USA > California > Los Angeles County > Ingersoll's century history, Santa Monica Bay cities prefaced with a brief history of the state of California, a condensed history of Los Angeles County, 1542-1908 > Part 15
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54
Don Tiburcio filled many positions of trust. In 1827, which must have been soon after his location in Los Angeles, he was chosen with Juan Bandini, Romualdo Pacheco and four other prominent citizens to act as vocale or member to represent the southern district in the territorial diputacion which convened
127
HISTORY OF SANTA MONICA BAY CITIES
at Monterey, the legislative body of that time. Don Tiburcio was made a mem- ber of the committee on police regulations, which must have been one of the most important subjects under consideration in those days. His record makes it appear that Señor Tapia was something of a politician, or so it would seem now-a-days ; but we are assured that in the early days of Los Angeles the office had to seek the man and sometimes went begging for an occupant, so we must put Señor Tapia down as one of the most self-sacrificing and public spirited citizens Los Angeles ever had. He was re-elected vocale twice. In 1831 he was alcalde (mayor) of Los Angeles ; in 1833 he was "sindico," recorder; in 1835 "encargado de Indians"; 1836, alcalde-second alcalde-it took two mayors to keep things moving ; In 1839 he was alcalde again and was also confirmed in the grant of the Cucamonga Rancho by governor Alvarado. In 1840 he was one of the five substitute judges elected by the junta, or superior court. In 1844 he again served the city as alcalde.
He must have been a busy man, as the leading merchant of the town and as one of the owners of the Topanga Malibu and, at the same time he was making extensive improvements on the Cucamonga Rancho, where he built a residence. It is said that as rumors of American designs upon California be- came rife, Don Tiburcio became alarmed for his store of coin, which was un- usually large for that period. He is said to have carried much of it to Cucamongo and buried it, and there are also stories of other chests of it hidden on the Malibu. Whatever treasures of silver and gold he may have stowed away, did him no good, for he died suddenly in 1845 and it seems to have been lost to his family. He left one daughter, Maria Merced, who later married Leon V. Prudhomme, one of the carly French settlers of Los Angeles, and who is still living in that city.
An interesting tale of an early smuggling episode is also related to Malibu history. According to Bancroft, in 1819, a couple of American vessels, strongly suspected of smuggling intentions, were cruising along the coast of Southern California. One of these ships was signalled off the coast of the Malibu and induced to make a landing. Two men, Antonio Briones, who is stated to have been a claimant for the Malibu grant at one time, and Maximo Alanis, who was later the grantee of the Buenos Ayres Rancho, induced the smugglers to land their goods, then seized the sailors and declared that they would turn them over to the authorities unless a ransom of $1000 was paid to them. As their captors had conclusive evidence, the captain was about to pay over his thousand dollars, when one of the guard " celebrated " too soon and in his happy oblivion allowed the prisoners to escape. The booty, however, remained in the hands of Briones and Alanis, who decided to say nothing to the authorities about the little matter and keep the goods to recoup themselves for the ransom money they had lost. But the officials of that day seem to have had their eyes open
128
HISTORY OF SANTA MONICA BAY CITIES
and in some way discovered the mysterious doings on the Malibu coast. Briones and Alanis were arrested, the goods confiscated and these brilliant " promoters " of 1819 were imprisoned for six months in chains. It is to be hoped that somebody finally paid the duty on the consignment.
In later years the Malibu was the favorite rendezvous of an extensive band of horse and cattle thieves. The early records of Los Angeles county contain many accounts of exciting chases and arrests made in the fastnesses of the Malibu, or Malaga, region. Don Tiburcio Tapia seems to have been a remarkable exception in his family, for the name Tapia appears almost as frequently in the criminal records as did Don Tibur- cio's in the political records of an earlier day.
In the early sixties, the Malibu grant passed through tax sale into the hands of Mathew Keller, better known in those days as "Don Mateo." Mr. Keller was born in Ireland and came to America at an early date. After living in Mexico for a time, he came to California and located in Los Angeles about 1850, becoming one of its best known and most prominent citizens. He was one of the first to engage in wine-making and to plant out an exten- sive vineyard, for which he imported stock from France. He devoted a great deal of attention to the cultivation of the grape and was also in- DON MATEO KELLER. terested in the early experiments in raising cot- 101. At one time he had a complete ginning outfit set up in Los Angeles and offered its use to any one who would raise cotton. He made a thor- ough study of the process of making wine of different varieties and manu- factured it in large quantities. He established houses in Los Angeles and San Francisco and was instrumental in introducing California wines in the east on a large scale, having extensive connections in New York for the hand- ling of his own manufacture.
He put up a large ranch house on the Malibu and made improvements there and when he died in 1881 he left the grant to his son, Henry W. Keller, formerly of Santa Monica, who sold it in 1891 to the late Frederick H. Rindge.
FREDERICK HASTINGS RINDGE was born in Cambridge, Mass., December 2Ist, 1857. He was a descendant of the Puritan stock which has furnished so large a portion of the best blood and ablest brains of our country. Among his ancestors were Daniel Rindge, who commanded the Ipswich troops in the campaign which destroyed King Philip, of the Naragansett; Samuel Baker, one of the minute men who marched to the relief of Lexingtotn in 1775, and Daniel Harrington, a resident of Lexington who served through the Revolu-
FREDERICK HASTINGS RINDGE
129
HISTORY OF SANTA MONICA BAY CITIES
tionary war with distinction, retiring with the rank of captain. His father, Samuel Baker Rindge was a merchant of very large estate, which he used most wisely. His mother, Clarissa Harrington, was a woman of fine character.
Frederick Rindge was the only surviving child of his parents and was left in a weakened state by an attack of scarlet fever in his childhood. His education was conducted with especial care and while still a youth he traveled extensively, visiting California in 1870 and during 1871-2 visiting many places of interest in Europe. He completed his preparation for college under Dr. James Laurence Laughlin and entered Harvard in 1875. Owing to illness, he was forced to leave college in his last year ; but several years later he was given his degree. Soon after leaving college he succeeded to his father's estate, and at once entered upon an active business career which proved him to possess unusal qualities of good judgment and executive ability; although his character and tastes were strongly inclined to a studious life.
He visited California again in 1880, in search of health, and returned to New England with renewed strength. For a number of years he devoted him- self to the management of his large commercial interests in Massachusetts. As a testimonial of his love for his birthplace, he erected and presented to the city of Cambridge a city hall and, later, built for the city a beautiful public library building. He established there, and for ten years maintained, the Rindge Manual Training School for boys-the first manual training school in the state.
On May 27, 1887, he was married to Miss Rhoda May Knight, of Trenton, Michigan, daughter of James and Rhoda Lathrop Knight. They were the par- ents of three children, Samuel Knight, Frederick Hastings and Rhoda Agatha.
In 1887, he came to California to make his permanent home. He soon settled upon Southern California as his place of residence. In January, 1891, he purchased property on Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica and at once built a handsome residence. This home was occupied by the family, in conjunction with the ranch house on the Topanga Malibu until they removed to Los Angeles in 1903.
In 1891 Mr. Rindge purchased the property commonly known as the Malibu ranch, a Spanish land grant originally made to José B. Tapia in 1804, and later belonging to Don Mateo Keller. The original property extended along the coast northwesterly from Las Flores canyon for twenty miles. To this Mr. Rindge added other tracts until he owned a strip of land extending along the sea coast for twenty-four miles. Beautiful "pasages" or valleys ; fertile mesas, stretches of magnificent beach, lofty peaks and ridges, gave a wonderful variety of scenery and climate to this rancho. Mysterious caves, almost inaceesible can- yons, groves of ancient oak and sycamore lent romance and charm. It is not strange that Mr. Rindge, with his poetical tendency of thought and spiritual
9
130
HISTORY OF SANTA MONICA BAY CITIES
trend of mind, found here his ideal home and loved this historical rancho-not as property-but as a divine inheritance. He built here a home that was per- fect in its adaptation to the environment and he spent here some of his happiest hours. His book, "Happy Days in Southern California" is largely a tribute to his life upon the Malibu, although it deals with other aspects of California life also.
But while he sought rest and inspiration in the seclusion of his ranch home, Mr. Rindge never shut himself out from active participation in business and public affairs. During the years of his residence in this state, from 1888 to 1905, probably no other man was ever connected with so many and such large and varied interests. His investments were made not only with a view to the increase of his own wealth but, very largely, for the purpose of develop- ing the resources of this country and thus giving opportunity to men of lesser means. For this reason he was a moving factor in a large number of companies organized to develop water and reclaim land, and in various other enterprises. Among the most important of these was the Conservative Life Insurance Com- pany, of which he was president. Mr. Rindge, believing that a man should make his gifts while living, was a man of large yet unostentatious benevolences. He gave liberally to the Methodist church of which he was long a consistent member, being of a deeply religious nature. He aided many institutions, both in California and in New England, and lent a helping hand to many individuals. He was discriminating in his charities-as a man of such great wealth must be -if he is to be a power for good rather than for evil.
While living in Santa Monica, Mr. Rindge closely associated himself with the life of the community. In 1895 he offered to erect and donate a church building to the Methodist society, provided the church would support a pastor and pay all incidental expenses. In consequence, a neat and commodious church, still in use, was built at a cost of $15,000 and dedicated before the end of the year. He took an active personal interest in the campaign which was made by the advocates of temperance and by the better class of business men to rid the town of saloons, speaking at the meetings and offering to indemnify the city treasury for the loss of revenue derived from the saloon licenses. Accord- ingly, after the "anti-saloon" party carried the election, lie presented his check for $2,500 to Mr. Robert F. Jones, then mayor of Santa Monica. He served for several years upon the school board of the town, was president of the Good Government League, and was a member of various local organizations.
In 1903 the ranch house on the Malibu, with all its furnishings, including a part of Mr. Rindge's fine library, was destroyed by fire. About this time the family removed to Los Angeles where Mr. Rindge had erected a handsome house on Harvard Boulevard, in a section of the city he had helped to develop. On locating in Los Angeles, he identified himself with the Westlake M. E.
131
HISTORY OF SANTA MONICA BAY CITIES
church, to which he contributed liberally. He was also deeply interested in the Young Men's Christian Association, being an active member and aiding largely in lifting the debt which for many years hung over the Los Angeles association. He was one of the originators of the Ocean Park Y. M. C. A. Company, which started the town of Ocean Park.
As a relaxation from his many cares, Mr. Rindge gave much attention to scientific research and the study of the early history of America and of California. He was a member of the New England Historical and Geneaological Society and of the Archaeological Institute of America. His collection of coins and of aboriginal arts was of such value that he was induced to place them in the loan exhibit of the Peabody Museum, at Harvard College, and also in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. He gathered a large amount of material bearing on Pacific coast archaeology and his collection of memorials of California history was unequalled among private collections.
In acknowledgement of the honor conferred upon him through his fore- bears, he became a member of the Society of Colonial Wars and also of the Sons of the Revolution. He was president of the Harvard Club of Los Angeles, trom the time of its formation until his death.
The death of Mr. Rindge, which occurred August 29th, 1905, was in one sense, untimely. He was a comparatively young man and was in the midst of an active and useful life. Yet his existence had been a long struggle with weakness and his spirit was full-grown. Death may come at any time to such a man and we cannot say that it is premature. To his family, to his friends-all over the United States, to the public generally, his departure meant a great loss and a great grief. But to himself it was only a passing on to a higher life.
It was well said of his career: "As a business man, as a church leader. as a Y. M. C. A. president, as a consistent worker for the development of the city and the state, Mr. Rindge made himself so useful that no other man can take his place. He was a rich man: but he employed his wealth for the greatest good of the greatest number-not in selfish pleasure nor for personal aggrandizement. He was a man of strong religious convictions ; but the grace of humility and a broad understanding prevented his religion from degenerat- ing into religiosity. A staunch, steadfast, unassuming man, with all of his millions, those who differed from him in opinion could admire his fidelity to his ideals; and those not blessed with money could be glad that such a fortune was entrusted to worthy hands."
Knowing intimately the affairs and purposes of her husband, Mrs. Rindge, as executrix of the estate, is carrying forward with a steady hand the large enterprises which her husband had undertaken.
132
HISTORY OF SANTA MONICA BAY CITIES
SAN VICENTE Y SANTA MONICA.
It is probable that the rich grazing lands in the vicinity of Santa Monica were utilized early after the establishment of " el Pueblo de Los Angeles," for the herds of the settlers and of the missions multiplied with amazing rapidity and by 1800 the grazing land in the immediate vicinity of Los Angeles and San Gabriel was overstocked. After the granting of the Malibu, however, we have no record of settlement in this neighborhood until 1827 when Francisco Sepulveda and Augustin Machado, settlers of Los Angeles, petitioned for a tract of land. According to the testimony of José Antonio Carrillo, who was alcalde in 1828, he received an order from "the HIon. José Maria Echandia, a Political Chief, issued by virtue of a petition of several citizens, requesting to be placed in provisional possession of the con- mon lands of the city held by them."
Amongst these, he gave possession to Francisco Sepulveda of the lands known as San Vicente, with a piece of pasture (potrero) named Santa Monica. "The order of Gov. Echandia only had reference to parties who owned one hundred and fifty head of cattle, and as Sepulveda came within this con- dition it was especially commanded to give him this land, with the adjoining potrero of Santa Monica." But the boundaries of the lands thus JOSÉ DOLORES SEPULVEDA. given possession of were not defined and there was soon dispute as to the territory included. December 20th, 1839, a title was issued to the rancho called San Vicente and Santa Monica, in favor of Don Francisco Sepulveda, "with the con- dition of abiding whatever actions should be had thereon, in case such lan.1 may be comprised within the limits of the City of Los Angeles." This grant was made by Governor Alvarado; but it still did not settle the question of boundary which was disputed on all sides. In 1840 Sepulveda petitioned the governor to place him in "pacific possession of the property, as Francisco Marquez and Ysidro Reyes have given a bad example of disobedience and that under the strength of discordant documents they remain in possession of the place called Santa Monica." In 1846 Governor Pico confirmed Sepulveda's grant, but as Marquez and Reyes also had a grant to the " potrero " of Santa Monica, the dispute over the boundaries continued and was not settled until the question came into the United States courts and after long litigation was decided. The San Vicente y Santa Monica grant was finally confirmed July 23rd, 1881, to include 30,259 acres instead of the 58,409 acres originally claimed.
133
HISTORY OF SANTA MONICA BAY CITIES
Aside from the question of boundaries, there has been much litigation over the possession of the San Vicente lands. On the death of Don Francisco, the property was left to his wife and children, and several lawsuits were necessary in the family before the lands were satisfactorily divided.
Don Francisco Sepulveda, the original grantee, with two brothers, were among the earliest settlers of California. He was first a soldier in San Diego, but in 1815 was a citizen of Los Angeles, cultivating pueblo lands. The Sepulveda family has played an important part in the history of Southern California and is connected with many of the best families of today. Don Francisco had a large family. One of his sons, Don José, was grantee of the San Joaquin rancho and took a leading part in early local and political affairs. He was the father of Judge Ygnacio Sepulveda and Mrs. Thomas Mott. Don Francisco built a ranch house near the San Vicente springs in 1837. Here he set out vineyards and orchards and at least three of his sons resided with him or built houses near by. These were Juan Maria, Carmel and Do- lores. Traces of these SAN VICENTE RANCH HOUSE. buildings can still be seen, although the original ranch houses have all disappeared. The last home of Dolores Sepulveda, built in 1863, an adobe house well preserved and very typical of the ranch house of early days, still stands. At one end is a very old walnut tree and back of it stand the twin sycamores which have long been a landmark.
Don Francisco also had a home in Los Angeles and was frequently con- cerned in municipal affairs. In 1824 he was "regidor " or recorder, of the pueblo; later he was alcalde and on the secularization of the missions, he was made administrator of San Juan Capistrano. In 1831 he was one of the victims of Governor Victoria's arbitrary orders and with Tomas Talmantes, José Maria Avila, Maximo Alanis, Demisio Dominguez and José Aguilar, was imprisoned for supposed implication in the removal of the presiding alcalde, Vicente Sanchez, whom the citizens of Los Angeles had removed from office, because of alleged incompetence to hold the position, and whom they refused to restore to the alcaldeship when Victoria so ordered.
The Sepulveda family were given to horse racing, as appears from various
G. WILEY WELLS.
135
HISTORY OF SANTA MONICA BAY CITIES
records. There seems to have been bitter rivalry between the Sepulvedas and the Picos, in the matter of horses. In 1840, according to Bancroft, a horse race took place between animals owned by Andréas Pico and Fernando Sepulveda, a minor. The result led to a dispute and a suit against Sepulveda for the stakes. The father was finally forced to pay the stake by Alcalde Lugo. The matter was appealed to the governor, who on the advice of the judges of the first district, decided that Lugo must pay back the stakes and be suspended from office until he should do so. Lugo refused to be suspended, or to pay the stakes, except after legal proceedings by the junta. He claimed that the governor and the Monterey judge had acted as partisans, and that they had made many blunders and that the affair was none of their business, any- how, but belonged to the superior tribunal, and if there was no such body, it was their own fault. He said that Francisco Sepulveda was present at the race and had in other races paid his son's losses without objection. The final decisions of this interesting case does not appear on record; but it is evident that the affair led to a long and bitter trial of horse-flesh between the Picos and Sepulvedas.
In 1852, a race took place which has become historical. The Picos owned a gelding which had beaten every other animal put up against it. José Sepulveda, after repeated losses, was eager to seize any chance to " down " Pico's horse. While on a trip to San Diego, he saw a mare which attracted his attention. It proved to be an English thoroughbred, just brought over from Australia. He at once negotiated for the animal, it is said, offering to pay tile owners ten thousand dollars for her. He returned north and made the arrangement for a race of three leagues, at San Pedro, to be run to a stake and back again. Excitement ran high and on the day of the race the entire population of the country, with visitors from Santa Barbara and even Monterey, and all San Diego, were present. The horse was to be ridden California style, the rider strapped to his bare back and the owners and backers permitted to ride beside him and use the whip. The mare was equipped in the American style, with light racing saddle and a little jockey.
Betting ran high. It was the custom among Californians to hand over the sum of money bet to the taker. After the race, the holder kept the money. if he won, or returned it double, if he lost. No papers or guarantees were necessary, for a California's word was as good, or better, than a bond. On this occasion the Californians all bet heavily on Pico's horse, while the Amer- icans backed Don José's Black Swan. The Swan, after a terrific struggle, won, and it is said Sepulveda won nearly fifty thousand dollars. After the race was over, he took the bridle from the mare and declared that she should never again wear bridle or saddle, and he kept his word. She passed the rest
136
HISTORY OF SANTA MONICA BAY CITIES
of her life free upon the plains. He had won from the Pico's-that was triumph enough.
Another instance of the horsemanship of the family is related by Major Horace Bell in his " Reminiscences of a Ranger." He describes a rodeo held in May, 1853, at San Joaquin rancho, the home of Don Jose Sepulveda. On the third night of the affair at midnight Don José and his brother Don Fernando were still talking gaily with their guests. A little later a messenger arrived with the news that their aged father, Don Francisco Sepulveda, was about to pass away. The brothers at once mounted. Major Bell and another American decided to accompany them, although warned that they could not keep up. As Don José was then sixty years of age, they felt confident that they would be able to hold their own; but before the party reached Los Nietos, the Sepulvedas had disappeared in a cloud of dust and the Americans drew rein, having ridden forty-three miles in three hours.
BOCA DE SANTA MONICA.
One of the earliest settlers in the pueblo de Los Angeles was Francisco Reyes, who came with a party in 1785. Very soon thereafter he must have taken possession of lands in the vicinity of San Fernando, for in 1797 the Rancho Encino held by him was taken from him and both land and build- ings appropriated to the San Fernando - Mission. His son, Ysidro, was born in Los Angeles and in 1828 he, with Fran- cisco Marquez was FIRST HOUSE IN SANTA MONICA, BUILT BY FRANCISCO MARQUEZ. given a provisional grant to lands already occupied by them for grazing purposes in the Santa Monica Canyon. This grant was known as the " Boca de Santa Monica " (the mouth of Santa Monica). The land included in it was later claimed to be a part of Santa Monica potrero granted to Francisco Sepulveda. In 1839, Governor Alvarado investigated the conflicting claims and regranted each tract to the original holders. Still the question of the boundary was disputed and was not finally disposed of until about 1880, when the United
137
HISTORY OF SANTA MONICA BAY CITIES
States courts fixed the limits of the Boca de Santa Monica and July 21st, 1882, a patent for 6,656 acres of land was confirmed to Marquez and Reyes.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.