417 |
Seller: | Jasper O'Farrell |
| ? | Same | 482 a. 195 h. |
$0 | 0? | William Benitz | Per Indenture Bk.6, p.417 |
Seller: | Y.N. Nevill ? | ||
| 24-Nov-57 | Same. North of & bordering J.M. Hudspeth, between white oak tree & Jonive stream. | 482 a. 195 h. |
3,000 | 3,000 | William Bennitz | Indenture, Book 6, p.417 |
Buyer: | James M. Small John B. Thompson |
||
| Totals: | 0 | 3,000 | 0 | |||||||
| Rancho Jonive (Sonoma) - portion #2 | ||||||||||
| 25-Jan-59 | Rectangle less 2 corner bits, about 16x80 chains, e-w by n-s (320 x 1,600 metres) | 125 a. 50 h. |
3,000 | 3,000 | William Benitz | Indenture, Book 8, p.499 | Seller: | William M. Gillespie | ||
| ? | Same | 125 a. 50 h. |
$0 | 0? | William Benitz | NOT FOUND | Buyer: | ** Unknown ** | ||
| Totals: | 3,000 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| Rancho Muniz (Sonoma) & Fort Ross — (See ranch maps) | ||||||||||
| Mar-1812 | Rossiia colony [Fort Ross] established, approx. 1x2 miles | 1,280 a. 518 h. |
Tools & trinkets | -- | -- | -- | Ivan A. Kuskov | Permission | Grantor: | Kashaya band of the Pomo tribe |
| Dec-1841 | Two contracts: 1st presented to Mexican Gov: All Russian assets (buildings, livestock, implements) at Fort Ross, no land. 2nd off-the-record: Coast land from Point Reyes to Cape Mendocino, 3 Calif. leagues deep (200 x 7¾ miles, 320 x 12½ km.) |
1st fort alone no land 2nd almost 1 millon acres, 400,000 has. |
30,000 | -- | -- | -- | John Sutter | Installment Contracts | Seller: | Alexander Rotchev, Russian manager |
| 04-Dec-45 | Rancho de Muniz: about 4 leagues of land, bounded on the south by: Steven Smith’s rancho; west by: Pacific Ocean; east by: crest of the coastal mountain range; north-west by: former Russian settlement. | 17,360 a. 7,026 h. |
0 | -- | -- | -- | Manuel Torres | Grant | Grantor: | Mexican Gov. Pío Pico |
| 17-May-51 | Rancho de Muniz: about 4 leagues of land, bounded on the south by: Russian River; west by: Pacific Ocean; east by: crest of the coastal mountain range; north-west by: Fort Ross. |
17,360 a. 7,026 h. |
5,000 | 0 | Charles Meyer William Bennitz |
Promisory Note Book of Deeds K:850 |
Agree to sell: | Manuel Torres | ||
| 17-Feb-52 | Rancho de Muniz ditto |
17,360 a. 7,026 h. |
0 | -- | -- | -- | Manuel Torres | Claim filed Feb.17, 1852; confirmed by the Commission Dec.27, 1853, & by the District Court, Oct.17, 1855, appeal dismissed May 7, 1857. | US Board of Land Commissioners & US District Court |
|
| 1-May-55 | Rancho de Muniz — |
17,360 a. 7,026 h. |
22,500 | 22,500 | William Benitz | Per letter 8 March '55 |
Seller: | Charles Meyer | ||
| 11-Aug-55 | Rancho de Muniz ditto |
17,360 a. 7,026 h. |
1 | 1 | William Bennitz | Book of Deeds N:321 |
Quit Claim by: | Charles Meyer | ||
| 13-Apr-57 | Rancho de Muniz: about 4 leagues of land, bounded on the south by: Russian River; west by: Pacific Ocean; east by: crest of the coastal mountain range; extending northerly along coast about 4 leagues (10½ miles, it now includes Fort Ross). | 17,360 a. 7,026 h. |
5,000 | 5,000 | William Bennetz | Book of Deeds B:864 |
Seller: | Manuel Torres | ||
| 04-Oct-59 | Muniz Rancho: Survey includes Fort Ross, approved at 17,761 acres (7,188 has.) | 17,761 a. 7,188 h. |
-- | -- | -- | -- | Survey completed by R.C. Matheson, Deputy US Surveyor, 11 Aug., 1859. | Approved by J.M. Mandeville, US Surveyor General for California | ||
| 05-Nov-59 | Muniz Rancho: containing 4 leagues or 17,760 acres, bounded on the south by the Russian River, extending northwards about 9 miles along coast, & eastwards <blank> miles from coast. | 17,761 a. 7,188 h. |
6,000 | 6,000 | William Bennitz | Indenture Book 9, p.431 |
Quit Claim by: | John A. Sutter Anna Sutter (wife), Anna Eliza Engler, William Muldrew, George R. Moore, Daniel W. Welty. |
||
| 05-Nov-59 | Legal expenses, difference between Quit Clain and $8,000 per letter of: 18 Jan.'63. | -- | 2,000 | 2,000 | William Benitz | Letter 18 Jan. '63 |
Other: | Lawyers, etc. | ||
| 04-Feb-60 | Muniz Rancho: Per US survey approved 4 Oct., 1859. | 17,761 a. 7,188 h. |
-- | -- | -- | -- | Manuel Torres | Patent | Issuer: | US Board of Land Commissioners |
| 11-Aug-60 | SE corner, along Russian River up to Sheep Rancho Creek | 1,500 a. 607 h. |
3,000 | 3,000 | William Benitz | Indenture Book 10, p.472 |
Buyer: | John Orr Flan Sheridan |
||
| 02-Jul-66 | SE corner along Russian River from Sheep Rancho Creek. | 1,907 a. 772 h. |
7,500 | 7,500 | William Bennitz | Indenture Book 19, p.137 |
Buyer: | Arthur Thing Samuel Rien |
||
| 28-Aug-66 | 215 acres (in Timber Cove), grant to bro-in-law | 215 a. 87 h. |
0 | 0 | William Benitz | Indenture Book 51, p.287 |
Gift to: | John Kolmer | ||
| 28-Aug-66 | 502 acres (in Timber Cove) next to Kolmer | 502 a. 203 h. |
1,500 | 1,500 | Wm. Benitz | Indenture Book 19, p.481 |
Buyer: | Wm. R. Miller Wm. Allison |
||
| 28-Aug-66 | NW 103 acres (in Timber Cove?) | 103 a. 42 h. |
0 | 0 | Wm. Benitz | Indenture Book 19, p.581 |
Gift to: | Franziska Blanchard | ||
| 01-Mar-67 | North half (+/-) | 7,000 a. 2,833 h. |
30,000 | 30,000 | William Benitz | Indenture Book 20, p.129 |
Buyer: | James Dixon | ||
| 03-Apr-67 | Remaining south half (+/-) excluding that sold to others. | 7,000 a. 2,833 h. |
25,000 | 25,000 | William Benitz | Indenture Book 20, p.175 |
Buyer: | Charles J. Fairfax | ||
| 20-Sep-73 | North half orig. sold to Dixon. | 2,500 a. 1,012 h. |
1 | 1 | William Bennitz | Indenture Book 44, p.256 |
Quit Claim to: | George W. Call | ||
| Totals: | 35,501 | 67,001 | 31,502 | |||||||
| New Breisgau (Shasta) — (See ranch maps) | ||||||||||
| 26-Jul-44 | 5 sitios, bounded on the west by the Sacramento River,
and on the east by the sierra, straddling Battle Creek. [True size: approx. 3.5 sitios, 15,000 a., 6,000 h.] |
21,701 a. 8,782 h. |
0 | 0 | William Benitz | Grant | Grantor: | Mexican Gov. Manuel Micheltorena |
||
| 26-Mar-50 | Undivided 1/2 share (exchanged with Rufus for his share of Rancho Hermann) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | William Benitz | Exchange (Shasta Co. Book of Deeds, E:505) |
Buyer: | Ernest Rufus | |
| 1856 | 2/3 of property, expropriated. [See transcript of WB’s petition.] | 0 | 0 | William Benitz | Letter 22 Sep. '56 |
Court: | US Land Commission | |||
| 1856 | Legal expenses of attempt to retain title. | 12,000 | 12,000 | William Benitz | Letter 22 Sep. '56 |
Other: | Lawyers, etc. | |||
| 1856 | 1/3 of property. (size per letter: 4-Sep-58) |
6,750 a. 2,700 h. |
0 | 0 | William Benitz | [see prior exchange] | Buyer: | Ernest Rufus | ||
| 20-Feb-56 | 5 Spanish leagues bounded as described in the original grant. | 5,000 | -- | -- | -- | Ernest Rufus | Shasta Co., Book of Deeds, E:506. | Buyer: | Jeremiah Clarke | |
| Totals: | 12,000 | 0 | -12,000 | |||||||
| Town of Sonoma, Lot #19 — (See town map) | ||||||||||
| 09-Apr-49 | Lot #19; 109x109 varas +/- | 2.06 a. 0.83 h. |
1,200 | 1,200 | William Benetz | Book of Deeds C:167 |
Seller: | L. & F. Hegermann | ||
| 15-Jan-57 | Same | 1,500 | 1,500 | William Benitz | Book of Deeds F:72 |
Buyer: | Charles Van Geldern | |||
| Totals: | 1,200 | 1,500 | 300 | |||||||
| Town of Sonoma, Lot #34 — (See town map) | ||||||||||
| 4-Mar-49 | Fronting the public square, 10x109 varas. [House in town?] |
0.19 a. 0.08 h. |
300 | 300 | William Benitz | Book of Deeds C:73 |
Seller: | Frederic G. Blume & wife | ||
| ? | Same | $0 | 0? | William Bennitz | NOT FOUND | Buyer: | Unknown | |||
| 12-Jul-73 | NE corner of lot #34, 99x300 feet; estate of Johanna Xxx [Neeb?], same prop. Benitz bought from Blume | 1 | 1 | William Bennitz | Indenture Book 40, p.514 |
Quit Claim to: | Friederike Fichler | |||
| Totals: | 300 | 1 | -299 | |||||||
| Town of Sonoma, Lot #199 — (See town map) | ||||||||||
| 21-Jan-50 | Lot #199; 109 varas square +/- | 2.06 a. 0.83 h. |
9 | 9 | Wm. Bennett | Book of Deeds A:10 |
Seller: | Wm. M. Fuller (alcalde/mayor) | ||
| 08-Feb-50 | Same | 200 | 200 | Wm. Bennett | Book of Deeds D:112 |
Buyer: | Joshua A. Brackett | |||
| Totals: | 9 | 200 | 191 | |||||||
| Totals | ||||||||||
| GRAND TOTALS: | 53,511 | 84,299 | 30,788 | |||||||
| Final sale 1866-1867: | 64,000 | |||||||||
© Peter Benitz (Benitz Family)