Santa Teresa High School - Compendium Yearbook (San Jose, CA)

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Agustin, Bruno, and Juan Bernal took over the management of the Rancho for their mother, Maria Josefa. This was natural in as much as each son had his own adobe, family, and cattle carrying their own brands as they roamed the land. At branding time the cattle were divided up equally with each receiving the brand of their owner. The FONDO, or ranch brand, of course, belonged to Maria Josefa Bernal. Profits were not always what they should have been, as the records show in 1839, six hund- red head of cattle were slaughtered to pay the debts of the Rancho. Again, in 1840, 1841, 1842, and 1843 there were slaughtered for the same purpose one hundred head of cattle per annum, one-half of which were of the FONDO and the remaining belonging to the sons. Over fifty head of cattle were slaughtered each year for the use of the Rancho families, one-half of which went for the widow, Maria Joscfa's household. With so many families on one Rancho, and with the herds growing larger each year it became necessary to seek other grazing land to sus- tain the cattle. It was in 1843-44 that Juan and Agustin Bernal, with their families, left the Rancho Santa Teresa driving three-thou- sand head of cattle northward onto the Rancho del Valle de San Jose. This Rancho was own- ed by their brother-in-law Antonio Sunol, hus- band of their sister Maria Francisca Dolores. A few years later Bruno Bernal followed with his family and cattle. 8

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