of Southern California lived in bands, each of which controlled its own territory. The bands interacted with each other through ceremonial exchanges, marriages and trade. Their territories included acorn gathering sites in the mountains. The acorns they liked the best were from the black oak, which only grows above 3,000 feet. In the winter these bands would move to move to the coast. In 1798, the mission fathers of San Diego decided there should be a mission between there and San Juan Capistrano. Thus was formed mission San Luis Rey de Francia. Native Americans that fell under the jurisdiction of this new mission were all labeled Luiseño. When Spanish rule ended in 1822, the new Mexican government decreed that mission lands would be secularized. In California this did not happen until 1834. It was during this period that the plateau received its name, probably in honor of Saint Rose of Lima. In 1846, Juan Moreno was granted 47,000 acres by the Mexican governor of California, Pio Pico. In 1855, Moreno sold Rancho Santa Rosa to Augustin Machado. After he died, the land passed through several hands before being purchased by John Deer of England. After him the land went to his son, Parker Dear. It is said that Parker Dear treated his Native American help like slaves and they would sometimes run away. In 1904 Walter Vail purchased the land, mainly to raise cattle. When he died, the land went to his son, Mahlon Vail. Mahlon is said to have respected Native American rights to harvest acorns, gather wood and hunt on the Plateau. However, they were not allowed to bunk with the other cowboys and had to live off the ranch. See also California chaparral and woodlands References External links Official Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve website SeeTheGlobe.com: Visiting the Santa Rosa Plateau Landforms of Riverside County, California Plateaus of the United States Santa Ana Mountains Nature reserves in California Peninsular Ranges Protected areas of Riverside County, California California chaparral and woodlands Grasslands of California