Who Is Noe Valley Named After?
Noe Valley is named after Jose de Jesus Noe. He moved from Mexico to Alta California in 1834. Starting in 1840, Noe established his family in Yerba Buena (an older name for San Francisco), and in 1845 was granted more than 4,400 acres of land, which included what we now call Noe Valley. He needed the land for his growing number of cattle and sheep. Noe named the land Rancho San Miguel. In 1842 and 1846, Noe served as the 12th and 16th alcalde, or mayor, when Mexico ruled San Francisco. Alcaldes performed many jobs, such as being the sheriff or the judge when crimes were committed. In 1846, when the U.S. army took over San Francisco, Noe retreated to Rancho San Miguel in hopes of avoiding arrest. When the United States took control of California, it took Jose Noe over 10 years to get the U.S. government to recognize his ownership of Rancho San Miguel. During his fight for ownership, Noe started selling off parts of Rancho San Miguel. He eventually sold the whole ranch, including the par
