Diseño (plan map) of the Rancho San Francisco, ca. 1843. The map shows the rancho, which comprises most of the Santa Clarita Valley,
as it was known to exist when it was owned by the heirs of Antonio del Valle. It had been granted in 1839 to Antonio,
who had been using it since 1824 to graze cattle. Landowners
during the Spanish and (especially) Mexican period — most land was granted to private owners after the ex-mission lands were secularized
in 1833 — were required to file a diseño showing the natural features, major structures and approximate boundaries of the land they
owned.
This map shows
some of the ancient villages once occupied by the Tataviam Indians (most were abandoned by 1803 as the
Tataviam were brought to the Mission San Fernando); as well as other local points of interest and
the ranch headquarters. Camulos is at left in the "panhandle" area down the Santa Clara River;
the old estancia, which the Del Valles used as their ranch home,
is at the upper center of the oval area. Offshoots at the top are the various
canyons and tributaries probably (from left to right) Castaic, San Francisquito or Bouquet, Mint, Soledad and Placerita, with the Newhall and/or Elsmere Creek at bottom right.
Listed are:
A. Casa del Rancho (Ranch House)
B. Cañada de Castéc (Castaic Canyon)
C. Cañada de los Alamos (Poplar Canyon)
D. Cañada de los Robles (Oak Canyon)
E. Cañada de la Soledad (Canyon of Solitude)
F. Cañada de los Encinos (Evergreen Oak Canyon)
M. Cañada de San Martin (St. Martin Canyon)
P. Cañada de Camulis (aka Camulus, Camulos Juniper Canyon) [in Chumash, not Spanish]
G. Tochananga [a Tataviam Indian village]
HIJKL. Lomas Esterilos (Sterile Hills)
N. Entrada de Camulos (Entrance to Camulos)
O. Rancheria de Camulos (Camulos Ranch)
QR. Arroyo de Pirro (Piru Creek) [a Tataviam village was at Piru]
STV. Arroyo de la Soledad (Creek of Solitude)
WZ. Arroyo de la Placer (Placerita Creek) [Placer is a form of mining that was initiated in Placerita Canyon in 1842, one year before this map was drawn; placer also means "to please"]
XY. Escala de una Legua [Scale of the map from point X to point Y is one league]