Jose Maria Verdugo, a corporal in the service of the King of Spain, falls in love with Maria de la Encarnacion after seeing her on the old road to Monterey. Together they plan a home on a fertile valley, and Jose petitions the governor for permission to graze cattle there. Over the years the Rancho San Rafael grows, and Jose's family defends its boundaries against trespassers. Later, the rancho passes to Jose's son Julio amid the upheaval of the American conquest, and mounting debts threaten the estate. The episode is from the Romance of the Ranchos series, aired on September 7, 1941, with Frank Graham as the wandering vaquero narrator.

With Jose Maria Verdugo, Maria de la Encarnacion, Carlos, Julio Verdugo, Teodoro Verdugo, Governor Pedro Fages.

Listen for: Jose's petition to the governor and the letter granting permission to keep cattle, and the sheriff's visit to Julio Verdugo about the mortgage debt.

First aired on September 7, 1941.

Episode notes written with AI from the recording itself; the audio is the original broadcast.

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