His objective was to modernize and strengthen Mexican rule over California, as a bulwark against the growing influence of Russia and the United States.

All soon learned from the courier that Antonio López de Santa Anna had become President of Mexico and that José Figueroa was still governor of Alta California.

Abrego, Ignacio Coronel, José Noé, and Agustín Olvera, among others, stayed and contributed to California's success and growth.

"[11] Poet, author, and historian Bayard Taylor wrote about a party he attended at Abrego's home in 1849 in his book El Dorado.

The third one was afterward sold by Captain Smith to E. de Celis at Los Angeles.The piano was a six-octave instrument made by Beitkopt & Harrtel in Leipzig.

[6]: 30  The piano was in 1934 owned by Julia "Dulce" Bolado Davis, a granddaughter of José Abrego, located in her home in Tres Pinos near Hollister.

He began making and selling soap which he continued until the California Gold Rush brought regular visits from merchant ships to the coast.

[16] Governor Juan Alvarado granted two square leagues of land in 1839 to Marcelino Escobar, Alcalde (or mayor) of Monterey.

[20] Two of Escobar's sons, Juan and Agustin, obtained possession of the rancho shortly afterward, and sold it on August 26, 1841, to Doňa Maria Josefa de Abrego for about three cents an acre.

[21][22] Later on, ownership was complicated by the fact that when Juan and Augustin Escobar sold the rancho to Josefa de Abrego in 1841, they didn't obtain permission from their other brothers and sisters.

Under somewhat mysterious circumstances, on January 16, 1843, Maria Abrego deeded the land to a group of about 10 soldiers from the Monterey Presidio.

It appears that the soldiers paid nothing, and a legend attached to the transfer says a gambler lost a rancho in a card game.

[21] On June 7, 1844, the soldiers turned the Rancho over to their superior officer, Colonel José Castro, former Governor Alvarado's brother-in-law.

[23] When Mexico ceded California to the United States following the Mexican-American War, the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo provided that the land grants would be honored.

[21] While waiting for his case to be decided, Castro sold his 8,876 acres of land in 1854 to Joseph S. Emery and Abner Bassett for $700, leaving to them the legal fight for ownership.

[21] The remaining Escobar siblings contested the sale, and to finance the legal battle, they agreed on March 25, 1859, to give their attorney Delos R. Ashley one-half of the rancho if he obtained title to it.

On March 12, 1859, the Abrego heirs gave a quitclaim deed for land north of San Jose Creek to Mathew G. Ireland, who bought 1,000 acres (400 ha) from them in 1860 and 1861.

The title was confirmed on December 24, 1885, and President Grover Cleveland signed the land patent on May 4, 1888, 35 years after Castro's initial filing.

[9] José Abrego sold Rancho Punta de Pinos to Thomas O Larkin and three other associates (Jacob P. Leese, Milton Little, and James H. Gleason) on January 15, 1850, for $30,000.

Each of the three minor children received a quarter interest in the land, and they in turn gave half to their attorney Pacificus Ord in lieu of fees.

Andrew Randall afterward bought Leese and Abrego's interest, but defaulted, and both successfully sued to recover their ownership.

[26] José Abrego bought Rancho San Francisquito at the probate sale of the estate of William Robert Garner on November 9, 1853.

[28]: 81 [29] With the cession of California to the United States following the Mexican-American War, the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo provided that the land grants would be honored.

A week later he added claims to additional lands in Northern and Southern California totaling 924.34 square miles, or 594,783 acres (240,700 ha).

There he accidentally found the original Mexican expediente, or packet of documents with official seals and signatures, in the Recorder of Monterey's office in 1853.

When the board of land commissioners denied his claim, he appealed to the United States District Court in San Francisco.

The Mexican government paid "some sixty or sixty-six thousands dollars" of that amount, and Micheltorena granted Limantour "certain lands"in lieu of the remaining debt.

Two studies completed soon after California became a state, the first by Captain Henry W. Hallecka, and the second by William Carey Jones, a lawyer and linguist, had not found Limantour's grants.

Hopkins told the court that there was no charge to Limantour and credit to Micheltorena for a certificate for lands in Upper and Lower California for more than $6,000 nor any reference to any such item.

Local women including prominent preservationist Mayo Hayes 0'Donnel formed a committee and organized the Casa Abrego Club.