Martina Castro Lodge (1807-1890) was a granddaughter of Isidro Castro, who came to Alta California in 1776 on a Spanish expedition. Martina, one of few women granted land under Spanish rule, held the largest Mexican land grant in Santa Cruz. Her granddaughter, Carrie, recalls Martina’s spirit and remembers her words, “If my brother can get a ranch, I’m going to see if I can.” She did! However, when Alta California came under U.S. control, the border crossed over Martina’s land. The signing Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo in 1848 was a change of language, culture, and customs. Documents, like land grant deeds, that were valid under Mexican government could be challenged under U.S. rule. The stress of governmental, cultural, and personal changes damaged Martina’s health and, ultimately, the integrity of her land claim. The marriages of her daughters played a role in the division of her land. Their husbands would now hold property rights to the daughter’s share of land. A group of priests were also interested in leveraging the property from Martina. An unsuccessful remarriage also made things worse. Despite her failing wellbeing, Martina would live the rest of her life in the comfort of her loved ones in the Soquel area.

© Regents of the University of California. Courtesy Special Collections, University Library, University of California Santa Cruz. Regional History Project Collection, The Martina Castro Lodge Family. Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/27z9z18s.