USA > California > San Diego County > San Diego > History of San Diego, 1542-1908 : an account of the rise and progress of the pioneer settlement on the Pacific coast of the United States, Volume I > Part 10
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Name of Rancho. Owner. Grant Confirmed. Acres.
Santa Margarita and Las Flores
Pio & Andrés Pico
89,742.93
Ex-Mission of San
Diego
Santiago Argüello
1846 58,208.00
San Jacinto Nuevo . Miguel de Pedrorena 1846 48,823.67
El Cajon María Antonia Estudillo de
Pedrorena
48,799.34
Santa Rosa Juan Moreno.
Oct. 10, 1872
47,815.10
San Jacinto Viejo José Ant. Estudillo
1846
35,504.00
Cuyamaca Agustin Olvera
35,501.32
La Nacion (National
Rancho) John Forster Aug. 3, 1858
25,631.94
San José del Valle
(Warner's Ranch)
.. J. J. Warner .1846
26,629.88
Pauba
Luis Vignes Jan. 19, 1860
26,597.96
Temécula
Luis Vignes. Jan. 18, 1860
26,608.94
Sobrante de San Ja- cinto
Miguel de Pedrorena and Ro-
22,195.00
San Bernardo José Francisco Snook
17,763.07
Santa Ysabel José Joaquin Ortega et al .. May 4, 1872
17,719.40
Santa María (Valle
de Pamo) José Joaquin Ortega et al. July 30, 1872 17,708.85
San Vicente Juan Lopez 1846
13,539.96
La Laguna Abel Stearns. .Sept. 3, 1872
13,338.80
Monserrate Ysidro María Alvarado .. July 17, 1872
13,322.90
Valle de las Viejas
Ramon & Leandro Osuna. .1846
13,314.00
Agna Hedionda
Juan Maria Marron.
13,311.01
Panma
José Ant. Serrano, José Agui-
Guejito
lar, & Blas Aguilar. . Aug. 29, 1871 George W. Hamley .... May 24, 1866
13,298.59
Rincon del Diablo Heirs of Juan Bantista Alvarado
. May 3, 1872
12,653.77
San Felipe Juan Forster
Aug. 6, 1866
9,972.08
San Marcos José María Alvarado
8,978.29
Jamacha . Apolinaria Lorenzana
8,881.16
Jamul
Pio Pieo
8,876.00
La Jolla
S,872.00
San Dieguito
Juan Maria Osuna.
8,824.71
Peñasquitas Francisco Maria Ruiz & Fran-
cisco M. Alvarado.
8,486.01
Otay
Magdalena Estudillo et al. .1846
6,557.98
Tecate
Juan Bandini 4,439.00
Janal Vietoria Dominguez. .. June 30, 1872
4,436.00
Los Eneinitos
Andres Ybarra. .. . April 18, 1871
4,431.03
Island or Peninsula
Archibald C. Peachy Wil-
of San Diego liam H. Aspinwall. . June 11, 1869 4,185.46
Guajome Andrés & José Manuel (Indians) . ..
2,219.41
Buena Vista Felipe (an Indian)
2,219.08
sario E. de Aguirre
13,309.60
113
LIST OF LAND GRANTS
Potrero San Juan
Capistrano
1,167.74
El Cariso and La Cienega
1,167.00
Ex-Mission of San
Luis Rey
Bishop J. S. Alemany, March 10, 1865
53.39
Ex-Mission of San
Diego
Bishop Alemany . . . May 23, 1862 22.21
CHAPTER III
POLITICAL LIFE IN MEXICAN DAYS
LTHOUGH twenty-three Governors-ten Span- A ish and thirteen Mexican-ruled California before the days of American dominion, only two of these impressed themselves upon the history of San Diego. Governor Echeandía . loved the place so well that he virtually made it the capital during his administration, and Governor Pico was himself a San Diegan in whom his neighbors felt considerable pride. Several of the oth- ers appeared for a moment upon the stage of picturesque local life, but few exerted any influence upon the course of events in this neighborhood. It must be remembered that for sixty-six years San Diego lived under military rule and that it was not until the establishment of the pueblo in 1835 that civil govern- ment became dominant. Less than a dozen years then remained to the Mexican power, but this brief period was crowded with interesting political episodes. As we study the record. we are strongly reminded that the men of that time were of the same race as those who have made the turbulent politics of Central and South American states, for there is the same story of mimic wars and of the rise and fall of ambitious rulers. There were but few people to govern, but relatively many who desired to govern them, and the energies which Americans have given to the devel- opment of natural resources the Mexicans preferred to spend on the stormy field of politics.
When the Spanish flag went down, and gave place to the em- blem of Mexico, on April 20, 1822, the people of San Diego submitted gracefully, but without enthusiasm. Only far echoes of the revolutionary struggle had reached them during the pre- vions decade and their sympathies elung fondly to the Spanish tradition of the country. It is related that there was no flag- staff upon which to hoist the new colors; that the soldiers grum- bled because there was no distribution of money; and that the next day they ent off their quenes as an expression of their dis- gust. In December, the imperial commissioner. charged with the change of government in Upper California, stopped in San Diego for a week on his way home. but there is nothing to show that he transacted any business at this place. He gambled with a
115
ARRIVAL OF ECHEANDIA
rollicking priest, named Fernandez, quarreled with Santiago Argüello about it, and departed in an unhappy frame of mind.
It was in 1825 that General José María Echeandía, who was both political chief and military commandant of Upper and Lower California, arrived with a detachment of soldiers and a number of subordinates and established himself at the
1%
PIO PICO
A notable San Diego politician and last Mexican governor of California
Presidio. This was after the fall of the Emperor Iturbide and at the very outset of the effort to establish republican institu- tions. The task he had undertaken was by no means easy. The troops were destitute and mutinous; the old Spanish population was still unfriendly to the new order of things; and the region lacked capital and population and was far from prosperous.
Late in 1826. the governor ordered the election of five repre- sentatives to meet in San Diego for the purpose of choosing deputies charged with the duty of reorganizing the territorial assembly, as well as to select a member of the national congress. These representatives met in San Diego in February, 1827. They were Francisco de Haro. for San Francisco; Estévan Munras, for Monterey: Carlos A. Carrillo, for Santa Barbara;
116
HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO
Vicente Sanchez. for Los Angeles : and Augustin V. Zamorano, for San Diego. They chose Pablo de Sola as congressman, but doubts rose as to his eligibility and the vote was therefore recon- sidered and Captain José de la Guerra y Noriega chosen, instead, with Gervasio Argüello as substitute. De la Guerra y Noriega was a Spaniard. although he had left Spain when quite small. But the Mexican prejudice against Spaniards at that time was so great that, upon his arrival in Mexico, he was not only refused admission to the national assembly, but forced to hurry home in order to avoid serious trouble. Thus ungraciously did Mexico receive the first representative to the national assembly elected in Upper California. Argüello, the substitute, then took the seat and served out the term, in 1827-8. The San Diego assembly also chose seven members and three substitutes for the assembly which later convened at Monterey.
Echeandía's choice of San Diego as his capital was not popular with the people of the North. His attempt to hold a meeting of the assembly here in the spring of 1827 was barren of results. The members met, protested that San Diego was not conveniently situated for their purpose, and adjourned. In October of the same year they again met here, and chose four new members. Another futile session of the body was held at San Diego in January, 1829. Then the Governor issued a summons for a meeting at Monterey, but his call was ignored.
Early in November of this year, from causes arising largely out of the prevailing destitution and discontent of the military, the Solis insurrection broke out at Monterey. Echeandía ap- pears to have acted with vigor and moderation. He first con- vened a council of seven officers, whom he asked for a frank criticism of his administration. Fortified by their unanimous approval, and assured of the support of the inhabitants of San Diego, he set about his preparations for a campaign. Alfred Robinson was here at the time and gives some description of the bustle of preparation. Guns were repaired, swords sharp- ened, and lances manufactured. The troops departed on De- cember 1, with the governor at their head, and it was several weeks before news of his complete success, after an opera bouffe campaign at Santa Barbara and Monterey, reached San Diego.
Echeandía was disturbed no more by armed revolts, but encountered much opposition in his attempts to carry out the orders of the Mexican government directed against the Spanish population. A number of laws relative to the expulsion of all Spaniards who should refuse to take the oath of allegiance was passed. debarring them from office or employment until Spain should recognize the independence of Mexico. It was undoubt- edly intended that he should enforce these regulations and expel recalcitrants from the country, but he chose to put a
117
THE SOLIS REBELLION
more liberal interpretation upon his instructions. He pro- claimed the laws and published lists of resident Spaniards re- quired to take the oath, but does not appear to have used his power to persecute those who refused. Some of the missionaries surreptitiously fled the country, and others demanded passports and left openly, rather than submit. It appears that Echeandía regarded the presence of these stubborn missionaries as undesir- able, and even went so far as to ship Father Martinez, of San Luis Obispo, out of the country, after a council of war. on a charge of having given aid and comfort to the rebels in the Solis insurrection. He was also desirous of carrying out the wishes of his superiors with regard to the secularization of the missions, and discussed plans to that end, but no definite steps were taken during his administration. He did, however, issue a decree of partial emancipation of the neophytes, permitting such as had been Christians from childhood or for fifteen years. who were married or at least not minors, and who had some means of livelihood, to leave the missions.
Trade was brisk on the coast during Echeandia's adminis- tration, for it was a time when the hide and tallow business was rapidly growing in importance. In 1828, the revenue col- lected at San Diego was $34,000-nearly six times that at San Francisco. In July of that year, Captain John Bradshaw, of the Franklin, anchored in San Diego Bay after doing consider- able trading on the Lower California coast. A warning had come from Loreto, and he was accused of having been engaged in smuggling, and other offenses, although his supercargo, Rufus Perkins, had been allowed to travel overland from mission to mission. Bradshaw was ordered to deposit his cargo in the warehouse and await the investigation of these charges. He promised compliance, but returned to his ship and, once on board, refused to obey any orders given him and changed his anchorage to a point near the harbor entrance. The governor prepared to place a guard on the ship and applied to a French captain then in the port, Duhaut-Cilly, for the loan of a boat. The boat was loaned, but Bradshaw was also warned, and on the morning of the 16th of July he cut his cable and ran out of the harbor, passing the fort, although a shower of cannon balls was hurled after him. The Frenchman met Captain Bradshaw, later, at the Islands, where he learned that his hull had been perforated, rigging damaged, and the gallant captain himself wounded.
The Hawaiian brig Karimoko was also in trouble at San Diego, late in the fall. The records seem to make it clear that she was engaged in contraband trade, having a rendezvous on Catalina Island. Her sails were seized and Santiago Argüello was sent to the island to investigate and bring over the goods.
118
HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO
In the same year, an American named Lang, with two sailors and two Kanakas, was arrested in a boat near Todos Santos. The prisoners told a story about coming from the Sandwich Islands to settle in California; but as Lang's effects included a barrel-organ and two trunks of drygoods, they were confiscated and sold. Lang had previously been at San Diego and confided to a countryman that he was engaged in smuggling. These and other irregularities led to the closing of the way ports to foreign vessels and eaused considerable inconvenience to legitimate trad- ing ships.
In December, 1830, the rule of Eeheandía ended with the arrival of Colonel Manuel Victoria, the newly-appointed gov-
THE AQUIRRE HOUSE, OLD TOWN Later the parsonage owned by Father Ubach
ernor, at San Diego. Victoria proceeded north. where the transfer of office was made. With his coming the jurisdiction of l'pper and Lower California was divided and the governor's residence again removed to Monterey. The new governor was soon embroiled with his deputies in a fierce quarrel. He refused to convene the assembly, even when petitioned to do so by the members, and a bitter wrangle ensued in which Juan Bandini of San Diego, then substitute congressman for Upper California, and Pio Pico, senior vocal of the assembly from the same place, were involved, and incurred the governor's displeasure. It was claimed that Vietoria was setting up a military dictatorship and overriding the popular will. He was severe in the adminis- tration of justice and shocked the Californians by his striet enforcement of the law's penalties. He also quarrelled with many prominent men and sent a mimber of them into exile.
In November, 1831, Abel Stearns, a naturalized Mexican citizen, and José Antonio Carrillo, both of whom were among
119
FLIGHT OF VICTORIA
the men banished by Victoria, but neither of whom had gone farther than the frontier, secretly met in San Diego with Juan Bandini and Pio Pico, and laid plans for a revolt. Pico. Bandini, and Carrillo set out with fourteen men besides them- selves, seventeen in all, to seize the post. Bandini went to the house of Captain Argüello, where he found that officer and Lieutenant Valle playing cards. He presented first an apology and then a pair of pistols, and marched the two officers off to prison, where they found Commandant Portilla had preceded them. The troops gave no trouble. Echeandia was persuaded to head the movement, and soon all San Diego parties were agreed to make it unanimous. A long pronunciamento was drawn up, which Juan Bandini is credited with having written. Portilla was appointed commander, a force was mustered and marched northward and soon took possession of Los Angeles. Victoria had placed implicit confidence in Portilla, who had given him notice of the movement and promised to aid in its suppression.
The governor had left Monterey before learning of the revolt. and even upon his arrival at Santa Barbara seems to have re- ceived no accurate information of the nature and extent of the trouble. He started for Los Angeles with about thirty men, full of confidence in his ability to restore order without delay, and spent the night at San Fernando Mission. Next day, the 6th of December, Portilla moved out toward Cahuenga with about two hundred men, and was met by Victoria with his little band of thirty. A war of words ensued, followed by a brief conflict in which two men were killed, and then Echeandia's men fled. But Victoria, who had shown great personal bravery, was badly wounded and a few days later he surrendered to Echeandía and agreed to leave the country. This promise he kept, arriving in San Diego on the 27th and going at once on board the Pocahontas, with the Captain of which vessel Juan Bandini had made a contract to transport the exile to Mazatlan for $1,600, silver, in advance.'
On the way down the coast, Victoria had spent some days at San Luis Rey, and the venerable founder of that Mission, Father Antonio Peyri, decided to leave the country with him. He was among the Spanish friars who had suffered persecution under Echeandía, and now quit the country rather than submit further. The ship sailed on the 17th of January, 1832, and Echeandía remained acting governor until the meeting of the assembly at Los Angeles. Pio Pico was then chosen governor, in accordance with the plan drawn up at San Diego, but the officials of the pueblo of Los Angeles refused to recognize him and Echeandía. having paid no attention to the notice of his election, now thought it opportune to repudiate it and declared
120
HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO
Pico incompetent and his election illegal. Pico was governor twenty days, and then the matter was referred to the national government, and in the meantime Echeandía continued to act.
A new rebellion now broke out at Monterey, headed by Cap- tain Zamorano, in which quite a number of foreign residents were involved. After a wordy warfare, the deputies met at San Diego in March at Eeheandía's call, to consider the state of the country. The net result of this meeting seems to have been a circular letter to the governing bodies of the pueblos asking them to preserve order, to recognize the assembly. and to dis-
AUGUSTIN V. ZAMORANO For many years prominent in Spanish politics in San Diego.
regard the junta of the north. The disaffection continued to spread, however, and in a short time the hostile parties were arming and drilling recruits for war. The neophytes at San Luis Rey were adherents of Echeandia, and came into eamp in large numbers. In April he marehed north with about a thousand Indians, but a truce was arranged by which the politieal jurisdiction was divided between the two leaders and the assembly left with no power whatever.
On May 15, 1832, the assembly again met at San Diego and reviewed the exciting events of the year in an address to the
121
THE HIJAR COLONY
president of the republic, especially condemning Zamorano. In the spring of 1832, General José Figueroa was appointed governor, but he had an adventurous trip up the coast and did not reach Monterey until the middle of January, 1833. With his assumption of office. San Diego ceased to figure as the political headquarters of Upper California. Echeandía wel- comed the new governor and laid down the cares of office, with joy. He gave Figueroa valuable aid in the early days of his administration, but was required to report to Mexico, and sailed from San Diego May 14, 1833, and never returned. He lived for nearly forty years longer in Mexico, supporting himself by his profession of civil engineer.
The estimates of his publie services as well as of his character, vary with the point of view of the writers. As an administrator he was inefficient, but personally he was both dignified and affable. The early American traders regarded him as a man of undecided character, who tried to please everybody; but he seems to have had strong republican views which he stubbornly strove to carry out in his administration. He is described as a tall, gaunt personage, full of true Spanish dignity.
San Diego was never the capital of Upper California in the proper sense of the term. The political events here during the thirties were due simply to the fact that Governor Echeandia preferred it as a residence and chose to order the assembly to meet here. It was, however, for a few years during and following Echeandía's administration, a hotbed of political activity.
In 1831, the first revolution, which ended in the expulsion of Victoria, began here, as related. One cause of this politieal activity seems to have been a local jealousy between the north- ern and southern establishments. The people of San Diego naturally desired a continuance of the arrangement by which their town served as the capital, and many of the disturbances of the time arose over such questions as the maintenance of a custom house at the port. Monterey was offended by Echeandía's action, as well as by the choice of congressional representatives from the south. San Diego was gratified by the selection of Pio Pico as Governor in 1832 and again in 1845.
On the 1st of September, 1834, the brig Natalie arrived at San Diego, having on board Juan Bandini and Señor Híjar, with a portion of the political colony sent by the Vice-President of the Mexican republic, Gomez Farias. Bandini had gone south in May, in time to fall in with the plans of Farias and Híjar. The failure of the enterprise is a matter of history, but does not belong peculiarly to San Diego; our interest in it relates to the brief entertainment of the party here, and to the disappointment
122
HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO
of Bandini at the outcome. None of his larger political ambi- tions, of which he had many, were ever realized.
The Natalie is said to have been the vessel in which Napoleon made his escape from the island of Elba. She was afterward wrecked by being driven on the beach at Monterey in a storm, December 21, 1834, and went to pieces. The passengers in Híjar's colony numbered between 130 and 140. For two days the families were sheltered in the hide houses at La Playa, and fed by the owners of the hide houses. They were detained in quarantine for fear of measles, and a number died and were buried at the Mission. Hijar and his friends were entertained
-
-
THE SERRANO HOUSE, OLD TOWN
by Bandini, and the others were scattered among the residents: of the town and entertained free of cost.
The colonists were of nearly every occupation except those which the country needed. There were goldsmiths, blacksmiths. carpenters, shoemakers, tailors, painters, printers, musicians,. and other artists and mechanics, but not a single agricultur- ist. Most of them were finally shipped back to Mexico. but a few settled and remained at San Luis Rey and places farther. north.
The annals of the Presidio throughout these years are seanty, and merely a story of progressive decay. In 1826 a military connmission reported the presidial buildings in a "deplorably ruinous condition," and estimated the cost of repairs at $40,000. Fort Guijarros, also, needed repairs to the value of $10,000. It does not appear that anything was done at this time, but in 1828 the battery was repaired.
In October of this year, the soldiers sent a committee of five to the commandant to complain of hunger and lack of clothing.
123
RETIREMENT OF VETERANS
and demand a payment on account of back pay. The command- ant began to put them in irons, but the threats of their comrades compelled him to desist. They appealed to the General, who promised them justice, which he soon after administered-by distributing the five soldiers among other presidios. In May, 1830, a civilian cut a soldier with a knife and took sanctuary in the church, raising an interesting question of the right of asy- lum. He was sentenced to eight years' labor on the chain-gang.
The ranks of the presidial company were not kept full, and by 1830 the total foree had dwindled to 120 men. In this year the armament consisted of 13 cannon, 8 of which were brass and 5 of iron ; 3 eight-pounders, 7 six-pounders, and 3 four-pounders. The fort and powder magazines were of stone, situated close under the hill at Ballast Point. A reservoir of stone and mor- tar was constructed near the fort, but the water soon broke it. The ruins were visible for many years after. Nothing whatever now remains of the Spanish works on Ballast Point. The last traces were obliterated in the construction of the modern forti- fications on the spot, in recent years.
A petty uprising of the local military force in 1833 is of some interest. A private of the presidial company of Loreto, named Antonio Alipás, was placed under arrest and confined in the guard-house. On the 26th day of March, Corporal Inoeensio Arballo, a comrade of Alipás's, assembled a squad of seven sol- diers and, all armed and mounted, rode up and demanded the release of the prisoner. The sergeant of the guard refusing this demand, the soldiers broke into the guard-house, released Alipás, and carried him off. This was an exceptional occurrence. and anything resembling vigilante proceedings was rare, among either the eivil or military population. The soldiers were harshly treated, but obedience was thoroughly taught.
The Spanish military system was continued under Mexican rule. One of its admirable features was a provision for retir- ing veterans and invalids on pensions. Privates who had served for thirty years could retire on half pay with the honorary rank of sub-lieutenant, and those who had served forty years, with the rank of full lieutenant, with the privilege of wearing a uni- form. The conditions seem hard, but many of the men, includ- ing some of the early company of Catalonian volunteers, ful- filled them and lived to end their days in peaceful industry. Some of the invalids remained at the Presidio, performing such service as they were able, and were also permitted to settle out- side the Presidio walls. Mention has been made of the fact that all soldiers had a little time of their own; and thus, with the pressure of slowly increasing numbers and hard-won knowledge of correct methods of agriculture, the Spanish soldiers began to
124
HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO
cultivate successfully their little garden plots at the foot of Pre- sidio Hill.
The pueblo of San Diego was organized by an election of the necessary officials on December 21. 1834. These officials con- sisted of an alcalde, or mayor, for which the successful candi- date was Juan Maria Osuña, who was elected over Pio Pico;
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