While most of the old Californio families lost their ranchos during the great drought, the La Laguna Rancho remained in the hands of the Machado family until 1873, when most of it was sold to Englishman Charles A. Sumner.
After 1872, the lake again evaporated to a very low level, but the great rains in the winter of 1883-84 filled it to overflowing in three weeks.