An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day, Part 63

Author: Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1038

USA > California > Los Angeles County > An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 63
USA > California > San Diego County > An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 63
USA > California > Orange County > An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 63
USA > California > San Bernardino County > An illustrated history of Southern California : embracing the counties of San Diego, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange, and the peninsula of Lower California, from the earliest period of occupancy to the present time; together with glimpses of their prospects; also, full-page portraits of some of their eminent men, and biographical mention of many of their pioneers and of prominent citizens of to-day > Part 63

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The personnel of the Mexican official corps of Lower California is pleasing. These are mostly men of enlightened and progressive ideas, en- tirely in touch with the policy of developing Mexico's great resources through the instru- mentality of foreign capital and foreign immi- gration. It is not probable that they, any more than the mass of educated Mexican citizens, would consent to the scheme of annexation; but they thoroughly concur in the idea of mutual assistance and support between the United States and Mexico.

GENERAL HENRY S. BURTON,

deceased, once a distinguished military man on this coast, was born at West Point, May 9, 1819, when his father, Major Oliver Burton, was stationed at that post. He received his appointment as a cadet before he was quite six- teen years old; would have entered the military academy in January, 1835, but he lacked three months of being sixteen years of age, so that he was obliged to wait until the July term. Ile graduated high in a class of very able cadets, and had the opportunity offered hin of going into the engineer corps, but he preferred to serve in " the line," and chose the artillery. On his graduation he was immediately promoted to the Second Lieutenancy in the third regiment of artillery, and five months afterward, Novem- ber 11, 1839, he was promoted to the First Lientenancy of the same. He served in the Florida war, 1840-'42; was stationed at Fort Moultrie, Sonth Carolina, until 1843, and then appointed instructor of artillery at West Point. In that capacity he served until 1846, when the war with Mexico was declared, for service in which he was commissioned Lieutenant-Colonel of the First Regiment of New York Volun- teers; but his command of that regiment was equally divided with Colonel Stevens. Sailing

from New York harbor they arrived at Mon- terey, in February, 1847. Colonel Burton was placed in command of Santa Barbara, while Colonel Stevens remained at Monterey. In a few months, more troops having arrived in Upper California, Burton was sent to take Low- er California.

On his disembarking at La Paz, he was sneered at by the natives for undertaking so great a task with so few men. He laughingly replied that he would try; but if they would not let him he conld not blame them, as they had the right to resist him. He and his men, while holding the post at that point, were friendly to the citizens, and they were friendly in return. After waiting in vain for the arrival of arms from Sinaloa or Sonora, the Mexicans concluded to make an effort to drive out the Americans, without arms. Collecting together all sorts of antiquated and useless material in the shape of guns and other weapons and mili- tary accoutrements, they " fell upon " La Paz. A tremendous fusilade awoke the inhabitants from their peaceful slumbers at midnight; the querulous hectic bark of their lame little cannon was heard three times above the rattle of the musketry, but his own efforts threw him hors de combat, for he had shaken off his broken wheel and he lay there a disabled warrior with one leg off! In ignominous helplessness he was hitched to a mule and carried away in haste before Burton's " gringos" might take a notion to come out and carry it off, just for the fun of it. But the " gringos " never moved, and as they kept well hidden behind their parapet, the Mexicans took courage to approach nearer, hid- ing behind the houses in the vicinity of the fortification. The night was so dark that neither the attacking party nor the besieged could see each other ten paces distant. After a time the Mexicans bethought themselves that they were wasting their precious ammunition upon empty air, as the Americans' fort re- mained silent; and daylight revealed to them the folly of their making an attack with so few weapons as they had. Retiring to the opposite

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HISTORY OF LOWER CALIFORNIA.

mesa, they continued to annoy the Americans, as much as they could, with their defective arms, from day to day, obtaining provisions and supplies from some obscure quarter.

Thus they continued their ineffectual hostili- ties until one bright morning the United States flag-ship Ohio, with Admiral Shubrick on board, and the war frigate Dale, sailed into the bay of La Paz, which enabled Colonel Burton to sally out and ront the Mexicans at Todos Santos. Had the Mexicans known how few Americans there were in the fort previous to this time, they could easily have made mince-meat of them.

Shubriek published a proclamation to the people of Lower California in the name of the United States Government, informing them that they should disperse and not bear arms against the Americans, else they would be severely punished at the conclusion of the war which was nearly over. He also promised pro- tection to the lives and property of the people in that proclamation, and followed it with balls . and receptions and other signs of a " good time coming." The leading Mexicans were even glad of the change, as they really had been suffering a sort of slavery to the old government; but, poor Mexicans! their happy dream was of short duration, for the news was directly received that a treaty of peace was proposed, ceding Up- per California to the United States, but not Lower California! They were nervously anx- ious that Colonel Burton should, with the aid of his Government, see that Shubrick's prom- ises of taking Lower California under the pro- tecting care of the United States, were made good, for they had been openly advocating annexa- tion to our Government, and now their very lives were in peril; but Colonel Burton informed them, and truly, that it was too late, as the final treaty of peace would be signed before he could communicate with the powers at Washington.

The Colonel's good nature was intensely af- fected, and he proposed, as the best alternative, to provide free transportation to all the Mexicana of Lower California to Upper California, and besides to pay them a certain compensation for

the property which they might be obliged to abandon. This, of course, was accepted, although a poor substitute for the brilliant promisess of Admiral Shubrick's proclamation. The war transport Lexington came to take the self-exiled Californians who wished to flee from the wrath to come, and with heavy hearts they sailed from La Paz for Monterey, arriving Oc- tober 4, 1848. Colonel Burton followed in the flag-ship Ohio, and the frigate Dale brought part of the troops. Ou arriving at Monterey, the Colonel with his regiment was mustered out of the volunteer service, and he took command of the post at Monterey as an officer in the reg- nlar army. He remained there until the winter of 1852, when he was transferred to the post at San Diego, with headquarters at the Mission; and while here he commanded the Mojave expe- dition of 1857. Soon afterward he was changed to Fort Ynma, and in 1859 ordered East, having been on the Pacific coast over twelve years.

While stationed at Monterey, Colonel Burton was married to Miss Ruiz, a young lady whose acquaintance he made at La Paz, and who is now the widow, residing at San Diego. She is a granddaughter of Don José Manuel Ruiz, who was the military governor of Lower Callfornia for more than fifty years. He was ordered by the Colonial Government of Spain to take com- mand of the forces sent to the frontier to assist in founding missions in Lower California. He came from Loreto to the head of the gulf in 1780, with a large force, and landed on the So- nora side of the Colorado river, thus having to cross the river under a shower of arrows from the Indians. He founded several missions on the frontier of the peninsula and kept the wild Indians in wholesome awe of him and his well- disciplined soldiers. Entering the army at the early age of fourteen years, and continuing in active service until he was past seventy-five years of age, his services to his country were more extended than those of any other military man in Mexican history. His government granted him several traets of land, among which was the Ensenada de Todos Santos, on the north of

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HISTORY OF LOWER CALIFORNIA.

the peninsula, and this is now the property of Mrs. Burton. It has been rendered famous by its having been occupied by the International Company for the purpose of colonizing the pe- ninsula; but as the company took possession without authority from her, she was obliged to publish a warning that no one should buy her lands from the company. This has put an end to the operations of such company, and they have sold ont their interest to an English syndi- cate. Now all the investors who bought land from that company are patiently waiting for the syndicate to settle with Mrs. Burton the question of title and go on with the colonization.

Colonel Burton was stationed at Fortress Monroe for a few months in 1859, after his return East. Soon afterward the civil war broke out, and General Scott selected him as one of the most trustworthy officers of the army, and he

was placed in command of Alcatraz Island, in San Francisco harbor, for two years; and in 1862 he returned East again and took command of Fort Delaware, which was filled with pris- oners. Thence he was ordered on detail service to erect fortifications around Pittsburg, Penn- , sylvania, from September, 1863, to January, 1864. Next he had command of an artillery reserve in the Richmond campaign of the Army of the Potomac; then of the artillery of the Eighteenth Corps until 1865, being engaged in the battles of Cold Harbor, Spottsylvania Court- honse, and at the bombardment of Petersburg, for which service he was breveted Brigadier General in March, 1865. While erecting the works around l'etersburg he contracted malarial fever, which resulted fatally, April 4, 1869, when he was but forty-nine years and ten months of age; he was buried at West Point.

HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

409

>SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY

GENERAL OUTLINE OF HISTORY,

HE county of San Bernardino (Saint Ber- nard) is the largest in California, embrac- ing an area of 23,476 square miles, or 15,- 024,640 acres. It has no coastage, being thirty miles from the Pacific ocean. It is 215 miles wide by 150 miles from north to sonth. In all this immense area there is embraced a vast deal of diversified scenery, mountains, and rich plains and valleys, with running streams of sparkling mountain water; a belt of timber three miles long by forty miles wide; the highest mountain peak in Southern California, Grey Back, 11.600 feet high, with his perpetual snow-cap; an enor- mously large and rich mineral region, and an immense territory of the richest agricultural lands in the universe. Comparatively speaking, the natural resources and advantages of this county have as yet hardly begun to be devel- oped.

The original inhabitants of San Bernadino County were Indians, mostly the Cahuillas and Serranos.

In 1819 the gentiles of the rancheria Guach- aina, also called, by the Spaniards, San Bernard- ino, voluntarily asked for the introduction of agriculture and stock-raising upon their fertile territories, and some beginning was made. But it would appear from the reports on the mis- sions that no station was established here, nor any buildings erected prior to 1822, although the padres regarded these advances of the In. 26

diane as an important step in the direction of subduing the tribes of the Colorado river.

Ultimately the mission of San Bernardino was established at the place now called " Old San Bernardino," or " Cottonwood Row," as a branch of the mission of San Gabriel. The place selected for the necessary buildings was in the southern portion of the valley, on the last of the slopes by which the foothills descend to the plains. The surrounding lands were un- excelled in fertility. Here was constructed, with the aid of the natives, who here as else- where lent their labor, an adobe building some 240 x 80 feet of ground space, with walls a yard thick, with floors of kiln-burnt brick, and roofs thatched with tules. So substantial was this structure that, after years of disuse and aban- donment, it was still habitable, and was tenanted for years by later settlers, and the lower por- tions of its walls are still utilized as enclosures for domestic animals.

Probably there was no other mission or de- pendency of the missions of which so little survives in the way of records as of this at San Bernardino. Almost nothing in the way of detail exists to cominemorate the events of the brief period of Franciscan rule in that fair valley.

It is known that the native tribes proved rest- ive under the control of the padres, and in 1832 they revolted, and destroyed the mission

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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

buildings. But others were then constructed, stronger and better adapted for defensive pur- poses, the ruins of which are still to be seen.

In this decade the mission was abandoned, in consequence of the edict of secularization.

The great agricultural possibilities of this district received practically no attention at this period. Here, as elsewhere at the mission es- tablishments, fruits and vegetables were culti- vated in small quantities, for supplies for home consumption ; but the revenues of these estab- lishments were derived from the produce of live-stock, hides and tallow.

It is said that in San Bernardino valley there were killed in 1830 no less than 4,000 cattle, whose hides and tallow were conveyed to San Gabriel Mission for the purposes of trade.

PASTORAL.

Secularization, that practically razed the mis- sions, was closely followed in San Bernardino by an epoch of more speedy and more extensive advancement, in the opening of the section to general development. This period began with the division of the country into large ranchos, under the governorship of Juan B. Alvarado, who very practically made to such as would agree to occupy and settle their possessions in so remote and Indian-infested a district, the large grants of land necessary for the raising of horses and cattle, then regarded as the only available industry.

The first of these grants in point of time was that of the Jurupa Rancho, lying along the Santa Ana river, in the southwestern part of San Bernardino valley. The extent of this grant is variously stated at from reven to eleven leagues, and its date at either September 28, 1838, or May 22, 1840; the earlier is probably the correct date. "Jurupa" is said to have been the first greeting of the old Indian chief- tain to the Roman Catholic priest who first appeared thereabouts, this word being said to mean, in the native dialect, " Peace and Friend- slip;" and "Jurupa " the place was called in memory of that kindly greeting.

Juan A. Bandini took possession of his grant, and stocked it with cattle and horses. But the Indians proved very troublesome, and preyed upon his stock. Therefore, about 1843 he induced abont twenty families from New Mex- ico to settle on the northern end of his property, and guard it against the incursions of the In- dians, in consideration of receiving land on which to build and till the soil. Many of these families, among them the Trojillas, Moyas, Gar- cias, Alvarados and others, are still represented at Spanish Town and Agna Mansa. This was the first settlement in the county. These set- tlers were presently joined by other colonists, among them the German, Lonis Slover, from whom was named the limestone ridge called Slover mountain. From the smooth flow of the Santa Ana and its tributary streams here- abonts, this settlement was called ‘ Agna Man- sa," literally Gentle Water, idiomatically Still Water.

Don Juan Bandini sold a portion of the Ju- rupa Rancho to Benito D. Wilson, May 6, 1843. This lot, comprising one league and a half of land, cost Wilson $1,000. The following year he conveyed it to Captain James Johnson and Colonel Isaac Williams, and they, in 1847, sold it to Louis Rubideaux, it having been known since as the Rubideaux rancho. Rubi- deaux was a Frenchman, who came to California by way of New Mexico, whither, after his pur- chase of property, he returned, bringing back to his rancho his family, a large stock of goods, and abont $30,000 in cash. During the war with Mexico, he sided stanchly with the United States, and was made prisoner and jailed with Americans in Los Angeles. When the war was over, Rubideaux devoted himself to improv- ing his rancho, building walls and dwellings, and planting orchards and vineyards. Before the floods of 1861-'62, he had under fence, 15,000 acres. He died September 23, 1868.

In 1842, Alvarado, as Governor of California, granted to José Maria Lungo, José del Carmen Lugo, Vicente Lngo, and Diego Sepulveda, the Rancho de San Beruandino, which gave its name

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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

to the county. The same year, Manuel Do- minguez, First Judge of the Peace in the Dis- trict of Los Angeles, formally installed these parties in possession of the rancho. This grant lay in the central part of the valley, and it was thus the best watered portion. The grant con- tained some nine square leagues, or 37,700 acres. Its boundaries were: on the east, the " Sierra del Yucaipa;" on the west, the Arroyo del Cajon; on the south, the "Lomerias," and on the north, the " Faldos de la Sierra " (skirts of the Sierra).

The Rancho Muscupiabe seems to have been granted in April, 1843, to Michael White, by Manuel Micheltorena, then Governor General Comandante and Inspector of both Californias. In 1845 was granted Santa Ana del Chino, and an addition to that grant, as well as those of San Jacinto, Sierra and San Gorgonio, were made up to 1846.

John Brown, Jr., acting as court interpreter, supplied the following bit of early history to the San Bernardino Times, of January 22, 1876:

" For some days past the District Court has been engaged in hearing the case of Craig, Cave et al. vs. Craft et al., involving the right to use the water of Old San Bernardino. A number of early pioneers were heard in the case. Among them were Daniel Sexton, whose testimony dates as far back as 1842; James W. Waters dates back as far as 1844; S. P. Waite to 1849, and others of later times. Byron Waters, attorney for the plaintiffs, has succeeded in finding a still older witness, Don Francisco Alvarado, who settled in the old adobe building near Mr. Waters' new residence at Old San Bernardino, in 1826, fifty years ago.

" Francisco Alvarado was duly sworn, and testified in substance as follows: . My name is Francisco Alvarado. I live near Cornelius Jasen's residence in Jurupa, San Bernardino County. I was born in Los Angeles city, Janu- ary 19, 1816, and am thus nearly sixty years of age. When I was a boy not over ten years old, my father moved from Los Angeles to the large

adobe that was situated just east of the spot where Mr. Waters has recently built a resi- dence, at Old San Bernardino. This was abont the year 1826.

"'This large adobe building was occupied by the Major-domo who was in charge of the In- dians, and the east end of it served as a granary for the vast quantity of wheat raised by the In- dians. This building was not used as a church for the mission, as some say, but was used, as I have said, by the Major-domno.

"'These Indians were the Serranos and Cah- millas, and they numbered about 500. They lived south of the old building a few hundred yards, and cultivated the soil north and east. My father was appointed Major-doino, and they referred all their disputes to him; they had no chief then.

"The zanja of Old San Bernardino furnished water for these lands; it was made so as to pro- vide water for cultivation. The zanja used to break very often; during high water it always broke, and the Indians would go up and repair it. I remember going up with little Indians, wading in the ditel, and hunting rabbits with our bows and arrows. I was not over ten years old. I grew up to manhood here around Old San Bernardino.

"'The whole country was covered over with cattle as dense as sheep. At the base of the mountains there were many bears; we used to lasso them; we had fine horses. A number of years afterwards a man named Mannel camne from Mexico, and began constructing, on the hill near Dr. Barton's, the second house of adobe in this part of the country. Before com- pleting it the Indian war between the Serranos and Cahuillas broke ont, Manuel became fright- ened, left the country, and did not complete the building. In 1842 the rancho was granted to the Lugos, and they finished the building and lived in it. The roofs of this building fell in, the mortar and tar being poor, but the north roof was made good with clapboard.

". When the Lugos came in 1842, houses of adobe were built; one near where Mr. Conu

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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

now lives, another on the banks of the Santa Ana river, about four miles southwest of the present town of San Bernardino, and another at San Salvador; also the church about this time. The ruins of these buildings can hardly be seen. There was another adobe erected in Yucaipa, on the hill near Mr. Standifer's. These were the first houses in this valley. The long adobe for the Major-domo was the first one. Mr. Waters has leveled the old walls, so that I can hardly tell this used to be my old home fifty years ago. The old cottonwood trees are being ent down by where the old zanja ran. When I first saw the zanja, the older trees above Dr. Barton's were large.'"

Progress in the settlement of San Bernardino was very slow during this the second period of its history, which may fairly be called that of Mexican occupation, extending from 1831 to 1851. Stock-raising, the only industry which the residents considered worthy of them, was not calculated to further the rapid development of the country, and agriculture, while it was in- deed advancing to some slight extent, was as yet conducted on a very small scale. The Lugos did cultivate some twenty acres on the Rancho San Bernardino, and the settlers at Agua Mansa raised grain, fruits and vegetables enough for their own needs. But no one so much as dreamed of the production of these elements for profit.

The only settlers of Anglo-Saxon blood in San Bernardino County, np to 1851, were the few who had intermarried with the Mexicans, and who were scattered far apart, occupying some of the large ranchos.

In February, 1850, David Seeley, one of the oldest citizens, arrived and camred on the San Bernardino rancho. He had come in 1847 to Salt Lake, whence, two years later, he came to California. The only dwelling-house on the rancho at that time was at Jnmor, where José Maria Lngo lived; there was an old adobe building on the lot now owned by Mrs. Wozen- craft, but it had not been used as a dwelling for some years past. The Lugos had about twenty acree in cultivation at the Jumur, and the rest

of their land they used as a cattle range, esti- mating that they had some 8,000 head of horses and cattle.

INDIAN DEPREDATIONS.

Early in 1851 a party of Utes from Salt Lake made a raid into the southern country, and stole a number of horses, including 130 which were the property of one of the Lugos, owners of the San Bernardino Rancho. The Indians were pursued by some twenty Californians, and one of this party was killed during a volley of rifle- balls fired by the marauders from an am- buscade on the Mohave. The Californians, re- turning through the Cajon Pass to camp at its mouth, passed some men with a wagon, en- camped on the farther side of the pass. The next morning, when the rest of the party pro- ceeded on to the rancho, four remained behind, including two sons of that Lngo whose stock had been stolen. The next parties traversing the pass found the wagon and team of the campers, with its two owners murdered. Sns- picion fell on the four Californians who had re- mained behind, and when they were arrested, one of them confessed that they had returned and murdered the two men to avenge the death of their comrade, resultant, they believed, from their movements based on false information given by the campers regarding the course of the Indians. The man who confessed was ad- mitted as State's evidence, and the other three were jailed, charged with murder.

In April, 1852, there came to Los Angeles from the north one Irving, leading a band of some thirty men, heavily armed, who professed to be on the way to prospect in the section now called Arizona. They were mostly of the ex- convict class, and their misbehavior was out- rageous. After remaining in Los Angeles about a month, Irving proposed to Don Antonio Maria Lugo, grandfather of the Lugos then in prison, that he and his band would, for a consideration of $5,000, deliver the young men from jail and take them safely to Mexico. Lngo replied that he would be guided by the advice of J. Lancaster Brent (a prominent attorney of Los Angeles

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HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY.

from 1851 to 1861), who had been retained to defend the young men. Brent naturally con- deinned the undertaking. Before the day of the trial the witnesses for the people were sent to Sonora, where were taken their affidavits, in which they swore to facts establishing for the accused an alibi. Upon these affidavits, appli- cation was inade to the district judge for the release of the prisoners on bail. Irving swore that if the judge should admit the Lugos to bail, Irving and his band would take them to the conrt-house and hang them. The day be- fore the hearing of the case, a company of United States dragoon sencamped on the bank of the Los Angeles river, and the sheriff ap- plied to the commanding officer of this detach- ment for assistance in protecting the court. The officer promised his support. Wben conrt opened the following day the prisoners were present with their bondsinen, and along one side of the room were ranged Irving's men, all heavily armed. Presently marched in a party of dragoons, with carbines ready for action, who placed themselves, facing the Irving party. The bonds were approved and signed, and the the judge ordered that the prisoners be released on bail. The dragoons escorted them out of the town in safety. Irving vowed vengeance on the Lugos and the lawyer who had, as he con- sidered, prevented him from getting $5,000. About the last of May, he left Los Angeles on the road to Sonora, in company with another party of strangers, recently arrived, heavily armed, but apparently honest prospectors, bonnd for Arizona. Directly after these adventurers left the town, it transpired that Irving's plan was to go to Mexico, capture a silver train on the road from Chihuahua to Mazatlan and with the plunder thereof make his way across the country to Texas. He also purposed to go to the Rancho San Bernardino, on his way to Mexico, drive off Lugo's saddle horses, and seize the young Lugos, to hold them to ransom in the sum of $10,000. His men proved re- fractory on this plan, only sixteen of them agreeing to accompany him, while the rest

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Author: Lewis Publishing Company Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : The Lewis Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1038

Author: Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1038