Tejon Ranch Celebrates 175 years and unveils and donates significant historic document

What a week at Tejon Ranch!

On Wednesday, November 14th,  we commemorated the 175th anniversary of the founding of Tejon Ranch by donating the original Rancho El Tejon federal deed, bearing the authorized signature of President Abraham Lincoln, to the Autry Museum of the American West.

Rancho El Tejon was the first of the four Mexican land grants that comprise the present-day Tejon Ranch, to be awarded by the Mexican government. Following the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, the land grants previously awarded by the Mexican government had to be confirmed and reauthorized by the United States government.

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln’s secretary, William O. Stoddard, affixed Lincoln’s signature to a deed recognizing Aguirre and del Valle as the rightful owners of Rancho El Tejon. That historic document, which has been in the possession of Tejon Ranch for more than 150 years, will now have a new home at the Autry Museum of the American West.

If you missed the event or any of the coverage, the Bakersfield Californian published an inspiring front-page article that chronicled the history of the Ranch. The following day, they ran a follow-up piece on our donation and the path the deed took from being signed by President Lincoln to stored in our vault for more than 100 years to its final resting place at the museum.

We were also delighted that KERO, KBAK, and KGET made the trek to interview our team and learn more about the deep history and legacy of the Ranch. We encourage you to read the articles and watch some of the coverage. It truly was an amazing and inspiring day here at Tejon Ranch.