How differently the Spanish and the Americans viewed their ranches is quite apparent from the names they gave them. The Americans dubbed their ranches the “Diamond Bar,” the “3 X,” the “109,” or some other rather picturesque but meaningless title.

The Spaniards blessed their ranchos by dedicating them to Santa Anita, San Rafael, Santa Gertrudes, or San Geronimo. They saw the many little streams of water flowing from the springs on what is now Beverly Hills and named that Rancho Rodeo de las Aguas—the gathering of the waters. They loved the big oaks of the district along Ventura Boulevard between North Hollywood and Girard and named it Rancho El Encino—the oaks. What the Americans call the Baldwin Hills—they saw naturally formed a pass resembling scissors and thus was named Rancho Cienega o’Paso de La Tijera.

In 1843 Governor Manuel Micheltorena granted Rancho Cienega o’Paso de La Tijera to Vicente Sanchez, friend of the Mexican government, valiant soldier and good citizen. But he did not live long to enjoy his rancho and at about the time California became a state his heirs partitioned his land holdings. Tomas A. Sanchez acquired the rancho—his sisters taking property on Nigger Alley in the Pueblo of Los Angeles as their share.

Tomas Sanchez also had a well deserved reputation for extraordinary bravery and was Sheriff of Los Angeles County from 1860 to 1867, a period in which crime waves were permanent and the accepted order of the day.

Gradually the Rancho increased in value. In 1875 Sanchez sold a half interest for $60,000, later he sold a fourth and finally another Sheriff sold the remainder. E. J. (Lucky) Baldwin became the owner. Baldwin found this rancho something of a white elephant. Sheep ranching became unprofitable and the land was not adapted to orange groves and he knew nothing of the oil beneath it. But he held the property and when he died in 1909 his estate listed Rancho Cienega o’Paso de La Tijera as one of its most valuable possessions. The Baldwin heirs sold large parts of the rancho, and the Los Angeles Investment Company subdivided tract after tract within its bounds.