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 15
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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO
ston and lives in Los Angeles. Bandini's daughters were famous for their beauty. All his family are in comfortable circumstances, and several are wealthy. They live principally in Southern Cal- ifornia, have married well, and are mneh respected citizens.
Perhaps the story of Bandini's personal appearance and char- acteristies can best be told by a few extracts from writers who knew him. Dana, whose opinion of Californians was intelligent, if not always sympathetic, saw him on a voyage from Monterey to Santa Barbara in January, 1836, and writes thus:
Among our passengers was a young man who was the best representation of a decaved gentleman I had ever seen. He was of the aristocracy of the country, his family being of pure Spanish blood, and once of great importance in Mexico. His father had been governor of the province [this is an error] and having amassed a large property settled at San Diego. His son was sent to Mexico where he received the best education, and went into the first society of the capital. Misfortune, . extravagance, and the want of funds soon ate the estate up, and Don Juan Bandini returned from Mexico accomplished, poor, and proud, and without any office or occupation, to lead the life of most young men of the better families-dissolute and extravagant when the means were at hand. He had a slight and elegant figure, moved gracefully, danced and waltzed beautifully, spoke the best of Castilian, with a pleasant and re- fined voice and accent, and had throughout the bearing of a man of high birth and figure.
Upon the arrival at Santa Barbara. Bandini danced at the wed- ding of Alfred Robinson and Señorita de la Guerra y Noriega, concerning which Dana says: "A great deal has been said about our friend Don Juan Bandini ; and when he did appear, which was toward the elose of the evening, he certainly gave us the most graceful dancing that I had ever seen. He was dressed in white pantaloons, neatly made, a short jacket of dark silk gaily figured. white stockings and thin morocco slippers upon his very small feet."
Lieutenant Derby was well acquainted with the name and fame of Don Juan, and in his first letter from San Diego, in 1853, he pauses in his fooling long enough to write: "San Diego is the residence of Don Juan Bandini, whose mansion fronts on one side of the plaza. He is well known to the early settlers of California as a gentleman of distinguished politeness and hospitality. His wife and daughters are among the most beautiful and aceom- plished ladies of our State."
Davis bears testimony to Bandini's worth. "He was, " he says, "a man of decided ability and fine character."
Bancroft admits that he was one of the most prominent men of his time in California, of fair abilities and education, a charm- ing publie speaker, a fluent writer, and personally much beloved.
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THE CARRILLO FAMILY
He thinks, however, that in the larger fields of statesmanship he fell somewhat short-an estimate which is one of the penalties paid by those who, whatever their ability or deserts, fail of the largest success.
There is also contemporary testimony to the fact that Don Juan possessed a gift of sardonie humor and was somewhat given to sarcasm.
CARRILLO, Domingo Antonio Ignacio, son of José Rai- mindo Carrillo. Born at San Diego, 1791. Gentleman soldier in the San Diego company from 1807, cadet from 1809, etc. Left service in 1818, but afterward restored and at San Diego in 1821. Was revenue collector, 1825-8, promoted to lieuten- ant, 1827. Transferred to Santa Barbara in 1830, and later in political troubles. Married Concepcion Pico, sister of Pio and Andrés Pico, in 1810. Their sons were Joaquin, José Antonio, Francisco, Alejandro, and Felipe. Daughters : María, wife of José M. Covarrubias ; Angela, wife of Ignacio del Valle; and Antonia.
CARRILLO, José Antonio Ezequiel. Son of José Raimundo, and brother of Domingo Antonio Ignacio, above. Born at San Francisco in 1796. Was a teacher at San Diego in 1813 and afterward. At Los Angeles, 1827-31. Having been exiled by Victoria, became a leader in movement against the governor at San Diego in 1831. Was deeply implicated in trouble of the time at Santa Barbara, where he lived, and where he died in 1862. His first wife was Estefana Pico, and his second Jacinta Pico, both sisters of Pio and Andrés Pico, of San Diego. A daughter was married to Lewis T. Burton. Don José Antonio was a man of natural ability, but was dissipated.
CARRILLO, José Raimundo. Founder of the Carrillo family in California. A native of Loreto, born in 1749. Son of Hilario Carrillo. Came to California as a soldier, probably with the first expedition in 1769, and rose to rank of captain. Was command- ant at San Diego, 1807-9. He married Tomása Ignacia, dangh- ter of the soldier Francisco Lugo, the ceremony being per- formed by Junipero Serra at San Carlos, on April 23. 1781. His early services in California were at Santa Barbara and Mon terey, coming to San Diego in 1806. He was buried in the chapel on Presidio. Hill, on November 10, 1809. His only daughter, María Antonia, became the wife of José de la Guerra y Noriega. ITis sons, Carlos Antonio de Jesus. José Antonio Ezequiel, Anastasio, and Domingo Antonio Ignacio, were all prominent in the early history of California.
CARRILLO, Joaquin. Native of Lower California and a rel- ative (probably a cousin) of José Raimundo. Was living as a retired soldier at San Diego in 1827. He is said to have been a good performer on the violin, and was once put in the stocks
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by Capt. Ruiz because the latter thought him too slow in tun- ing up to play his favorite tune. He died before 1840. His widow was María Ignacia Lopez, and their sons were Joaquin, Julio, and José Ramon. The daughters, Josefa, whose elope- ment with Henry D. Fitch has been narrated; Francisca Benicia, wife of M. G. Vallejo; María de la Luz, wife of Sal- vador Vallejo; Ramona, wife of Romualdo Pacheco and later of John Wilson, who lived in San Francisco; Mabel Pacheco, who was married to Will. Tevis; Juana; and Felecidad, wife of Victor Castro.
DOMINGUEZ, Cristobal. Soldier at San Diego before 1800. Died in 1825. Rose to rank of sergeant, and was grantee of San Pedro ranch in 1822. His wife was María de los Reyes Ibañes. at whose house Alfred Robinson resided while in San Diego, in 1829, and to whom he refers as "old lady Dominguez." Part of the American troops were quartered at her house in the Mexican War. Their children were Maria Victoria, who was married to José Antonio Estudillo : Luis Gonzaga; Manuel, who is mentioned by Robinson as Gale's brother-in-law at San Diego in 1829: Maria Francisca Marcelina, who was married to Wil- liam A. Gale and went to Boston to live; Maria Elena Ramona ; José Nasario ; and Pedro Juan Agapito.
ECHEANDIA, José María. Quite a little has been said about this. the only governor of California who made his res- idence in San Diego. A few more personal details will be given at this place.
Before coming to California, he was a Lieutenant-Colonel connected with a college of engineers in Mexico. Besides Rob- inson's statement that he was "a tall, gaunt personage," who received him "with true Spanish dignity and politeness," we learn from Bancroft that he was "tall, slight and well formed, with fair complexion, hair not quite black, seanty beard and a pleasing face and expression. His health was very delicate. In his speech he affected the Castilian pronun- ciation, noticeably in giving the 'Il,' 'e' and 'z' their proper sounds." He was somewhat absent-minded at times. Some of his contemporaries regarded him as a capricious despot, who would carry out a whim without regard to results; others thought he lacked energy; and still others say he was popular, but overindulgent and careless. Pio Pico found him affable, but apathetic. Alfred Robinson, the son-in-law of Captain de la Guerra y Noriega, who strongly opposed Echeandía in the mat- ter of the secularization of the missions, calls him "the scourge of California, and instigator of vice, who sowed seeds of dis- honor not to be extirpated while a mission remains to be robbed." Wm. A. Gale found him a man of undecided char- acter, trying to please everybody.
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THE ESTUDILLOS
After leaving California he was very poor until 1835, when, an earthquake having damaged a number of buildings, his ser- vices as engineer were in demand and he became prosperous. In 1855 he was arrested by Santa Ana for some political cause, but released. Two step-danghters took care of him in his old age, and he died before 1871.
ESTUDILLO. José Antonio. Son of José María, born at Mon- terey, 1805. Grantee of house-lot at San Diego, 1827. In 1828-30 was revenue collector and treasurer. Grantee of Otay rancho, in 1829. Member of the assembly in 1833-5. Received a grant of the Temecula rancho in 1835. In 1836-8 alcalde and jucz. Admin- istrador and majordomo at San Luis Rey in 1840-3 and owner of land at San Juan Capistrano in 1841. Treasurer in 1840. Jucz de paz in 1845-6. Collector in 1845. Neutral in Mexican War. First county assessor. 1850. He died in 1852. He was a man of excellent character and large influence. His wife was María Victoria, daughter of Sergeant Cristobal and María de los Reyes Dominguez, whom he married in 1825. Their children were: Jose María, who married a danghter, Luz, of Juan Maria Mar- ron ; Salvador, married Piedad Altamirano, sister of José Ant .; José Guadalupe : José Antonio, who is a rancher at San Jacinto; and Francisco, who lives at San Jacinto. He married first, Car- men Roubidoux, daughter of the celebrated trapper; second, a daughter of Don Jesus Machado. They had two daughters, both of whom were married to José Antonio Aguirre; Francisca being his first wife, and María del Rosaria his second, and afterward marrying Col. Manuel A. Ferrer. Another daughter, María Anto- nia, was married to Miguel de Pedrorena, and another, Concep- cion, was the first wife of George A. Pendleton.
ESTUDILLO, José Guadalupe. Son of José Antonio. one of the most prominent citizens of San Diego in earlier Amer- ican days. County Treasurer from 1864 to 1875. City Conn- eilman of San Diego. Treasurer of the State one term. Cash- ier.of the Consolidated Bank, ete. He now lives in Los Angeles. He married Adelaide Mulholland.
ESTUDILLO, José María, Lieutenant of the Monterey Com- pany in 1806-27, and captain of the San Diego Company from 1827 till his death in 1830. He may be said to have been the founder of the Estudillo family in California. His wife was Gertrudis IIorcasitas. José Antonio, mentioned above, was the best known of his children. Ile also had José Joaquin, who lived on the San Leandro rancho, near San Francisco bay, whose three daughters all married Americans-María de Jesus becoming the wife of Wm. Heath Davis. He also had a daughter, Magdalena, who was grantee of part of the Otay ranch 1829, and a dangh- ter who married Lieutenant Mannel Gomez.
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GUERRA y NORIEGA, José Antonio de la. Native of Spain, born March 6, 1779. Became lieutenant of the Monterey Company and came to California 1801. Here he married, in 1804, María Antonia, daughter of Captain José Raimundo Car- rillo. In 1806 came to San Diego, and was acting commandant for a short time in 1806-7. Had difficulty with Capt. Ruiz. Acted as agent for sale of his uncle's goods, shipped from Mex- ico. in 1808, and profited largely. After 1817, resided at Santa Barbara, where he was commandant and took a prominent part in public affairs. He was congressman from California in 1827. and the following year named by Echeandia in a list of those who had taken the oath of allegiance. Candidate for position of political chief, in 1837. In Mexican War was unfriendly to U. S. but remained quiet. Died in 1858.
Of his daughters, María de las Angustias, born 1815, was married to Manuel Jimeno Casarin, and later to Dr. J. D. Ord. Her first marriage is described by Robinson in his Life in Cali- fornia, page 142. Ana María, born 1820, was married to Alfred Robinson, and died in 1855. María Antonia, born 1827, mar- ried Cesario Lataillade, and later Caspar Oreña. He had at least seven sons; Antonio María, born 1825, never married ; Francisco, born 1818, died in 1878; Joaquin, born 1822, died before 1870; José Antonio, born 1805; Juan J., born 1810, died unmarried ; Miguel, born 1823; Pablo, born 1819.
Captain de la Guerra y Noriega left a large estate, which Ban- croft says his sons dissipated. He was a man of very great influ- ence to the day of his death. His opinions on California polit- ical affairs strongly color the views expressed in the book of his son-in-law, Alfred Robinson.
LOPEZ, Bonifacio. Son of Ignacio. Jucz de campo at San Diego, 1835. In charge of the Mission, 1848. Grand juror, Sep- tember, 1850. His daughter, Josefa, married Philip Crosthwaite.
LOPEZ, Ignacio. Soldier, living in Mission Valley, 1821. Father of Bonifacio and probably others. First district elector of San Diego, 1822, and elected to legislature. Took part in revolution of 1831. José and Juan Lopez, involved in same, probably his sons. Juez de campo, 1836.
LORENZANA, Apolinaria. Was one of the foundling chil- dren sent to California from Mexico in 1800, and lived in San Diego. The name, Lorenzana, was that of the archbishop of Mexico, given to all foundlings. She never married, but was very charitable and known as La Beata [the sister of charity]. She claimed the Jamacha rancho, but lost it. She was in San Imis Rey in 1821-30, and later assisted Father Vicente at the . San Diego Mission. In later life she lived at Santa Barbara, was poor and blind and supported by charity. She dictated for Bancroft her memoirs.
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A ROLLICKING PRIEST
MACHADO, José Manuel. Corporal of the San Diego Com- pany. Had quite a family of children, among them daughters- Guadalupe, whose first husband was Peter Wilder, and her sec- ond Albert B. Smith; and Juana, who was first married to Damasio Alipás and second to Thomas Wrightington ; Rosa, who was the wife of John C. Stewart; and Antonia, who was mar- ried to Enos A. Wall.
MARRON, Juan María. Had a house at San Diego, 1821. Took part in revolution of 1831. Second regidor 1835: first regidor 1836, and owner of the Cueros de Venado rancho, which was attacked by Indians. Juez, 1839-40-44. Owner of land at San Juan Capistrano, 1841. Grantee of the Agua Hediona Rancho, 1842. Died, September 19, 1853. Married Felipa, daughter of Juan Maria Osuna and Juliana Lopez. Daughter, María Luz, married Jose María Estudillo. Had a son, Sylvester.
MARRON, Sylvester. Son of Juan Maria and Felipa Osuna Marron, married Leonora Osuna. They had children : Felipa. who was married to J. Chauncey Haves, now of Oceanside ; and another daughter became the wife of John S. Barker. Ile mar- ried a second time, and lives at Buena Vista. Cal.
MENENDEZ, Father Antonio. Was a Dominican friar who came from Mexico with Echeandía in 1825 and was chaplain and cure at the Presidio until 1829 at an irregular salary of $15 a month. His part in the Fitch-Carrillo elopement has been related. In December, 1828, his name appears in a list of Span- iards who had taken the oath of allegiance. From August to December of this year he taught a school in San Diego, had 18 pupils enrolled, and was paid the same munificent salary. He was chaplain of the assembly which met at Santa Barbara from July to October, 1830.
Ilis character seems to put him in the class with the coarser Mexican priests who followed the Spanish mis- sionaries. In fact he illustrated the old saying of "the world. the flesh, and the devil." in an unusual degree. "Men's souls for heaven," says Bancroft, "but women for himself he loved. and wine and cards." Pio Pico, who was then a young man engaged in trading with Lower California, played cards with him, with varying fortune. On one occasion in San Diego. after Menendez had, in a game of cards, despoiled Pico of all his stock of sugar, he added insult to injury by hurling at him a couplet which may be translated :
"Christ came to ransom man of woman born :
Ile sought his sheep, himself departed shorn."
OSUNA, Juan María. Born in California before 1800. A soldier and corporal of the San Diego Company, and later a set- tler. District elector in 1830, and took part in revolution of
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1831. Was the first alcalde of San Diego, 1835, juez de paz in 1839-40 and 1846. Grantee of San Dieguito in 1836-45. Died about 1847. Daughter Felipe married to Juan Maria Marron. Had sons Leandro and Ramon.
OSUNA, Leandro. Son of Juan Maria; took part in fight at San Pasqual, December, 1846. He committed suicide by shoot- ing himself through heart, April 3, 1859. His son Julio married Chipita Crosthwaite.
OSUNA, Ramon. Comisario de policia, 1839. Collector of tithes, 1839. Grantee of Valle de los Viejas, 1846. Member of first grand jury at San Diego, September, 1850.
PEDRORENA, Miguel de. The best biographical sketch of this much respected citizen is that contained in Wm. Heath Davis's Sixty Years in California. He says :
In 1838 Don Miguel de Pedrorena, a resident of Peru, ar- rived here, being at the time part owner and supercargo of the Delmira. . Don Miguel was a native of Spain, and belonged to one of the best families of Madrid. After receiv- ing an education in his own country he was sent to London, where he was educated in English, becoming a complete sehol- ar. Most of the Castilian race of the upper class are proud and aristocratie; but Don Miguel, though of high birth, was exceedingly affable, polite, gracious in manner and bearing, and, in every respect, a true gentleman. He married a dangh- ter of prefeet Estudillo, and resided in San Diego until the time of his death in 1850, leaving one son, Miguel, and two daughters, Elena and Ysabel. He was a member of the con- vention at Monterey in 1849, for the formation of the state constitution. He owned the Cajon Rancho and the San Jacinto Nuevo Raneho, each containing eleven leagues, with some cat- tle and horses. Notwithstanding these large holdings of lands he was in rather straitened eirenmstances in his later years, and so much in need of money that when I visited San Diego in the early part of 1850 he offered to sell me thirty-two quarter- blocks (102 lots) in San Diego at a low figure. He had ae- quired the property in the winter of 1849-50, at the alealde's sale. I did not care for the land but being flush, and having a large ineome from my business, I took the land, paving him thirteen or fourteen hundred dollars for it.
In Madrid he had several brothers and other relatives, one of his brothers being at that time a Minister in the cabinet of the reigning monarch. During the last two or three years of his lite those relatives became aware of his unfortunate circum- stances and wrote to him repeatedly, urging him to come home to Spain and bring his family with him. They sent him means and assured him that he would be welcomed. Though poor, his proud disposition led him to decline all these offers. Popu- lar with everybody in the department, the recollections of him by those who knew him were exceedingly pleasant.
Ile settled at San Diego in 1845, having married María Anto- nia Estudillo, daughter of José Antonio Estudillo. He strongly
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THE PICOS, FATHER AND SONS
favored the American side in the war of 1846, and had a cav- alry command with the rank of captain. He built one of the first frame houses in Old Town, which is still standing near the parsonage. In the late 60's it was used as the office of the Union. Ile was collector of customs in 1847-8. In 1850, with Win. Heath Davis and others he was one of the founders of new San Diego. He died March 21, 1850. His only son was Miguel de Pedro- rena, born at Old Town in 1844, and died at his ranch in Jamul Valley, December 25, 1882. Ile married Nellie Burton, daugh- ter of General H. S. Burton of the U. S. Army, at the Horton House in New San Diego, Dec. 25, 1875. Ilis sister Ysabel was married to José Antonio Altamirano. She was born at the very moment when the American flag was raised at Old Town (July 29, 1846), a circumstance of which the family is very proud. Victoria was married to Henry Magee, an army officer from the state of New York, of excellent family. Elena married José Wolfskill and lives at Los Angeles.
PICO, Andrés. Son of José María, born at San Diego, 1810. In 1836-8, was elector and receptor of customs, and in charge of Jamul rancho. Took an active part in the uprisings against the Monterey government and was several times a prisoner. In 1839-42 was lieutenant of the San Diego Company, served as elector, was in charge of San Luis Rey, and obtained lands at Santa Margarita, San Juan Capistrano, and Temecula. Was in command at the battle of San Pasqual and in subsequent oper- ations. Made treaty with Frémont at Cahuenga which ended the war. Did not return to San Diego, but engaged in mining and land litigation. Represented the counties of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and San Diego in the State Senate, in 1860-1. Was a Democratic presidential elector from California, 1852. He never married. He was a brave and popular man, but coarse and unserupulous. Died in 1876.
PICO, José Antonio Bernardo. Son of José María. Born at San Diego about 1794. Member of the San Diego Company, and clerk in 1817. Sergeant, 1828, lieutenant, 1834, and com- missioner to secularize San Juan Capistrano, 1834-6. Went to Monterey, 1838. Grantee of Agua Caliente Rancho in 1840 and left the military service. Grantee of San Luis Rey, 1846. Mar- ried Soledad Ybarra, 1828; died at San Diego, 1871. He was a lively old man, full of jokes, and nicknamed Picito [Little Pico] by reason of his small stature. Wilkes ridicules him in his ac- count, 1841. He was a soldier in the Mexican War and second in command .under his brother Andres, during the operations around San Diego.
PICO, José María. Founder of the Pico family of Southern California. Son of Santiago Pico of Sinaloa. Soldier of the San Diego Company from 1782, also at San Luis Rey. Died at
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HISTORY OF SAN DIEGO
San Gabriel in 1819. His wife was María Estaquia Lopez, a native of Sonora, whom he married in 1789. Their three sons were Andrés, José Antonio Bernardo, and Pio. They had seven daughters: Concepcion, who was married to Domingo A. I. Car- · rillo: Estéfana and Jacinta, who were married to José A. E. Carrillo, the brother of Domingo; Ysadora, who became the wife of John Forster; Tomasa, who married an Alvarado; and Feliciana.
PICO, Pio. As a resident of San Diego who became gov- ernor, Pio Pico is a figure of much interest. He was born at San Gabriel in 1801, and removed to San Diego after his father's death, in 1819. He kept a small shop there. Gambled with Father Menendez with varying fortune; lost all he had at San Vicente, Lower California, and later won twelve mules and stripped the padre, at San Diego. Built a house at old San Diego in 1824. Onee on going to Los Angeles for a visit. he was ordered by Alcalde Avila, described as an ignorant fellow who ruled by the sword, to go to work on an aqueduct; but being on horseback and armed with a musket, he escaped and returned to San Diego. In 1821 he put up a hide hint at Los Angeles and opened a dram shop, the price of a drink being "two-bits." Introduced the use of an ox-horn to drink from, with a false wooden bottom to reduce the quantity of liquor.
Mrs. Carson onee met him going to the races : he had his mule panniers loaded down with silver which he was taking to bet on the horse.
Was clerk in a trial at San Diego, 1826. Senior rocal of assem- bly. 1832, and chosen politieal chief after expulsion of Vietoria same year, but only acted twenty days. Majordomo San Enis Rey Mission, 1834. Candidate for alcalde. December, 1834, but defeated. Elector, 1836. 1837-9. active against Alvarado's government and more than once a prisoner. Played an active and not always creditable part in troubles of this time. Became governor in 1845, and was the last Mexican governor.
In 1841, grantee of Santa Margarita and Las Flores Ranehos. Conveyed the former to his brother-in-law. John Forster, and there was a noted contest for it in later years in the courts, but Forster won and retained the valnable propery. He married María Ignacia Alvarado in 1834. He spent his later years in Los Angeles and wrote quite a little concerning California his- tory. His character has been varionsly estimated and he has been much abused for various eauses. It is not possible to discuss these matters here. He seems to have been a man of little edu- cation and only moderate intelligence: fairly honest but with- ont any gifts of statesmanship which would have qualified him for important achievements in the difficult times in which he lived. Nearly all the magazines have contained, at various times,
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FATHER UBACH
"write-ups" of the Pico family. and attacks or defenses of his administration.
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