After the new mill was opened in 1823, the Old Mill reportedly sat idle for 30 years, during which time it was victimized by vandals and the weather.
In 1846, Pío Pico – last Mexican governor of Alta California – sold 16,000 acres (65 km²), including the mill, to Julian Workman and Hugo Reid (co-grantee of the adjacent Rancho Huerta de Cuati).

However, after the Mexican Cession of California to the U.S. in 1848, John C. Fremont refused to accept the validity of the transaction.
With title to the land in a state of uncertainty, James S. Waite (publisher of The Star newspaper) established squatter's rights over 160 acres (0.65 km²), including the Old Mill.
After the new mill was opened in 1823, the Old Mill reportedly sat idle for 30 years, during which time it was victimized by vandals and the weather. In 1846, Pío Pico – last Mexican governor of Alta California – sold 16,000 acres (65 km²), including the mill, to Julian Workman and Hugo Reid (co-grantee of the adjacent Rancho Huerta de Cuati).
However, after the Mexican Cession of California to the U.S. in 1848, John C. Fremont refused to accept the validity of the transaction. With title to the land in a state of uncertainty, James S. Waite (publisher of The Star newspaper) established squatter's rights over 160 acres (0.65 km²), including the Old Mill.
El Molino Viejo