Roofer in Emerald Lake Hills, CA

Emerald Lake Hills is located in what was once the 35,000-acre (140 km²) Rancho de las Pulgas (“Flea Ranch”). This land was granted in 1795 to José Darío Argüello, one of the last governors of Spanish California. The land was later passed on to his son, Luis Antonio Argüello, who in 1822 became California’s first native, elected governor. Luis Argüello died in 1830, probably never having lived on the Rancho. In 1835, the Mexican government officially granted land ownership rights to his heirs.

Luis Argüello’s widow, Soledad Ortega, did move to the ranch; her home was near what is now Argüello Park in San Carlos. Some accounts say she moved to the ranch right after his death; others say it was in the 1840s, during the Mexican War, when U.S. troops were occupying California.