USA > California > Los Angeles County > History of Los Angeles County, California, with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, residences, fine blocks and manufactories > Part 48
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Santa Monica is supplied with first-elass water, brought in iron pipes from the San Vicente Spring, some three miles away. There is a fall of over two hundred feet, and a sufficient supply for all purposes.
The crowning glories of this town are its hotel and its batlı- house. These were both erected by the Santa Monica Land Company in 1875-6, and are both worthy of more than a pass- ing notice. The hotel cost about twenty-two thousand dollars, and has accommodations for one hundred and thirty guests, and nearly all the rooms are supplied with open fire-places. A block of laml connected therewith is handsomely laid out in shrubbery, and steps lead therefrom down to the bath-house. 'The present landlord is Mr. M. D. Johnson. There are two other smaller hotels, the Perkins House, and the Ocean House. The bath-house is conducted by C. M. Waller, E.g. It is twenty-eight by one hundred feet, and contains eighteen bath- rooms, cach furnished with salt and fresh water, both hot and cold! of either variety, also shower baths. There are also two stram rovins, and a large plunge bath, having a possible depth of six fect. An invalids' room up-stairs is comfortably furnished and has a steam bath attached. There are sixty surf rooms also connected with the establishment.
There are two churches in Santa Monica. The Methodist Church was built in 1876, at a cost of about one thousand dol- lars. The first minister was Rev. J. D. Crum, who was suc- ceeded by Rev. - Allen, and he again by Rev. J. D. Crum, who was in turn succeeded by the present incumbeut, Rev. S. K. Russell.
The Presbyterian Church was built in 1876, at a cost of one thousand six hundred dollars (frame buikling). There has never been a resident minister, but the pulpit has been supplied from Los Angeles. Services are irregular.
There is a good school-house, built in 1876, at a cost of five thousand dollars. It has two ilepartments, and two teachers. The Odd Fellows and Good Templars societies have both been represented here, but are disbanded.
The following circular, issued by the Santa Monica Hotel, exhibits what the residents elaim for this place :-
SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA-" THIE LONG BRANCH OF THE PACIFIC."
A continued growth of public patronage during the past four years proves beyond a doubt that Santa Monica is permanently established ; not only as a summer watering place, but that it is noequalled as a winter resort for tourists and invalids seeking the benefits of a mild climate.
Sheltered as it is by the Coast Range from the north and north-west winds, as well as the equalizing influence of so vast a hody of water lying adjacent, combine to render the climate of Santa Monica the least variable of that of any point in the United States, if not in the world.
The fact that heliotropes, fuchsias, geraniums, and other flowers equally sensitive to the effects of frosts and cbilling winds continue to bloom the entire year without the slightest injury, is proof of this statement.
The growth of shrubbery is positively marvelous, and a visitor from the North or East would say, the trees aud plants must have been ten years in growing, instead of the brief period of three or four years. From the dry plain of 1875-6, Santa Monica has grown to he almost a forest, dotted with beautiful gardens and lawns.
The bot salt baths, which in winter form so great an attraction ion for visitors are especially fine, as also the unusual facilities for all other kinds of baths.
OLD SANTA MONICA.
This has for years been a favorite summer resort, and does not seem to grow out of favor We copy the following in regard to its early history from the Star of August 15. 1872:
seventeen years ago Santa Monica was selected by Dr. Hawyard as a summer resort, and nont the last five years he and his family wire the only ones who availed themselves of its delights amt benetits. It is only two years ago since Camp Hawyard became what may be ralleit popular. Santa Monica proper is a farm house situated on the edge of a plateau, about half a mile from the beach, where the enmp is located. At the farm house the road deserods suddenly into a deep, dry ravie or arroyo. At the foot if this ravine, near its conthience with ihr ocean, is a thick grove of ancient sycamore trees and underbrush. It is in this grove that the gipsy-like oneampment has been established. It consist, of a long row of tents of rvrry description, with here and there a brush wigwam-the structure of an hour. The location is a favorable one; for besides the shelter affonted by the massive brunehrs of the sycamores, the western bauk uf the arroyo rises high, forming a perfect barrier between the camp and the keen western breezes.
From the summit of the western bank, which forms a promontory nimost to the water's edge, a magnificent view of the ocean, of Catulina, Santa ('lemente, and other islands, is to be obtained. Stretching away to the northward, about two miles off, is the point projecting into the sen, and beyond which lies the Malaga Ranch, the rendrevous of a notorious Jmind of horse thieves. At a mile further on is the Shou Fly Landing where the majority of the asphaltum from the Brea Runch is shipped to San Franisco.
During every summer quite a village of tents springs np nt this point, there being often from two hundred to three hun- dred at one time, and sometimes one thousand people may be seen here on a Sunday. Stores and all the necessary indus- tries are started, and then in a couple of months the whole fades away again, leaving only the buff-bozen permanent fami- lies who reside there, these being principally Mexicans.
The following is from the Express of December 26, 1879; CLOUD-DURST AT SANTA MONICA CANYON.
Mr. Michael Duffy, the well-known bathing.honse man nt Santa Monica Canyon beach, was in town to-day, and he gave us the particulars of a water-spout or cloud-burst at the head of the canyon lust Sunday morning which destroyed considerable proprrty. The water in the canyon suddenly swelled to great dimensions about three o'clock in the morning, and ponred down the gorge with fearful and irresistible force. It swept in its march immense sycamore trees, that had roots stretching in various directions for twenty- five or thirty feet. These it washed away as if they had been shingles. The first improvement reached was the bee ranch of Mr. Kilgore, who lost bees aml boxes to the value of about one hundred dollars. Mr. Cox, further down, suffered more severely. His honey- house, with one thousand five hundred pounds of strained honey, his beey and hives, together with his cabin mat all his effects, were swept away and destroyed. Mr. Duffy's wood rauch way completely cleaned out. He lost his enbin and tent, his entire crop of potatoes, and his ranch, for the soil was all swept away clean down to the bed-rock. Mr. l'eter Brione, a Frenchman, however, suffered the most. Ile bad a very valuable poultry ranch, well stocked with all kinds of poultry, and improved with sheds and chicken- houses' The house in which he resided. all the out-houses and other improvements and his entire stock of poultry were swept away ant destroyed, leav- ing him absolutely without anything but the clothes he stood in. As the torrent swept down towards the mouth of the canyon, it carried away plows and other agricultural implements belonging to Pascual Marques, and thea attacked Duffy's bath-house on the beach and destroyed about forty feet of the long narrow building. We neglected to mention above that Mr. Sullivan, who also had a bee ranch up the canyon, lost about forty stands of bees and a large number of empty hives. All the fencing in the line of the freshet has been carried away.
138
HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
CHAPTER XXXVIII
SAN ANTONIO TOWNSHIP.
Bounds of the Township-Ranches Contained Therein-Early History-Crops -Florence-The State of Maine-History of the Colony-Forest Culture -Dairies-Sheep-Hogs-Artesian Wells.
SAN ANTONIO township extends south and south-westerly from Los Angeles township to the old San Gabriel river, and comprises within its limits the San Antonio Rancho of twenty- nine thousand five hundred and thirteen acres, and a part of Tajanta Rancho. The former is now known as Laguna Rancho and is owned by Mrs. Colonel R. S. Baker, widow of the late Don Abel Stearns. It is only partially under cultiva- tion.
Regarding the early history of San Antonio Rancho we find the following in the " llistorical Sketch of Los Angeles County":
In 1855. Dou Antonio Maria Lugo, owner of San Antonio Rancho, nearly thirty thousand acres, lying between Los Angeles City and San Gabriel river, and finally granted to him in 1838, partitioned the same --- reserving a homestead for himmell'-among his sons, Jose Maria, Felipe, Jose del Carmen. Vicente, Jose Antonio, and daughters, Dona Vicenta Perez, Dona Maria Antonio Yorba, and Dona Merced Foster. In 1860, Dona Merced Foster and Don Vicente Lugo sold their respective portions to parties who immediately resorted to sub-division and sales in small lots. The first deed is from Isaac Heiman, dated June 21, 1865, to David Ward; followed by several other sales in 1865 and 1866 to Jameson und others.
As a rule, the ranches in this township are small, varying in size from forty to two thousand acres.
General John H. Shields (to whom we are . principally indebted for 'our information regarding this township) esti- muates that three-fourths of the western portion of the township is this year under crop. This estimate includes all that body of land lying between the Wilmington branch of the Southern Pacific Railroad on the east, aud La Ballona township on the west. The principal crops this year "(1880) are corn, barley, Irish potatoes, pumpkins, beets and alfalfa; the heaviest erop being corn. Odessa and Sonora wheats are being tried this season by several parties, but so far this is only an experiment. Sweet potatoes do remarkably well in this neighborhood. Upon an acre and a quarter of sandy land, General Shields (in 1875) raised one thousand bushels. Unfortunately, for want of a market, the crop proved nearly worthless, and was fed to his hogs. Castor beaus have been raised in the township quite successfully, but are not now much grown.
FLORENCE
Is a station on the Los Angeles and Wilmington Railroad. A post-olhice was established at this point in 1877, and the settle- ment at present includes some sixty farms, the settlers being principally American. The last vote of the precinet was one hundred and twenty, indicating a probable population of say
six hundred. There is here a small railroad depot, school-house, blacksmith shop, etc.
Here Nature and civilization, as it were, join. Through Gen- eral Shields' north windows shrills daily the shriek of the locomotive, while at night, bands of howling coyotes serenade him on the south. Upon the north, adjoining his property. forty-acre tracts extend into Los Angeles City, and on his southern. boundary lies a two-thousand-acre tract of yet unbroken virgin prairie.
There is a Methodist Church at Florence, erected in 1875, at a cost of about three thousand dollars. The present minister is Rev. - Hough, who was preceded hy Rev. - Campbell. A literary society meets weekly in the school-house.
THE STATE OF MAINE.
There is a settlement lying just west of the forks of the railroad known locally as "The State of Maine," having been settled some six or seven years ago by Maine people prinei- pally. The farms in this settlement are all sinall, ranging from twenty to forty acres, devoted to general produce, fruits, etc. Each raises a little of everything, and the general pros- perity of the settlement proves the small-farm system to be a success. There are about a dozen families now in the settle- ment.
Such was the information furnisbed to us by General Shields. and driving to the place' indicated we gleaned the following facts from the settlers themselves :-
R. B. Russell, Josiah F. Durrell and Jacob G. Hathorn were the pioneers of what is known as the Maine settlement. In the early part of 1869 these gentlemen came to the Pacifie eoast from Somerset county, Maine, in search of land whereon to establish a Maine colony. They purchased two hundred acres of the Tajanta Ranch, and the following summer the remainder of the colonists followed. This land was divided into tracts of from thirty to sixty aeres, and there are now resident upon the original purchase and land adjacent thereto some sixteen families, about half of whom are from Maine and related to each other.
Upon these small farms barley, corn and alfalfa are the prin- cipal erops, but everything grown is fed to hogs, which are the real product of the settlement. These are sold on foot. The number of hogs raised on these small farms vary from fifty to two hundred head each. Nearly every farm has an artesian well. The land does not as a rule require irrigation. North- ern and temperate fruits thrive, but the land is too cold and there is too much frost for oranges. Apples do splendidly and are of first-class quality. Alfalfa grows from six to seven erops in the season without irrigation. Ten tons to the aere during the season is frequently harvested.
Throughout San Antonio township are scattered several
small vineyards varying from one to ten acres each. The white muscat of Alexandria does well, but the land seems to be best adapted to the stronger varieties, for use in wines aud brandies. The grapes are marketed principally in Los Angeles, and no wine or brandy is manufactured in the township.
FOREST CULTURE.
R. Nadeau has two extensive Australian blue gum groves in this township, comprising some eighty acres. These were planted about five years ago and the trees are now fromn thirty to forty feet high. They are being cut for fire-wood, and the stumps are rapidly sprouting a second crop.
A. Bullock has a grove of about forty acres of blue gum near the San Gabriel river. The Forest Grove Association has about sixty acres, planted in 1873 The crop is said to average fifty dollars per acre at five years. The value of tho second crop has not yet been demonstrated.
DAIRIES.
Frank J. Barretto has a dairy on the west bank of the San Gabriel river, within San Antonio township, established in the fall of 1876. His place is known as " The Forest Grove and Jersey Stock Farm." His dairy stock are all thoroughbred Jersey cattle, imported by him from the East, and bred with great care. He has at present some thirty cows, and makes a quality of butter which always commands an extra price.
In less than three years Mr. Barretto's head of Jersey cattle has nearly trebled by natural inercasc. The heifers breed at two years, and the calves are raised by haud. His entire herd of milkers average a pound of butter a day for ten months, the feed being largely pumpkins and alfalfa. He claims that the Jersey cattle are by far the most profitable as butter-makers, though perhaps not large enough for beef. He claims further, that the Jersey cattle are the most hardy, and the most easily acclimated to various climates, of all known domestic cattle. This herd has taken quite a number of State and county pre- miums.
John J. Bullis has a dairy and cheese factory in the southeru part of San Antonio township, established February 1, 1877. He milks ninety cows, and his buildings and machinery for dairy purposes cost some one thousand two hundred dollars. In addition to the milk of his own stock, he works up a large quantity from neighboring ranehes-some six thousands pounds of milk per week in all, and turns out about four thousand nine hundred pounds of cheese per week. His principal mar- ket is Arizona, and the net price of his cheese averages eleven and one-half eents per pound. His dairy is known as
THE STAR DAIRY CHEESE COMPANY,
And he furnishes us the following additional information regarding the history of the enterprise :-
-
RESIDENCE OF JAS.W. LANDELL, CENTRALIA, ANAHEIM T!, LOS ANGELES Cº, CAL.
DOLINES OF THOMPSON I WEST.
139
HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
The business first opened under the firm name and style of Bullis & Walker February 1, 1877. At that time we purchased the milk direct, and carried on our own business. This mode continued until February 24, 1880, when it was turned into a joint stock company, with J. J. Bullis as manager, Mr. Walker having retired September 25, 1879, this ranch and buildings aud machinery belonging to Mr. Bullis. He receives two cents per pound for making and delivering to the commission mer- chant in Los Angeles, E. Germain, who sells on account of the company. We deem the prices remunerative, and expect it to become the leading industry of the low lands of southern Cali- fornia.
- Moore has a dairy of about forty cows, near the june- tion of the Anaheim and Wilmington railroad branches. He markets the milk in Los Angeles.
- Quimby has a dairy of some fifty eows also in this neighborhood. Markets the milk also in Los Angeles.
SHEEP.
Colonel R. S. Baker, of the Laguna Ranch, is the largest sheep owner in the township, having about ten thousand head.
In the southern portion of the township lies a tract of uneul- tivated land (two thousand aeres), owned by R. Tweedy. This was used as a sheep-walk until quite recently, but the sheep have lately been taken to Arizona, and the land is being broken up for barley. Only about three thousand head remain thereon, and there are a few other small bands in the town- ship, the whole number not exceeding twenty thousand, includ- ing those belonging to Colonel Baker.
HOGS.
The principal hog raisers of San Antonio township are :--
Ramsaur Brothers have on hand some seven hundred head of stock hogs. They market from four hundred to five hun- dred every year, and during the past three years in this county have realized from two and a half to five cents per pound on foot at their ranch.
B. Browning has some three hundred head of stock hogs. He markets about one hundred and fifty each year. Has been here about six years in that business.
R. B. Russell, Josiah Durrell, John Willie, and - Carpen- ter market each about one hundred licad a year.
There are a good many smaller growers, in addition to the above.
ARTESIAN WELLS,
There is but little irrigation done in San Antonio township, though much of the land, especially in the northern portion of the township, would be benefited thereby. The only means for this would be by artesian water. There are several arte- sian wells in the township, but very few of them are flowing
wells. Mr. Nadeau has an artesian well west of the railroad junction, from which twenty thousand gallons per hour is fre- quently pumped by means of a windmill. There are several flowing wells in the Maine settlement. Captain Tompkinson has a well north-west of the junction from which, with a steam pump, he claims to raise seventy thousand gallons of water per hour.
E. Hollenbeck, near General Shields' place, has the deepest artesian well in southern California -one thousand feet; The water comes within a few feet of the surface.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
WILMINGTON TOWNSHIP.
The Original Grants in Wilmington Township-Stock-Horses-Cattle- Sheep-Dairies-Crops-Wheat-Barley-Fruit-Water-The First Ar- tesian Well-Compton, its History and Present Comlition-Wilmington- Old San Pedro Harbor, and Reminiscences Thereof-Early Reports of Engineers-Light-house-Improvement of the Harbor-The Breakwater- Old San Pedro Town-Lindville-Wharfs and Warehouses-Major P II. Downing's History of Wilmington-MePherson's Sketch Thereof -The Town of Wilmington, Past and Present-Current Events-l'resent Con- dit'on of the Town-Educational-The Wilson College-Churches-So- cieties-Fire Department.
WILMINGTON township contains two large grants of land, entitled respectively Rancho San Pedro and Rancho Los Palos Verdes, also small portions of the San Antonio and Tajanta Ranchos. The San Pedro Raneh was patented to Don Manuel Dominguez in 1859, and he still owns some twenty-one thou- sand aeres thereof. Three hundred acres of this is under eulti- vation, but the rest he uses as a sheep pasturage.
Rancho Los Palos Verdes has, up to within a few years, been used solely for pasturage. About one-half of it is suitable for small grains. The north-easterly portion of the raneh is level, but that portion lying adjacent to the ocean is high, rolling and mountainous.
STOCK.
There are some small bands of horses, also of cattle in the township, but none of very great importance.
Of sheep there are a great many. Mr. L. Bixby estimates the number on Los Palos Verdes Ranch alone at from sixty thousand to seventy-five thousand. They are kept here only during the green season. On the San Pedro Ranch Messrs. Dominguez and Carson have about eleven thousand head. Domingo Amestory thirty thousand, and Pedro Larondo ten thousand. These are principally Spanish merino and thorough- bred merino sheep. They are sheared twice a year, and the average annual elip is eight pounds to each sheep. The price
fluctuates from eleven cents to forty-eight cents per pound. Mr. Carson employs about thirty shearers at each shearing season. He pays four cents and a half each sheep, and the average is forty head a day to cach man They are all Mexi- cans : these make the best shearers.
A large number of hogs are raised in the neighborhood of Compton. Messrs. Abbett and Mayo market each about four lundred head per year, and several others from fifty to one hundred and fifty yearly.
DAIRIES.
Josiah J. Harshman conducts a cheese factory at Compton. which was established in February, 1880. The factory is sup- ported by the farmers of the neighborhood, who supply milk to the amount of three thousand pounds (eight pounds to one gallon) per day, on the average.
An account is kept with each farmer, und when the cheese is marketed they are paid the amount according to the milk received from each, Mr. Harshman first dedneting two and three-fourths cents per pound (of chiese) as his sharo of the profits. The factory is fitted up with vats, steam engine, and all appliances, at an aggregate cost of thirteen hundred dollars. Mr. Harshman personally manufactures and attends to ull sales. His principal market is Los Angeles, but he also ships to Arizona.
Win. Steele, near Compton, has about one hundred cows. lle sells the milk to the cheese factory. Several other ranches are making butter, the price of this commodity buving appre- ciated since the commencement of cheese manufacture.
CROPS.
For corn and late erops, most of the land in this township requires irrigation; this is not necessary for small grains.
So far corn and barley have been the principal crops. The low lands are now being largely used for the growth of alfalfa for dairy purposes, and this is found to pay even better than growing grain.
Wheat is only an experiment as yet. Odessa wheat, where tried, has done well, but this, Mr. Compton claims, is too dark in color for the American market, and must be sold in Europe where consumers are not so critical. This season many thou- sand acres have been put in, and if it proves a success, the value of land in this township will assuredly appreciate.
Mr. William Briggs furnishes us with the following informna- tion :-
Lying north of Los Palos Verdes Ranch is a traet of seven hundred and fifty aeres, originally forming part of the San Pedro Ranch, but now owned by the heirs of Geo. Odin, deceased. This whole traet is now under wheat and barley as follows :-
140
HISTORY OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
FRUIT.
The principal fruits grown in Wilmington township so far, include all known varieties of northern and temperate fruits, but the land is too cold, and the winters too frosty for citrus fruits, though a few oranges have been raised.
The widow Sepulveda has a small orchard of oranges, limes, figs, grapes, pomegranates, etc., on Los Palos Verdes Ranch near San Pedro, which do exceedingly well.
Much of the arable land ou both ranches is suitable for semi-tropical and temperate fruits, but wind-breaks are neees- sary to keep off the strong ocean winds.
Grapes do well, but what few vineyards there are, are small. -Wadkins has forty acres under vineyard at Wilmington. -Wilson has ten acres. There are severel others of a few acres each.
WATER.
The Sau Gabriel river flows water past the San Pedro Ranch most of the year ; the Los Angeles river (which here joins the San Gabriel), only sometimes in the winter season.
On the eastern part of Los Palos Verdes Ranch, is a lake of brackish water, containing an area of four hundred acres. There are several smaller lakes in this neighborhood.
The first artesian water in the county was struck in this township in 1868. We find the following note regarding it in the "Centennial Sketch of Los Angeles County:"-
This was the year, too, in which the first successful artesian well was hored in the county. A fair flow of water was obtained upon the mesa lands about six miles back of Wilmington. Tbe well was sunk upon the property of Messrs. Downey & Hellman. So great a curiosity was it considered that the stages turned aside from the road to give passengers a sight of it.
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