USA > California > Los Angeles County > History of Los Angeles county, Volume I > Part 24
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Other parties of Americans found their way from New Mexico to California at different times in the third and fourth decades of the nine- teenth century, numbers of whom became permanent residents of Los Angeles.
Richard Laughlin and Nathaniel Pryor, both of whom died in Los Angeles, and Jesse Ferguson, who lived here many years, came from New
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Mexico, by way of the Gila River, in 1828. In 1831, a Mr. Jackson, who had been one of the firm of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company, and a partner of Jedediah S. Smith, came to Los Angeles from Santa Fe for the purpose of buying mules for the Louisiana market. He returned to New Mexico with the mules he purchased. With him came J. J. Warner, who remained in this place. A Mr. Bowman, known here as Joaquin Bowman, was one of J. S. Smith's men. He died at San Gabriel, after having been the miller at the Mission Mill for many years.
In the winter of 1832-33 a small party of Americans from New Mexico came over the Gila River route into Los Angeles. In this small party came Joseph Paulding, who, in 1833 and 1834, made the first two billiard tables of mahogany wood made in California. The first was made for George Rice, and the second for John Rhea, both Americans. Mr. Rice came to California about 1827, from the Sandwich Islands. Mr. Rhea was from North Carolina, and came with Mr. Wolfskill.
Lemuel Carpenter, of Missouri, was also of this party, and established a soap manufactory on the right bank of the San Gabriel River, not far from the present road to Los Nietos. Subsequently he became the pro- prietor of the Santa Gertrudes Ranch, where he died. Wm. Chard was also of this party. After residing in this city some years and planting a vine- yard, he removed to the Sacramento Valley. A Mr. Sill, who also settled in the Sacramento Valley, was of this party.
Ewing Young came into Los Angeles from New Mexico in March, 1832, with a trapping party of about thirty men. On this occasion he came down the Gila River. With him in this party came a number of men who took up their residence in California ; of which number Isaac Williams was a prominent citizen of Los Angeles City for about ten years, when he established himself at the Chino Ranch as a farmer and stock-breeder. He continued to reside there until his death in September, 1856. Moses Carson, a brother of the renowned Kit Carson, came with Young at this time. After residing here a number of years, he removed to Russian River in this state.
The Town of Los Angeles, from its settlement onward, for more than fifty years, had a population greater than any other of the towns of Cali- fornia. The first census of which there are any records was taken in 1836, and the sum total of inhabitants of the city and country over which the authorities of the city exercised jurisdiction, which country included the whole of the County of Los Angeles, except San Juan Capistrano, which at that time was attached to the District of San Diego, was 2,228. Of this number 553 were domesticated Indians.
This census gives the number of forty-six of the residents of Los Angeles as foreigners, and of these twenty-one are classed as Americans.
In the list of the officers of the last "Ayuntamiento," or city govern- ment, of Los Angeles under Mexican rule, we find the following dis- tinguished names: First alcalde and president, Abel Stearns; second alcalde, Ignacio del Valle; regidores, David W. Alexander, Benjamin D. Wilson, Jose L. Sepulveda, Manuel Garfias ; sindico, Francisco Figueroa ; secretary, Jesus Guirado.
Upon going out of office as alcalde in 1849, Stephen C. Foster was appointed prefect by Governor Bennett Riley. This was a stormy period
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for officers of the city; the records show that their duty was well per- formed. To the care of Prefect Foster and Alcalde Stearns then-and to the first named gentleman since-are we much indebted for the preser- vation of the city and county archives, and for the admirable order of arrangement in which they are found.
From the year 1836, or a year or two before, Abel Stearns had always figured through their local administrations, in one manner or another, beneficially to the people. He was born at Salem, Massachusetts ; spent considerable time in Mexico; came to Los Angeles in 1828; his business a merchant. His fortune seems to have begun about 1842. He obtained several large grants of land in this county and elsewhere. He was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1849, and of the State Legis- lature ; always a prominent and useful citizen until his death at San Fran- cisco, August 23, 1871, at the age of seventy-two years. He married Dona Arcadia, daughter of Don Juan Bandini.
Dona Ysidora, also a daughter of Don Juan Bandini, was married to Col. Cave J. Couts, April 4, 1851. Colonel Couts is before mentioned as lieutenant in Major Graham's command. He resigned his commission in November following; established the Rancho of Guajome, in San Diego County. He died wealthy, at the City of San Diego, June 10, 1874, leaving his widow, four daughters and four sons.
Don Juan Bandini came to California in 1819, and for many years filled a considerable space in the public view. He was administrator of the Mission San Gabriel in 1839; one of the Ayuntamiento of Los Angeles in 1844; a member of the Departmental Assembly at its suspension, on the approach of the United States forces, August 10, 1846, but at that date was at home in San Diego. He had partly written a history of California at the time of his death, which took place at this city Novem- ber 2, 1859, at the age of fifty-nine years. He was a profound thinker, a clear, forcible writer. Don Juan was twice married; his first wife, Dona Dolores Estudillo, daughter of Don Jose Estudillo, formerly the distinguished military commander of. Monterey; his second, Dona Refugio Arguello. Both ladies possessed singular beauty. Of the first marriage were Mrs. Robert S. Baker, Mrs. Couts, Mrs. Pedro C. Carrillo, and two sons, Jose Maria Bandini and Juanito Bandini. Of the second were Mrs. Charles R. Johnson, Mrs. Dr. James; B. Winston, and three sons, Juan de la Cruz Bandini, Alfredo Bandini, and Arturo Bandini.
From an old record also we rescue another pleasant narrative that runs something as follows :
With the people of Los Angeles 1850 was a year of enjoyment, rather than of earnest pursuit of riches. Money was abundant. All sought to make the most of the pleasures of life, as it seemed. They were passionately fond of the turf. They might justly boast of their horses, which had sometimes drawn applause at the capital of Mexico.
August 16, 1851, Don Pio Pico and Compadre Teodosio Yorba gave their printed challenge "to the North" with bold defiance-"The glove is thrown down, let him who will take it up" -- for a nine-mile race, or four and a half and repeat, the stake 1,000 head of cattle worth $20 per head, and $2,000 in money ; with a codicil, as it were, for two other races, one of two leagues out and back, the other of 500 varas-$2,000 and 200 head of
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full grown cattle bet on each race. March 21st following, the nine mile heat was run two miles south of the city, between the Sydney mare, Black Swan, backed by Don Jose Sepulveda, and the California horse, Sarco, staked by Don Pio Pico and Don Teodosio, the challengers. The mare won by 75 yards in 19 minutes and 20 seconds. Sarco, the previous spring, had run 9 Mexican miles in 18 minutes 46 seconds. Not less than $50,000 must have changed hands.
More deserves to be said of what the Californians tell of this exciting race. April 2d the American mare, Nubbins, beat the American horse, Bear Meat, on the Wolfskill track 10 feet-distance 400 yards-for 400 cows. The year before Don Jose Sepulveda's California horse beat Don Pio's American horse half a length, for $2,000 in money and 500 head of cattle. Probably the carera is still talked of at Santa Barbara, when Francisco Noriega's horse, Beuv de Tango, beat Alfred Robinson's horse, Old Breeches, with a change of $20,000 among hands.
In 1852 Don Andres Pico and Don Jose Sepulveda had two races, one for $1,000, the other for $1,600 and 300 head of cattle. October 20th was the exciting day of Don Jose's favorite, Canelo, backed by Don Fernando Sepulveda, and of Alisan, a Santa Barbara horse, backed by Don Andres Pico-for 300 head of cattle and $1,600 a side; 400 yards; Canelo came out winner half a length.
The New Year's ball at Don Abel Stearns, "where all the beauty and elegance of the city," says the editor in mellifluous Spanish, "contributed that night to give splendor to the dance," was followed on the tenth by two races. The end of Lent, and all the grander festivals were partly enjoyed in this way.
In 1853 was to be run the race of Ito, brought 700 miles, against Fred Coy, stake $10,000. The natives were cautious and it was forfeited ; but in March Moore & Brady's horse. John Smith, beat Powell's mare, Sarah Jane, for $2,100, by about a length. In February, 1857, Don Jose Sepulveda's horse, Pinto, easily beat Don Pio's Dick Johnson at San Gabriel, for $3,000; and March 5th, Don Jose beat the Gonzalez brothers at San Fernando for $2,000.
Through the later years heavier stakes than any we have men- tioned were lost and won by Don Juan Aliba and others, except, per- haps, that of Black Swan and Sarco. Of a very early day some of the races occupy many pages of the archives. One tasked the best ability, as alcalde, of the venerable Don Manuel Dominguez ; one drew out a profound decision of Don Jose Antonio Carrillo, of the Supreme Court. The governor did not disdain to lay down rules for racing. In his manuscript diary we have the authority of Mr. Francis Mellus, visiting Los Angeles from one of the Boston ships at San Pedro, for the race of Moses Carson, brother of Kit Carson, on January 20, 1840. Moses had a heavy bet on two races for that day. The first he won, despite the salt that-for luck-had been put in all the holes of the stakes on the course, and of the little bag of salt and wax candle and silk cotton astutely concealed in the name of the opposing horse. But it ruined Moses' reputation, and mayhap damaged his purse. He was set down as an hechicero (sorcerer) by his Sonoranian antagonist, and the second race fell through.
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The first three American families permanently settled in the city, in 1850, were those of J. G. Nichols, J. S. Mallard and Louis Granger. John Gregg, son of Mr. Nichols, was the first American boy born- April 15, 1851.
Among the novelties of a strange region, emigrants could not fail to notice the vivacity and robustness of the native-born children, and the large proportion of persons of an advanced age. April 24, 1858, died at Santa Ana, Dona Guadalupe Romero, aged 115 years, leaving a son, in the city, upwards of 75 years. She came here in 1771, wife of a soldier named Moreno.
Where Downey Block stands, we miss the time worn, little old gentleman who was wont to sit there all day before the humble adobe ---- cared for by two faithful daughters, after the mother had left the scene. A soldier of by-gone days, to judge from the antique dress which he delighted to wear; in the same he was buried, at the age of ninety-two years, July 29, 1859. This was Don Antonio Valdez, who had served at San Diego, San Gabriel and Santa Barbara, and in many an Indian chase or combat.
The men appeared to fine advantage in showy old style ranchero attire, on their gay and spirited horses. Of the ladies, few words might scarce reflect the true judgment of a stranger ; certes, it was admira- tion of elegance and naivete and kindness, all with good sense and wit so happily blended, by some rare gift of Nature. That venerable religious pile on the Plaza did not have pews. To see the ladies kneel- ing in vari-colored silks of that time-and their rebosas-what gor- geous garden imaginable of dahlia and tulip of every hue could charm half so much? Then a perpetual baile -- but 1850 is gone-or fashions have changed perhaps.
Under the sound policy adopted at the beginning for the disposition of pueblo lands, the natural course of business and family changes, the proprietorship of real property is much altered. Those of Spanish origin, who numbered 3,000 souls within the city, and about an equal number outside in the county, retained good agricultural tracts. Within the patent of the city were 17,752 acres. The increase of cul- ture of fruit trees-and ornamental too-was remarkable. In 1847 probably were set out 200 young walnut trees; only three bearing are remembered-one on the east side of Don Louis Vignes' place, one larger in the middle of the Pryor Vineyard, another, very large, of Claudia Lopez. The almond was unknown.
The county surveyor's report of January 1, 1876, gives fruit trees as follows : Quince, 1,425 ; apricot, 2,600 ; fig, 3,600; pear. 5,800; apple, 8,590; peach, 14,200; olive, 2,170; English walnut, 6,000; plum, 300; there were also cherries.
The value of the fruit crop of 1875 was $525,000. In January of that year the county had 1,100 trees. Compared with the meager agricultural crops from 1847 to 1855, the return for 1875 is: Beans, 24,400 bushels ; onions, 28,350; buckwheat, 1,350; rye, 11,760; wheat, 20,000; barley, 415,950; corn, 639,000; and a respectable showing of hops, tobacco, etc. Hay amounted to 10,250 tons. The enclosed land was 47,500 acres; total in cultivation 64,500 acres, of which 4,590
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were in grape vines. Add, of honey, 571,230 pounds. O. W. Childs, in 1856, introduced bees. He paid $100, in San Francisco, for one hive and swarm.
In 1850 there was one pepper tree, lofty and wide-branching, over the adobe house of an old lady living near the hills a short distance north of the Plaza, the seeds of which came from a tree in the court of the Mission of San Luis Rey. In 1861 John Temple planted a row of pepper trees in front of his Main Street store. This the utilitarian woodman has not spared. But all the city is adorned with this graceful tree; and flowers of every name and clime-to rival an undying fragrance of the solitary Rose of Castile twenty years and more ago.
Of other trees that flourish now splendidly, William Rubottom of Spadra introduced pecans; William Wolfskill, persimmons; O. W. Childs, in 1856, black walnut-the seed from New York. About the same time H. P. Dorsey planted black walnut successfully at San Gabriel. In 1855 Solomon Lazard imported seeds of the Italian chest- nut from Bourdeaux, France, which Wm. Wolfskill planted at his homestead, and afterward gave two of the trees to H. C. Cardwell. These trees, afterward large and productive, were long seen at O. W. Child's place. J. L. Sansevaine also brought chestnut seeds from France, about 1855.
As in older times, every full moon in 1850 the country was invaded by the Yutahs, under their famous chief, Walker, to steal horses. Expedition sent after him were in general unsuccessful, now and then unfortunate ; as happened in June, when he took off seventy odd of the best horses of Don Jose Maria Lugo, near the present Town of Colton. One of the pursuing party was killed by him. Before that the New Mexicans of Agua Mansa had been a barrier to the incursions of these Indians, without always preventing them. In this year a volunteer company was raised by General Bean, owing to hostile demonstrations by the Cahuillas of San Gorgonio. About June the "Irving party" of eleven men were killed by the Indians in the cañada of Doña Maria Armenta. One only of the original twelve escaped, in the friendly shelter of some bushes. Juan Antonio, chief, had the boldness to offer fight to Bean.
The rising of Antonio Garra, chief of the Agua Caliente, in the fall of 1851, spread fear through Los Angeles of a general insurrection, from San Diego to Tulare. The danger soon passed away. The regulars and San Diego volunteers were under Capt. George Fitz- gerald. Gen. J. H. Bean commanded the Los Angeles volunteers ; Myron Norton, colonel and chief of staffs; S. Bolivar Cox and B. S. Eaton, corporals. Hon. H. C. Rolfe, Wm. Nordholdt-and many who are dead-were in service on the occasion.
Estimable for many virtues, General Bean met an untimely end at San Gabriel, September 9, 1852. Our exposed position for a long time thereafter, in the Kern River and Mojave wars, and other troubles, kept amongst us officers of the U. S. army; and not seldom in active service. They possessed the regard of the people-Col. B. Beall, Majors E. H. Fitzgerald and George R. Blake, Captains Davidson and Lovell and Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock.
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Lively recollections there are of the splendid band of the Second Dragoons, Fort Tejon, that made more joyous the "Fourth of July, 1855," with General Banning as orator of the day; again, when Hon. Myron Norton, in 1857, stirred up patriotic feelings. The day had been kept from the beginning. Maj. E. H. Fitzgerald lies in the Catholic Cemetery, Los Angeles. He died January 9, 1860, of consumption. A quarter of a century, whereof reminiscences come involuntarily, is worthy of review. A record of crime must have attended this progress in manners and government. For one reason or another the people felt compelled often "to take the law into their own hands." Those moral tempests which agitated the community to its depths, slumber, we trust, to rise no more, in this better social condition.
Let us make a diary of a year or two: 1851, May 24th, came news of the Stockton fire, on the 14th ; loss over $1,000,000. June 11th, Col. J. C. Fremont's visit created an agreeable sensation; 17th, died, Miss Rosa Coronel; 19th, feast of Corpus Christi was celebrated with great pomp; July Fourth passed off with great enthusiasm; July 6th, Elder Parley P. Pratt held forth at the courthouse; 19th, witnessed a performance of "The Rough and Ready Theater," Herr Ritter, manager, and the critic observes-"When Richmond was conquered and laid off for dead, the spectators gave the King a smile of decided approval." August 23d, Hon. W. M. Gwinn, U. S. Senator, was sojourning amongst us. Septem- ber 1st, city lots sold at auction at from $20 to $31 each, purchaser to have choice. September 2d, died, Doña Maria Ignacio Amador, aged ninety-one years; 7th, Doña Felipa Dominguez, wife of Don Bernardo Yorba; 17th, Matilda Lanfranco, at fourteen; and 21st, at eighty-eight, Doña Ysabel Guirado. October 5th, D. W. Alexander started for Europe. November 1st, Nicolas Blair, a Hungarian, married Miss Maria Jesus Bouchet. November 8th was the first meeting of the Free and Accepted Masons at the Botica. The same day was published the marriage of William J. Graves to Miss Soledad Pico at San Luis Obispo, on October 20th. November 20th, at the Puente, aged forty years, died Doña Incarnacion Martinez, wife of John Roland. Of her it is said truly: "Many will remember with what zeal she ministered to the weary traveler, with what care and anxiety she watched the sickbed-feeding the hungry and be- friending the friendless. Her whole life was an exemplification of that enthusiasm in doing good which so particularly characterizes the christian woman." December 14th were married Don Ignacio del Valle and Miss Ysabel Barrela. December 22d, "Forefathers' Day," rejoiced thirty gentle- men by the presence of ladies and a supper at Monrow's with toasts, songs and speeches. December 27, 1851, Antonio Garra was executed at Chino by sentence of court martial, for insurrection November 23d at Warner's rancho, for the murder of American invalids Ridgley, Manning, Slack and Fiddler.
Some of the property holders of 1851 were as follows, with the assessed value of property : Eulogio de Celis, 100,000 acres, $13,000; Jose Sepul- veda, 102,000 acres, $83,000; John Temple, 20,000 acres, $79,000; Ber- nardo Yorba, 37,000 acres, $37,000; Antonio Maria Lugo, 29,000 acres, $72,000; John Foster, 61,000 acres, $13,000; Abel Stearns, 14,000 acres, $70,000; Pio Pico, 22,000 acres, $31,000; John Roland, 20,000 acres,
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$70,000; Wm. Wolfskill, 1,100 acres, $10,000; Antonio Ignacio Abila, 19,000 acres, $14,000; Isaac Williams, $35,000; Ricardo Vejar, $34,000.
Surely it is interesting to look back into the mists of these old times. We are loathe to drop the subject, and so we are going to give some more reminiscences. Let us hear from Prof. H. D. Barrows, long a prominent and highly respected citizen of our city, an American, who told, once upon a time, what Los Angeles looked like to him when he came to it eighty years ago, and the changes that took place in it for some years after.
Professor Barrows said :
The first time that I ever heard that there was such a place as Los Angeles was in the summer of 1854, at Benicia, where, in buying some fruit, which at that time was both of indifferent quality and scarce as well as dear, a friend told me that Los Angeles grapes would, later, be in the market, and that they would be far superior to any other kind of fruit then to be had.
I arrived in Los Angeles December 12, 1854, and it has been my home ever since. I came from San Francisco on the steamer Goliath, in the company with the late William Wolfskill, the pioneer, and his nephew, John Wolfskill, the latter still a resident of this county. The fare on the steamer at that time was $40. Arriving at the port of San Pedro, we came ashore on a lighter, and from thence by stage to Los Angeles, where we arrived about noon.
The City of Los Angeles, when I first saw it, half a century ago, was a one-story, adobe town, of less than 5,000 inhabitants, a large portion of whom were of Spanish descent, and among whom, of course, Spanish customs and the use of the Spanish language prevailed. There were, I think, not to exceed three or four two-story buildings in the town.
Behold, what a magical change half a century has wrought. The popu- lation of the former Spanish pueblo or ciudad of 5,000 or less has risen to nearly 200,000 souls. The quaint, flat-roofed whitewashed houses, clustering around or near the Plaza, have given way to splendid fireproof, brick and steel blocks of two, three, five and ten stories ; and to picturesque, luxurious homes extending throughout and beyond the four square leagues of territory granted to the ancient pueblo by the king of Spain, under whose authority its foundations were laid by that wise Spanish governor, Don Felipe de Neve, nearly a century and a quarter ago.
When I first came here Los Angeles had but one Roman Catholic Church edifice, that fronting the Plaza; and not one Protestant or other church building. How many places of worship there are now, of the numerous religious sects of the city and county, I do not know.
There were then but two public schoolhouses in the city; one, on the site of the present Bryson Block, on Spring Street ; the other was located on the east side of Bath Street, north of the Plaza. Today there are I know not how many large, commodious school buildings scattered throughout the widely extended sections of the municipality, and the new ones are con- stantly being built to meet the pressing necessities of our rapidly increasing population. The number of pupils attending the two schools in '54 prob- ably did not exceed 200. The number of children between the ages of five and seventeen years who attended the public schools during the school year
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1903-1904, as reported by Superintendent Foshay, was 29,072; and of those who attended private schools 2,322 -- making the total number of both public and private school pupils, 31,394.
By the census of April, 1904, there were 35,411 children between the ages of five and fifteen, and 9,812 under five years; or, altogether, 45,223 children of seventeen years and under in Los Angeles one year ago. I think it a fair statement to say that at the present time there must be at least 50,000 children, and that the total population of the city must be not far from 200,000 (1900).
We had no high, polytechnic or normal schools in those early years. Los Angeles was so isolated from all the rest of the world, and so difficult of access, that first-class teachers were not easily obtained ; and when one was secured he or she was retained if possible by any reasonable increase of salary.
In the early '50s I think we had but one District (Superior) Court, presided over by Judge Benjamin Hayes, and later by Judge Publo de la Guerra of Santa Barbara, who in turn was succeeded by Judge Ygnacio Sepulveda, who later became connected with the United States Embassy at the City of Mexico. The former jurisdiction of this district included be- sides Los Angeles, the counties of San Diego and Santa Barbara. We had also a County Court, and Court of Sessions which was also a Probate Court, over which Judge W. G. Dryden presided for many years.
We had besides a U. S. District Court in the '50s, of which I. S. K. Ogier was the presiding judge. This southern district included all the southern part of the state extending to a line just north of the City of Santa Cruz. Sessions of this court were held alternately at Monterey and Los Angeles. In those early days of the '50s we had no horse or steam railroads or telegraphs. Electric roads, telephones, bicycles, automobiles and the like, so necessary to our recent modern life, were totally unknown.
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