Description
Case file for United States vs. G. W. Bissell, Mare Island (also called "Isla de la Yegua) [Solano County]. Includes transcript of the proceedings and related documents.
Granted (1) by Jimeno provisionally Oct. 31, 1840, and (2) in fee by Alvarado May 20, 1841, both grants to Victor Castro; by description- the area estimated by J. D. Sloat in 1852 at about 900 acres. Claim filed by G. W. Bissell and William H. Aspinwall Aug. 31, 1852. Confirmed by the Board May 8, 1855. Confirmed by the District Court Mar. 2, 1857, but the decree failed to issue; on April 15, 1930, the District Court issued the decree nunc pro tunc as of Mar. 2, 1857, and confirmed the claim Dec. 29, 1933. In the meantime the Circuit Court, S. F. held the grant invalid on Mar. 28, 1887. The Circuit Courtof Appeals also rejected the claim on Oct. 22, 1936, but the Supreme Court confirmed the claim Mar. 28, 1938, by mandate. The claim made for the land to the west of Mare Island was rejected by the District Court Aug. 24, 1939, confirmed by the Circuit Court of Appeals June 30, 1941, and rejected by the Supreme Court May 25, 1942. This case is closely related to the litigation over "Survey No. 34," the references to which are found in O'Donnell vs U.S. The date of the Alvarado grant is usually given as May 20, 1841. The grant in the transcript is indistinct, but the official translation reads May 2. The copy of the grant in the District Court papers is very clear: "a los dos dias." The Castro deeds and their assigns all read May 20. The area of the "Island" was estimated in 1852 by Sloat at about 900 acres; in 1877 Freeman surveyed the peninsula as 5,227.22 acres, and the US survey in 1923 made the Island 1,473.95 acres at that time. Bowman, J.N. Index of the Spanish-Mexican private land grant records and cases of California, I, 406 (shelved as BANC MSS C-R 17, Bancroft Library).
Associated Case Numbers: Filed Expediente 60, Unclassified Expediente 89, Docket 307, 311 ND
Granted (1) by Jimeno provisionally Oct. 31, 1840, and (2) in fee by Alvarado May 20, 1841, both grants to Victor Castro; by description- the area estimated by J. D. Sloat in 1852 at about 900 acres. Claim filed by G. W. Bissell and William H. Aspinwall Aug. 31, 1852. Confirmed by the Board May 8, 1855. Confirmed by the District Court Mar. 2, 1857, but the decree failed to issue; on April 15, 1930, the District Court issued the decree nunc pro tunc as of Mar. 2, 1857, and confirmed the claim Dec. 29, 1933. In the meantime the Circuit Court, S. F. held the grant invalid on Mar. 28, 1887. The Circuit Courtof Appeals also rejected the claim on Oct. 22, 1936, but the Supreme Court confirmed the claim Mar. 28, 1938, by mandate. The claim made for the land to the west of Mare Island was rejected by the District Court Aug. 24, 1939, confirmed by the Circuit Court of Appeals June 30, 1941, and rejected by the Supreme Court May 25, 1942. This case is closely related to the litigation over "Survey No. 34," the references to which are found in O'Donnell vs U.S. The date of the Alvarado grant is usually given as May 20, 1841. The grant in the transcript is indistinct, but the official translation reads May 2. The copy of the grant in the District Court papers is very clear: "a los dos dias." The Castro deeds and their assigns all read May 20. The area of the "Island" was estimated in 1852 by Sloat at about 900 acres; in 1877 Freeman surveyed the peninsula as 5,227.22 acres, and the US survey in 1923 made the Island 1,473.95 acres at that time. Bowman, J.N. Index of the Spanish-Mexican private land grant records and cases of California, I, 406 (shelved as BANC MSS C-R 17, Bancroft Library).
Associated Case Numbers: Filed Expediente 60, Unclassified Expediente 89, Docket 307, 311 ND