A history of California and an extended history of its southern coast counties, also containing biographies of well-known citizens of the past and present, Volume I, Part 72

Author: Guinn, James Miller, 1834-1918
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Los Angeles, Cal., Historic record company
Number of Pages: 1184

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brary trustees. The Odd Fellows donated all the books in their collection, numbering 2,921 vol- umes. The first librarian appointed was Mrs. Mary Page. The city has erected a neat and commodi- ous library building, so planned that it can be enlarged without change of design or incon- venience to the patrons of the library. The li- brary now has about 16,000 volumes. Mrs. Frances Burns Linn is the present librarian.

The decade between 1870 and 1880 marked the transformation of Santa Barbara from an adobe town to one built of brick and wood. The increase of population was not great. After the decadence of the cattle industry many of the na- tives left the country. The population of Santa Barbara in 1860 was 2,351; in 1870, 2,970, an increase of 26 per cent; in 1880, 3,469, an in- crease of 17 per cent. The decade between 1880 and 1890 witnessed its most rapid growth. Its population in 1880 as previously stated was 3,469; in 1890, 5,864, an increase of nearly 70 per cent. In the early 'Sos began a concerted movement among the counties of Southern Cali- fornia to advertise their resources in the eastern states. "California on Wheels" was sent on its mission east. Railroad building, and particular- ly railroad projecting by real estate agents, was active. It is remarkable how easily railroads were built then-on paper. A beautifully illus- trated pamphlet advertising the Santa Ynez val- ley issued at this time, states that among the many railroads building or soon to be built is the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe line from Santa Monica via San Buenaventura to the head- waters of the Santa Ynez river, making the "shortest, coolest and most superb scenic route from Los Angeles via the Salinas valley to San Francisco."

August 17, 1887, the first passenger train from Los Angeles arrived in Santa Barbara.

The first through train on the Southern Pa- cific coast line from San Francisco and Los An- geles passed through Santa Barbara March 31, 1901. Among the recent improvements at Santa Barbara is the completion of St. Anthony's Col- lege, a Franciscan college for the preparation of young men who wish to enter the priesthood. It is located on rising ground near the old mis- sion ; the corner-stone was laid June 13, 1899. It was formally dedicated April 25, 1901. It is a stone building, three stories high, and cost about $50,000. The school for a number of years had been conducted in a wing of the old mission. The president is Rev. Peter Wallischeck, O. F. M. February 27, 1896, a horrible tragedy oc- curred in the monastery of Santa Barbara. An insane domestic, employed in the building, shot and killed the Guardian Father Ferdinand Berg- meyer.

The completion of the Coast Line Railroad in the first year of the present century placed Santa Barbara on the high road to progress. Its movements were slow at first, but its speed has been accelerated as the years pass. The years of 1903-04 were marked by extensive improve- ments in the way of street grading and the ex- tension of its sewer system. The Ocean boule- vard was extended and paved with asphaltum. The city acquired an additional park of sixteen acres in the Oak Park district. During the year 1905 the permanent developments in the city cost over $1,000,000. The Southern Pacific con- structed a new double track line through the city

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and a new depot costing $20,000. The Potter Hotel Company has improved its thirty-acre park surrounding the hotel buildings at an ex- penditure of $150,000. A new electric light company constructed a new power house at a cost of $50,000. Two new schools were erected at a cost of $40,000.

The city has completed the construction of an Ocean boulevard 8,000 feet long at a cost of $40,000. For several years the municipality has been tunneling into the Santa Ynez Range to increase its water supply. When completed it will connect with large reservoirs on the Santa Ynez river that will impound 6,000,000 gallons of water. The cost of the improved water sys- tem will amount to a quarter million dollars, and will give an abundant supply of water to the city. The celchrated Potter hotel was com- pleted in 1904. It is one of the most complete

hotels on the Pacific coast. It has 800 rooms and accommodations for 1,200 guests.

The United States government a few years since put a system of trails through the Santa Barbara forest reserve. The principal one of these follows the summit of the range from Ojai, in Ventura county, to Refugio, a distance of between 70 and 80 miles. To connect with this system the citizens of Santa Barbara by private subscription have built from Mountain drive, near Santa Barbara, a road and named it La Cumbre (summit) trail. The distance from the city to the summit is twelve miles, nearly all of which is in the mountains. In the survey of the route all the most attractive points of scenic beauty coming within the general course of the trail were included. Few roads of its length present a more varied scenery or a vaster range of landscape than La Cumbre.

CHAPTER LXIII.

SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

N the subdivision of California into counties by the first legislature a considerable portion of the territory that later constituted San Ber- nardino county was apportioned to San Diego county ; that county extending northwest from the source of San Mateo creek to the state line in the neighborhood of Death Valley. The leg- islature of 1851 changed the boundaries of San Diego and Los Angeles counties, and the latter- named county became possessed of the valleys, the mountains and the deserts of the future San Bernardino.

The white inhabitants of this vast area were few

and far between. The Lugos in the San Bernardino valley, Isaac Williams at del Chino, Prudhomme at the Cucamongo, Louis Robidoux at Jurupa, Diego Sepulveda at Yucaipa, the employes of the rancheros, and the inhabitants of the New Mexican settlements of La Placita and Agua Mansa constituted about all the settlers in an area large enough for a state.

Robidoux was one of the two justices of the peace that constituted the first court of sessions

-the motive power that set the municipal ma- chinery of Los Angeles county in motion.

County Judge Olvera in a session of his court held May 31, 1850, made a provisional order di- viding the county into four townships, namely: Los Angeles, San Gabriel, San Bernardino and San Juan Capistrano. An election for justices was held and one elected from each of the town- ships. On the 24th of June (1850) the justices met and selected two of their number for judges of the court of sessions. Jonathan R. Scott of Los Angeles, and Louis Robidoux of San Ber- nardino township were chosen. Robidoux was not at the meeting. His residence was at his rancho the Jurupa. The city of Riverside was carved from that rancho. So little communica- tion was there then between the county seat and the outlying districts that Robidoux was elected a justice of the peace and chosen a member of the court of sessions before he had even heard that an election had been ordered. Although the court held frequent sessions and transacted much important business it was not until a

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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

month after his appointment that Judge Robi- doux took his seat as one of the justices of the court of sessions.

The first settlement within what is now San Bernardino county was made at what was known in early times as Politana, or as it was often written Apolitan. This settlement was lo- cated on the route explored by Capt. Juan Bau- tista de Anza in 1774. It extended from Tubac in Sonora to the San Gabriel Mission. It crossed the Colorado river at Yuma and from there west- ward its route was practically the same as that now followed by the Southern Pacific Railway.

Father Juan Caballeria in his "History of San Bernardino Valley" thus describes the founding of Politana and its subsequent destruction :

"San Gabriel Mission became an important stopping place on the road, and the first place where supplies could be procured after crossing the desert. In the course of time, as travel over this road increased, it was arranged to establish a supply station at some intermediate point be- tween the mission and the Sierras on the north, in order to lessen the hardships of this journey by providing travelers with a place where they could rest and obtain food.

"With this object in view, a party of mission- aries, soldiers and Indians neophytes of San Gabriel Mission. under the leadership of Padre Dumetz, were sent out to select a location. On the 20th of May. 1810, they came into the San Bernardino Valley. This, according to the Ro- man Calendar of Saints was the feast day of San Bernardino of Sienna and they named the valley in his honor.

"They found here an ideal location. The val- ley was well watered and luxuriant with spring- time verdure. It might become to the weary traveler a perfect haven of rest. The Indian name of the valley, Guachama, when translated, signified 'a place of plenty to eat.' The Indians inhabiting this section of the valley were known as Guachama Indians and had here a populous rancheria.

"The supply station was located at the Guachama rancheria, which was near the place now known as Bunker Hill, between Urbita 28

Springs and Colton. The location was chosen on account of an abundance of water in that vicinity. Here a 'capilla' (chapel) was built, which was dedicated to San Bernardino, the patron saint of the valley. After completing the building of the station the padres returned to San Gabriel, leaving the chapel, the station and a large quantity of supplies in charge of neophyte soldiers, under command of a trustworthy In- dian named Hipolita. The settlement, or rancheria of mission Indians, taking its name from this chief became known as Politana.

"During the next two years the padres made frequent visits to the capilla ; the Gauchama In- dians were friendly ; grain was planted and the settlement seemed in a fair way to permanent prosperity.

"The year 1812, known in history as 'el año de los temblores' ( the year of earthquakes), found the valley peaceful and prosperous-it closed upon the ruins of Politana. The presence of the padres and Christian neophytes among the gentile Indians of the valley had been productive of good results and many of them became con- verted to Christianity. When the strange rum- blings beneath the earth commenced and fre- quent shocks of earthquake were felt, the ef- fect was to rouse the superstitious fears of the Indians. The hot springs of the valley increased in temperature to an alarming extent; a new 'cienagata' or hot mud spring appeared near Politana (now calley Urbita). This so excited the Indians that by direction of the padres the spring was covered with earth, hoping to thus allay their fears. These hot springs were re- garded by the Indians with superstitious venera- tion. They were associated with their religious ceremonies and were known to them as medi- cine springs. When these changes became so apparent they were filled with apprehension of danger bordering on terror. This, accompanied by the frequent shocks of 'temblor,' so worked upon their superstitious natures that, looking for a cause, they came to believe it was the mani- festation of anger of some powerful spirit dis- pleased at the presence of the Christians among them. Desiring to appease this malevolent deity and avert further expression of his displeasure, they fell upon the settlement of Politana, mas-

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sacred most of the mission Indians and converts and destroyed the buildings.

"The Guachamas rebuilt the rancheria and inhabited it until long after the decree of secu- iarization. A few Indians remained there at the date of American colonization, and older set- tlers of the county retain a recollection of the rancheria of Politana. As the country settled the Indians decreased in numbers and dispersed ; the few miserable habitations fell into decay, and there is now no trace of the rancheria, except as the plow of the rancher may occasionally bring to the surface a piece of tile, sole relic of the first Christian settlement in San Ber- nardino Valley."

The next attempt of the padres of San Gab- riel Mission to found a branch mission or asistencia was made in 1819. The location chosen was that still known as old San Bernardino. The building had a cobble-stone foundation. The walls were adobe brick a yard thick. The building was 240 feet in length by 80 feet in breadth and 20 feet in height. The floors were kiln-burnt brick, the roof was made of tule thatch. So sub- stantially built was this structure that after years of disuse and abandonment it was still habitable. A corral about 100 feet square was built adjoin- ing the main building, surrounded by a high adobe wall, to protect the cattle from raids by the thieving mountain Indians. A chapel was built and a building erected for the priest to lodge in when he came from San Gabriel to hold service. A community of Indians settled around the mission building. A zanja was constructed, a vineyard and olive orchard planted, and a con- siderable amount of land was sown to grain. The valley was well adapted to grazing and great numbers of cattle were raised for their hides and tallow. The branch mission was quite prosperous and it bid fair in time to equal the mother mission, San Gabriel.

In 1831, the mountain Indians made a raid upon it, damaged the building and drove away and scattered the stock. The buildings were re- paired and work resumed in the old way. In October, 1834. the mountain Indians, who, un- like the Indians of the valley, were warlike, and could not be brought under mission rule, at- tacked the mission. It was bravely defended by

the neophytes, but they were unable to hold out against the enemy and finally abandoned the buildings and retreated to the Mission San Gab- riel.

The enemy gave up the pursuit and returned to the mountains. The mission buildings were again occupied by the padres and the neophytes, but in December of the same year an uprising occurred among the Indians. Led by two renegade neophyte chiefs formerly of San Gab- riel, they attacked the mission buildings at San Bernardino. The neophytes in charge were un- able to defend them. The mission was taken, plundered and set on fire. The priest in charge, Padre Estango, was made a prisoner and carried away by the hostiles. He was afterwards ran- somed. No attempt was made to repair and oc- cupy the buildings after this raid. Seculariza- tion came soon after, and the branch missions passed out of the control of the padres. The second attempt to settle the San Bernardino val- ley like the first ended in disaster.

For several years after the destruction of the asistencia of San Bernardino the valley was abandoned to the Indians. The secularization of the missions had scattered the neophytes. Some of these became renegades and joined the wild Indians. The wild tribes of the mountains and the desert, guided by these renegades, made fre- quent raids on the cattle and horses of the bor- der ranchos. It was difficult and dangerous to follow these thieves to their hiding places, and they were seldom punished for their raids.

THE FIRST LAND GRANT.

After the secularization of the missions came the era of land grants. The first of these made in San Bernardino valley was the Jurupa, grant- ed to Juan A. Bandini, September 28, 1838. This grant lies along the Santa Ana river in the southwestern part of the valley. Part of it is now included in the city of Riverside. Bandini stocked his rancho with cattle and horses. The Indians prevented the rancho from becoming overstocked. Their raids were frequent and ex- ceedingly disastrous to the rancheros.

NEW MEXICAN COLONISTS.

There had been, beginning in the early '30s. a limited immigration into California from New

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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

Mexico. It came by way of the upper Green river, the Rio Virgin, to the Colorado river, then across the desert and through the Cajon Pass. This route was known as the Spanish trail. The Lugos had given to a small number of these New Mexican settlers a grant of land at the Apoli- tan. Bandini, about the year 1844, induced some of those at the Apolitan to locate on the north- ern part of his rancho. The chief object in forming these settlements was to protect the ranchos from Indian cattle thieves. Bandini gave these settlers a grant of land bordering on the Santa Ana river for cultivation. The land lying near the river was easily irrigated. The colonists planted vineyards and fruit trees. This settlement was known as La Placita ( The Small Place ).

Another colony of New Mexicans located on the river about a mile above Placita. From the smooth flow of the Santa Ana river here, this settlement was known as "Agua Mansa" (Gen- tle Water). These colonists were joined by others until quite a flourishing settlement was built up. They cultivated the soil and assisted the rancheros in taking care of their stock. Louis Slover, a German, for whom Slover mountain was named, was one of the Agua Man- sa colonists.

A church was erected at Agua Mansa which served both settlements. The year 1862 was the year of the great flood-the greatest ever known in California. The Santa Ana river rivaled the Father of Waters. It spread out across the valley. On the night of January 22 a cloudburst occurred in the mountains. A rag- ing torrent swept down upon the little settle- ments. The inhabitants of La Placita fled to the hills and those of Agua Mansa took refuge in the church which stood on higher ground than the village. The town was swept away, only the church and one house near it remained. Their vineyards and trees were washed out and car- ried down the stream. The inhabitants were left destitute.

THE LUGO GRANTS.

On the 21st of June, 1842, Governor Alvarado, on the petition of Don Antonio Maria Lugo, granted to José del Carmen Lugo, José Maria

Lugo and Vicente Lugo, sons of Don Antonio, and to his nephew, Diego Sepulveda, the rancho de San Bernardino, containing nine leagues or about 37,000 acres of land. In 1841 the Santa Ana del Chino had been granted to Don An- tonio Lugo. It contained five leagues. Don An- tonio already owned extensive grants east and south of Los Angeles city. He seems to have been somewhat of a land grabber. Governor Alvarado was his nephew. It is barely possible that he had a "pull" in official quarters. Julian Isaac Williams, later owner of the Chino rancho, was a son-in-law of Don Antonio's

THE TRANSITION ERA.

The transition of California from the rule of Mexico to the domination of the United States had little effect upon the sparse population of the San Bernardino valley. The only echo from the war of the conquest that reached the valley was the battle of Chino, September 27, 1846. Fifty Californians under command of Serbulo Verala and Diego Sepulveda attacked a company of Americans under command of B. D. Wilson, who had taken shelter in the Chino ranch house. In the charge upon the house one Californian, Carlos Ballestras, was killed and several wound- ed. Three Americans were wounded. The at- tacking party set fire to the roof of the house. The Americans were compelled to surrender. The most prominent of these were held prisoners until Los Angeles was retaken by Commodore Stockton and General Kearny, January 10, 1847. General Castro and part of his staff left Cali- fornia for Sonora at the approach of Stockton and Fremont in August, 1846, by the way of the San Gorgonino Pass. General Flores and his aids left by the sanie route after the battle of La Mesa in January, 1847.

In April. 1847. Col. Philip St. George Cooke sent Company C of the Mormon Battalion to guard the Cajon canon and prevent the desert Indians from making raids on the settlers' stock. The troops were instructed to build a fortification across the cañon of logs and earth at the narrowest place in the pass where water and grass could be obtained, so as effectually to prevent the Indians from making incursions through the canon into the valley. The com-

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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

manding officer, Lieutenant Rosencrans, was "to send out armed parties either on foot or mount- ed to defend ranchos in the vicinity or to attack wandering parties of wild Indians." A band of hostile Indians was surprised in the mountains by a detachment of the Mormon Battalion. In the fight that ensued eight of the hostiles, ac- cording to an account of this affair given to the author by the late Stephen C. Foster, were killed. The Mormons cut off the ears of the dead In- dians' and with these strung on a string brought them to Los Angeles as an evidence of their suc- cess against the thieving Los. Another author- ity says that it was a Californian that did the ear cropping.

After peace was declared and the soldiers dis- charged, the settlers in the valley had to defend themselves against the horse and cattle thieves. As related in Chapter XXXVII, of the history of San Diego county, a company of volunteers under General Morehead was sent to the Col- orado river to punish the Yuma Indians for the murder of Dr. Lincoln's party. With these vol- unteers was sent a lieutenant whose duty it was to reclaim and return to the owners any stock captured by the troops from the Indians. If the expedition recaptured any stolen horses there is no record of it in the archives.

The Indians were not the only horse thieves who raided the ranchos of the valley. Renegade white men stole stock and the red man got the punishment-bore the white man's burden.

In one instance retribution overtook the white thieves and that, too, by the hands of the In- dians. There are many versions of what is known as the Irving affair; some of these full of errors. In the Los Angeles Star of May 31, 1851, is given a very full account of the killing of Irving's gang by the Indians. This is con- temporaneous history. The account was pub- lished a few days after the occurrence of the event and undoubtedly is the most nearly cor- rect of any version of the affair in existence.

"About two months since a party of men, some twenty-five in number, arrived at this place and encamped a short distance from the city. They were under the command of Capt. John Irving, said to be an old Texan ranger. We do not suppose that many persons here were in-

formed as to the objects of the company. Irving gave out that he was going to Sonora to fight Indians. One member of the company in en- deavoring to induce a citizen to join them stated that they were going to Mexico to rob some of the specie conductas (convoys) between the mines and Mazatlan. When here they excited the terror of the citizens and many offences were charged upon them. About ten days since they took their departure, moving in the direction of the Colorado, and probably not one in ten of our citizens supposed they should ever hear again of the party.

"On Sunday last letters were received in town from Colonel Magruder at Chino and Mayor Wilson representing a state of things which seemed to indicate that actual war existed be- tween Irving's men and the native Californians. It was said that Irving and his party were kill- ing cattle, stealing horses and conducting them- selves in such a lawless manner as to render it necessary that they should be speedily checked.

"In the course of the forenoon a public meet- ing was held in the court house. Addresses were made by various citizens and suggestions made as to a proper course of action. The pre- vailing opinion seemed to be that it was advisable that the men should be pursued and brought to justice. There was much excitement in the com- munity, and all our citizens were prompt in de- nouncing the marauders.

"The sheriff summoned a posse and on Mon- day morning proceeded to Chino, where it was represented that forces were concentrating. The sheriff was armed with a warrant issued by Jonathan R. Scott for the arrest of Irving's party on charge of grand larceny.

"On Tuesday morning the sheriff proceeded to Robidoux's ranch, where they were informed that Irving had encamped the previous night. From spies sent to Temescal it was ascertained that a body of men supposed to be Irving's had crossed over towards Lugos on Tuesday morn- ing, and the sheriff. fearing that they had gone there for no good purpose, deemed it advisable to follow them. The sheriff had not proceeded far before he learned that Irving's party had all been killed by the Apolitans, a tribe of the Cowie Indians.

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HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.

"It appears that Irving's party first went to Felipe Lugo's and broke into and entered the house. Whether or not they stole anything of value is not certain. They ransacked the trunks and scattered the clothing about and probably took away some articles of small value. They then proceeded to José Maria Lugo's, some six miles distant from Felipe's. The people at the ranchos fled at their approach, but it does not appear that they entered any house except the Lugo's. At José Maria Lugo's it is said that they stole various articles. It is the prevailing opinion that their object was to murder the two young Lugos. Irving had been heard to say that he would take the scalps of the young Lugos and there can be little doubt that he was bent on murder as well as plunder.

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A history of California and an extended history of its southern coast counties, also containing biographies of well-known citizens of the past and present, Volume I, Part 72

Author: Guinn, James Miller, 1834-1918 Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Los Angeles, Cal., Historic record company Number of Pages: 1184

Author: Guinn, James Miller, 1834-1918
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Los Angeles, Cal., Historic record company
Number of Pages: 1184