Rancho Ex-Mission la Purísima (also called Rancho Purísima) was a 14736acres Mexican land grant in present-day Santa Barbara County, California given in 1845 by Governor Pío Pico to Jonathan Temple.[1] The rancho derives its name from the secularized Mission La Purísima, but was called ex-Mission because of a division made of the lands held in the name of the Mission— the church retaining the grounds immediately around, and all of the lands outside of this are called ex-Mission lands. The grant was north of the Santa Ynez River and present-day Lompoc and encompasses present-day Vandenberg Village. The grant was defined by the boundaries of the earlier surrounding grants, viz: Rancho Mission Vieja de la Purisma, Rancho Jesús María, Rancho Lompoc, Rancho Los Álamos, and Rancho Santa Rita.[2]
Following the secularization of Mission La Purísima in 1834, the padres moved to Mission Santa Inés.[3] The abandoned mission was sold in 1845 by Pío Pico to Jonathan Temple for $1,100. In 1850, Temple sold the property to José Ramón Malo (1812-1859) for $1,500.[4] Malo was the grantee of the adjoining Rancho Santa Rita.
With the cession of California to the United States following the Mexican-American War, the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo provided that the land grants would be honored. As required by the Land Act of 1851, a claim for Rancho Ex-Mission la Purísima was filed with the Public Land Commission in 1852,[5] [6] and the grant was patented to José Ramón Malo in 1882.[7]
In 1870 Jesse Hill and D.W and A.P Jones, purchased an interest in Rancho Santa Rita and Rancho Ex-Mission la Purísima. Christy & Wise, wool merchants of San Francisco, also owned an interest.[8]