Rancho de las Pulgas was a Spanish land grant to the José Darío Argüello, later Luis Antonio Argüello, then later Luis's widow, Maria Soledad Ortega de Argüello. Granted multiple times because of lose of papers, it was finally patented under a United States Supreme Court ruling. The grant covers what are now the cities San Mateo, Belmont, San Carlos, Redwood City, Atherton & Menlo Park; about 142 km² (35,000 acres). The condensed legal description is San Mateo Creek south to San Francisquito Creek, and from San Francsico Bay to the foothills about 1 league more or less. José Darío Argüello (1753–1828) Spanish soldier and California pioneer. ... Luis Antonio Argüello (1784 - 1830) was Californias first native-born governor. ... San Mateo is a city in San Mateo County, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. ... Belmont is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. ... Downtown San Carlos San Carlos is a city in San Mateo County, California, USA on the San Francisco Peninsula, about halfway between San Francisco and San Jose. ... Redwood City is a suburb located on the San Francisco Peninsula in the San Francisco Bay Area of California. ... Atherton is a town in San Mateo County, California, United States. ... Menlo Park is a city in San Mateo County, California in the United States of America, in the San Francisco Bay Area. ...

While its original humor is lost, the translation of the name still provides a chuckle. Literally, the name is Ranch of the Fleas, or correctly translated Fleas' Ranch.

External Links

• De Arguello v. U S, 59 U.S. 539 (1855), Opinion and ruling of the United States Supreme Court in 1855.

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