Secundino Robles Adobe Site
Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, California
Marker Inscription
Secundino Robles Adobe Site Secundino and Teodoro Robles purchased from José Peña in 1847 Rancho Rincon de San Francisquito containing 4,418 acres. The original adobe, on the northeast corner of Alma and San Antonio Road, was a sheep herder's shelter built for Mission Santa Clara Pastoria. Secundino transformed it into a center for social life with its own ring for bear baiting and bull fighting. Plaque placed by City of Palo Alto in cooperation with the Palo Alto Historical Association on the occasion of Palo Alto's 75th anniversary, April 16, 1969. Point of Historical Interest SCL-011
Erected by City of Palo Alto
The Story
In 1847, brothers Secundino and Teodoro Robles bought the sprawling Rancho Rincon de San Francisquito, more than four thousand acres, from José Peña. The original adobe had begun humbly as a sheep-herder's shelter tied to Mission Santa Clara. Secundino turned it into a lively social center of Mexican-era California, complete with a ring for the bull-and-bear contests popular in that day.
Why it matters
The site preserves the world of the Californio ranchos on the eve of American annexation, when great land grants and adobe homes defined life in Mexican California.
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Related people
- · Secundino Robles
- · Teodoro Robles
- · José Peña
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Secundino Robles Adobe Site
Palo Alto, CA
In 1847, Secundino and Teodoro Robles purchased Rancho Rincon de San Francisquito, a sprawling 4,418-acre grant, from José Peña. During the Mexican-era rancho period, Secundino made the adobe a hub of social life, complete with a ring for bull and bear contests. The site captures Alta California life on the eve of American annexation.
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