A historical study of Rancho San Juan Cajon de Santa Ana and its owners until 1857

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A HISTORICAL STUDY OF RANCHO SAN JUAN CAJON DE SANTA ANA AND ITS OWNERS UNTIL 1357

A T h e sis P re se n te d to t h e F a c u l t y o f t h e D e p a rtm e n t o f H i s t o r y The U n i v e r s i t y o f S o u th e r n C a l i f o r n i a

In P a r t i a l F u lfillm e n t o f t h e R e q u ir e m e n ts f o r t h e D eg ree M a s te r o f A r t s

by A rn o ld 0 . Dominguez J a n u a r y 1950

UMI Number: EP59606

All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion.

D issertation Publishing

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ProQuest ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 4 8 1 06- 1346

This thesis, written by jQ

.......... I 2 - n . . t y n . . L n . . f s . - j J . . G , . . 2 __

under the gu ida nce of h^LoA. F a c u lt y C o m m it te e , and a p p r o v e d by all its m e mb ers , has been pr es e nt e d to an d a c c e p te d by the Coun ci l on G ra d u at e S t u d y a n d R es e ar c h in p a r t i a l fu lfill­ ment of the requ irements f o r the de gre e of .» .£

__

Dean Date

jJyne..i950...................

Faculty Committee

TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I.

PAGE

THE PR O B L E M ....................................................................... S t a te m e n t o f t h e p ro b le m

II. III. IV . V. V I.

1

..................................

1

I m p o r ta n c e o f t h e s t u d y ......................................

1

P r e v i o u s i n v e s t i g a t i o n s o f t h e p ro b le m . .

2

S o u r c e s o f d a t a ..........................................................

3

....................................................

5

ONTIVEROS* GENESES

JUAN PATRICIO PETITIONS FOR LAND

...................

S

.......................

13

ADDITIONAL LAND IS S O U G H T .....................................

19

THE ONTIVEROS-NIETO CONTROVERSY

RANCHO SAN JUAN DE SANTA ANA BECOMES A R E A L I T Y ............................................................................

26

V II.

JUAN PACIFICO FACES NEW PROBLEMS.......................

32

V III.

CONCLUSION...........................................................................

43

BIBLIOGRAPHY

.................................................................................

49

LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE

PAGE

1*

D ise h o o f

Rancho Los A l a m i t o s .........................

2*

D ise h o o f

F i g u e r o a * s D i v i s i o n o f Rancho

Los N i e t o s i n 1834 3.

L ands o f t h e M is s io n San G a b r i e l

4*

D ise h o o f

20 • • • •

21

Rancho San Ju a n C a jo n de S a n ta

A n a .................................................................................

r

10

27

CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM S t a te m e n t o f t h e p r o b le m . i n v e s t i g a t i o n h as been tw o fo ld .

The p u r p o s e o f t h i s The f i r s t was t o i n ­

q u i r e i n t o t h e g e n e a l o g i c a l b a c k g ro u n d o f t h e O n t i v e r o s f a m i l y and t h e s e c o n d , t o r e c o u n t t h e a b s o r b i n g s t o r y o f t h e Rancho San Ju a n C a jo n de S a n t a Ana from i t s i n c e p ­ t i o n u n t i l t h e lo n g a n t i c i p a t e d a c q u i s i t i o n o f A l t a C a l i f o r n i a by t h e U n ite d S t a t e s o f A m erica i n 1 8 4 6 an d t h e i n a u g u r a t i o n o f e a r l y A m erican C a l i f o r n i a # I m p o r ta n c e o f t h e s t u d y .

I f c a re fu l c o n sid e ra tio n

i s g iv e n to th e q u ite e x te n s iv e t e r r i t o r y in c lu d e d w ith ­ i n t h e w ide b o u n d a r i e s o f t h e San J u a n C a jo n de S a n ta Ana R a n ch o , am ple j u s t i f i c a t i o n f o r t h e s u b s e q u e n t s t u d y i s e sta b lish e d .

The two m ost d i s t i n g u i s h i n g f e a t u r e s o f

t h i s s e c t i o n a r e t h e tr e m e n d o u s ly p r o d u c t i v e c i t r u s i n ­ d u s t r y an d t h e l u c r a t i v e o i l f i e l d s fro m w hich t h e a d ­ j a c e n t u r b a n a r e a s d e r i v e much o f t h e i r p r o s p e r i t y .

The

t h r i v i n g g ro w in g to w n s o f Anaheim , F u l l e r t o n , B r e a , and P l a c e n t i a h a v e a r i s e n i n t h e m i d s t o f t h i s r i c h l y en ­ dowed a r e a , a s h av e v a r i o u s s c a t t e r e d h a m l e t s such a s Atwood, La J o l l a , and O le o .

2 S in c e Anaheim was one o f t h e e a r l i e s t s e t t l e m e n t s i n a s p a r s e l y p o p u l a t e d s o u t h e r n C a l i f o r n i a , t h e num­ b e r o f n a tiv e r e s i d e n t s i s d e c id e d ly h ig h e r th a n i n m ost S o u th la n d c i t i e s o f more r e c e n t o r i g i n . a re la tiv e ly

L ik e w ise ,

s ta b le p o p u la tio n has c o n trib u te d to a

g r e a t e r p e r c e n t a g e o f r e a l p r o p e r t y o w n e r s h ip .

For th e se

r e a s o n s , a p ro n o u n c e d i n q u i s i t i v e n e s s c o n c e r n i n g t h e h i s ­ t o r i c a l a n t e c e d e n t s o f t h e v i c i n i t y i s more l i k e l y t o m a n i f e s t i t s e l f t h a n i n an i n d i f f e r e n t t r a n s i e n t e n v i r o n ­ m e n t. P r e v i o u s i n v e s t i g a t i o n s o f t h e p r o b le m .

P rio r re ­

s e a r c h i n t o t h e p ro b le m now b e i n g i n v e s t i g a t e d h a s b e e n p ra c tic a lly n il.

The f a s c i n a t i n g and r o m a n ti c h i s t o r y o f

Rancho San Ju a n Caj*on de S a n t a Ana d u r i n g t h e p a s t o r a l d a y s o f t h e Spani sh an d M exican r e g im e s i n C a l i f o r n i a h a s u n f o r tu n a te l y been u t t e r l y n e g lec ted *

A lth o u g h R a u p ,^

G rim sh aw ,^ D i c k s o n ,3 e t c . , h av e t h o r o u g h l y and a d e q u a t e l y t r e a t e d t h e s a l i e n t s u b j e c t o f t h e Anaheim c o lo n y

1 H a ll o c k F . R aup, ” The German C o l o n i z a t i o n o f A naheim , C a l i f o r n i a , ” U n i v e r s i t y o f C a l i f o r n i a P u b l i c a ­ t i o n s i n G eo g ra p h y . V o l. V I, n o . 7 7 p p . U 3 - 1 S 6 : 2 A l i c e G rim shaw , ”H i s t o r y o f E a r l y A n ah e im ,” O range C ounty Hi s t o r y S e r i e s . I , 25-31* 3 L u c i l l e E . D ic k s o n , The F o u n d in g and E a r l y H is ­ t o r y o f A naheim , p p . 1-17*

e x p e r i m e n t , and F o rd ^ h a s t o l d o f P l a c e n t i a ' s b e g i n n i n g , s t i l l t h e r e r e m a in s a d e f i n i t e and d e c i d e d vacuum f o r t h e p r e - A m e r ic a n e r a .

T h e r e f o r e , i t i s p resu m e d t h a t

th e to p ic s tu d ie d i s a v ir g in f i e l d f o r re s e a rc h . S o u rces o f d a t a .

S in c e , a s i t h as been e x p la in e d ,

no p r e v i o u s s tu d y e x i s t s o f t h e p ro b le m u n d e r c o n s i d e r ­ a t i o n , m o st o f t h e p e r t i n e n t i n f o r m a t i o n o b t a i n e d h a d , o f n e c e s s i t y , t o be g a t h e r e d d i r e c t l y from p r i m a r y s o u r c e s . H ow ever, a p p r o x i m a t e l y two m o n th s w ere d e v o t e d t o s c r u t i ­ n i z i n g t h e t a b l e s o f c o n t e n t s and t h e i n d e x e s o f in n u m e r­ a b le books o f C a lif o r n i a a t th e fo llo w in g l i b r a r i e s : U n i v e r s i t y o f S o u th e r n C a l i f o r n i a L i b r a r y , Los A n g e le s C ounty Museum L i b r a r y , Los A n g e le s P u b l i c L i b r a r y , Los A n g e le s C ounty L i b r a r y , F u l l e r t o n P u b l i c L i b r a r y , P l a c e n t i a P u b l i c L i b r a r y , Anaheim P u b l i c L i b r a r y , an d S a n ta Ana Pub­ l i c L ib ra ry . P h o t o s t a t i c c o p i e s o f e s p e d i e n t e ^ #57 and incom ­ p l e t e e s p e d i e n t e #34 w ere p r o c u r e d from t h e C a l i f o r n i a S t a t e A r c h i v e s i n S a c r a m e n to , C a l i f o r n i a .

The o r i g i n a l

4 C a r r i e E . F o r d , "The S to r y o f P l a c e n t i a , " O range C ounty H i s t o r y S e r i e s , I , 119-134* 5 An e s p e d i e n t e was a f i l e composed o f a p e t i t i o n , a d i s e h o , and a b o r r a d o r and was r e t a i n e d i n t h e p r o v i n c i a l a rch iv e s.

4 e s p e d i e n t e s now s a f e l y r e p o s e i n t h e m a g n i f i c e n t d o cu ­ m e n ta r y d e p o s i t o r y o f t h e U n ite d S t a t e s G o vern m en t, t h e N a t i o n a l A r c h iv e s i n W a s h in g to n , D. C .; b u t some o f t h e s e i n d i s p e n s a b l e p a p e r s w ere d e s t r o y e d , and t h e r e ­ m a in d e r w ere t e r r i b l y s c o r c h e d i n t h e d i s a s t r o u s San F r a n c i s c o e a r t h q u a k e an d f i r e i n 1 9 0 6 .

The f i l e i n

S a cram en to h a d p r e v i o u s l y b e e n c o p i e d from t h e o r i g i n a l s f o r th e S ta te re c o rd s .

P h o t o s t a t s o f Land Com mission

C ase #440 w ere o b t a i n e d from t h e N a t i o n a l A r c h iv e s w here t h e o l d e r v a l u a b l e r e c o r d s o f t h e G e n e r a l Land O f f i c e w ere s t o r e d .

CHAPTER II ONTIVEROS♦ GENESES The am azing and r a p i d c o n q u e s t and s u b j u g a t i o n o f New S p a in by t h e i n t r e p i d S p a n is h c o n q u i s t a d o r e s p r e s e n t e d r e m a r k a b le and u n p a r a l l e l e d o p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r e n t e r p r i s i n g i n d i v i d u a l s t o a c h i e v e s u c c e s s and f o r t u n e i n t h e new ly o c c u p i e d l a n d s • The d i s t i n g u i s h e d cognomen o f O n t i v e r o s ^ seemed t o h av e f i r s t made i t s a p p e a r a n c e i n t h e s t i r r i n g e v e n t f u l a n n a l s o f t h e S o u th w e st i n 15&2 when C a p ta i n J u a n de O n t i v e r o s , who was t h e a l c a l d e mayor o f C u a tr o C i e n e g a s , ^ co m m issio n ed A n to n io de E s p e j o t o o r g a n i z e an e x p e d i t i o n o f m ercy t o e n t e r i n t o New Mexico i n s e a r c h o f F ra y A g u s tin R o d r ig u e z ( R u i z ) . ^ The n e x t m e n tio n o f an O n t i v e r o s o c c u r r e d on J u l y 14, l? S l.

A S o l d i e r , F r a n c i s c o O n t i v e r o s by name, a r ­

r i v e d a t t h e San G a b r i e l M is s io n w ith R i v e r a y Moncada.

1 Numerous v a r i a t i o n s w i l l o c c a s i o n a l l y be en c o u n ­ t e r e d i n t h e s p e l l i n g o f t h i s su rn am e. O n t i v e r o s and O n tiv e ra s a re p r a c t i c a l l y in te r c h a n g e a b le , b u t O n tiv e ro s i s t h e e a r l i e r form u s e d . 2 C u a tr o C ie n e g a s was l o c a t e d i n Nueva V iz c a y a .

3 H. B a i l e y C a r r o l l and J . V i l l a 3 a n a H a g g a rd , T h re e New M exico C h r o n i c l e s , p . 1 6 3 , f o o t n o t e 6 0 .

He became f o r a s h o r t tim e a member o f t h e g a r r i s o n a t t h e S a n ta B a r b a r a P r e s i d i o , and h i s name s h o r t l y t h e r e ­ a f t e r d i s a p p e a r e d from t h e r e c o r d s .

He was u n m a r r ie d

and l e f t no f a m i l y . ^ The t h i r t y - s e v e n y e a r o l d J o s e f A n to n io O n t i v e r o s r e a c h e d M is s io n San G a b r i e l on A u g u st l £ , 17S 1, i n t h e company o f s o l d i e r s e s c o r t i n g t h e m o tle y g ro u p who w ere t o become Los A n g e l e s 1 f i r s t s e t t l e r s .

Accompanying

J o s e f A n to n io w ere h i s d e v o t e d w i f e , Ana M a ria B i r v i e s c a s y C a r r a s c o , and t h e i r two young c h i l d r e n , J u a n a de D io s , t h i r t e e n y e a r s o f a g e , and J u a n P a t r i c i o , n i n e .

S in a lo a

was t h e n a t i v e l a n d o f b o th J o s e f and Ana M aria*

H is

b i r t h p l a c e was C h a m e tla , w h ile h e r s was R o s a r i o , i n w hich p l a c e O n t i v e r o s made h i s m i l i t a r y e n l i s t m e n t .

L ik e t h e i r

f a t h e r , J u a n a de D io s and Ju a n P a t r i c i o w ere b o r n a t C h a m e tla .^ By t h e y e a r 1&14, J u a n P a t r i c i o O n t i v e r a s h ad s e c u r e d t h e p o s i t i o n o f mayordomo o f t h e San Ju a n C a p i s t r a n o M iss io n .

He was m a r r i e d , h i s w if e b e i n g M a ria A n to n ia

4 Thomas Workman Temple I I , " S o l d i e r s and S e t t l e r s o f t h e E x p e d i t i o n o f 1 7 S 1 ," H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y o f S o u th e r n C a l i f o r n i a , A nnual P u b l i c a t i o n . XV, 1 1 5 . 5 Ib id . . p. 105. 6 F r . Z e p h y r in E n g e l h a r d t , San Ju a n C a p i 3 t r a n o Mi 3 s i o n . p . 5 7. —

7 R o d r ig u e z y N o r ie g a t o whom h e had b e e n wedded on Jun e 1 , 1794

>a t

San G a b r i e l . ?

T h en, i n 1 3 2 5

,

Juan P a t r i c i o

s e r v e d i n t h e c a p a c i t y o f e n c a r g a d o de j u s t i c i a

a t Los

N ie to s .^

7 T em ple, o p . c i t . . p . 115* 3 The A m erican J u s t i c e o f t h e p e a c e w ould b e t h e n e a r e s t e q u i v a l e n t t o t h e e n c a r g a d o de j u s t i c i a . 9 H u b e r t Howe B a n c r o f t . H i s t o r y o f C a l i f o r n i a 1 3 4 0 1 3 4 5 . IV , 7 5 9 .

CHAPTER III JUAN PATRICIO PETITIONS FOR LAND As lo n g a s C a l i f o r n i a was u n d e r i m p e r i a l S p a in * s d o m i n a t i o n , t h e g o v e rn m e n t was d e f i n i t e l y d i s i n c l i n e d t o g r a n t t i t l e s i n f e e s i m p l e ; and te m p o r a r y l a n d co n ­ c e s s i o n s w ere t h e r u l e .

H ow ever, w i t h t h e a d v e n t o f t h e

M exican R e p u b lic an e s p e c i a l l y g e n e r o u s and l i b e r a l l a n d p o l i c y was e v o lv e d u n d e r t h e C o l o n i z a t i o n Act o f 1324 and t h e R eglam en to o f 1 3 2 3 . F o llo w in g t h e exam ple o f many o t h e r C a l i f o r n i a n s , J u a n P a t r i c i o O n t i v e r a s on March 3 , 1 3 3 3

»made

an a p p l i ­

c a tio n f o r la n d in th e fo llo w in g s o l i c i t a t i o n : To the Superior Political Chief. T7 Ju a n P a t r i c i o O n t i v e r a s , a r e t i r e d s o l d i e r o f t h e P r e 3 i d i a l Company o f San D iego i n t h i s T e r r i t o r y o f A l t a C a l i f o r n i a ; b e f o r e y o u r H o n o r, i n due fo rm o f la w r e p r e s e n t ; t h a t i n t h e y e a r 1301 [17&1) i n com­ p a n y w ith my f a t h e r , I l e f t my n a t i v e p l a c e , w hich i s t h e " R e a l d e l R o s a r i o , "2 f o r t h e p u r p o s e o f e n t e r i n g t h e m i l i t a r y s e r v i c e i n s a i d T e r r i t o r y , i n w hich I i n f a c t s e r v e d tw e n ty y e a r s , i n t h e company r e f e r r e d t o , w i t h o u t h a v i n g a s i n g l e b a d n o t e , an d h a v i n g , a s soon a s I r e t i r e d from t h e s e r v i c e , e s t a b l i s h e d m y s e l f on

1 Ju a n P a t r i c i o s e r i o u s l y e r r e d i n h i s r e c o l l e c t i o n o f t h e d a t e . M o re o v e r, J o s e f A n to n io , h i s f a t h e r , p a s s e d away a t Los A n g e le s on March 1 0 , 1 7 9 3 . 2 R o s a r i o was a j u r i s d i c t i o n i n t h e

M exico.

s ta te o f S in a lo a ,

9 t h e r a n c h o o f S a n t a G e r t r u d i s , a l i a s , L os N i e t o s , 3 i n t h e j u r i s d i c t i o n o f t h e p u e b lo o f Los A n g e le s , And a t t h e p r e s e n t t i m e , b e i n g t h e ow ner o f a con­ s i d e r a b l e amount o f 3 t o c k , s u f f i c i e n t t o s t o c k a p la c e t h a t I d e s ir e to o b ta in ; I ap p ly to your H o n o r, a s k i n g you t o be p l e a s e d , t o g r a n t me t h e p o s s e s s i o n o f t h e p l a c e named Los A la x n ito s ,4 to w a r d s th e so u th . On s a i d R a n ch o , t h e r e i s a z a n j a ( d i t c h ) o f p e r m a n e n t w a t e r ; i t i s , h o w e v e r, w i t h o u t t i m b e r , e x c e p t i n g a few a la m o s ( p o p l a r s ) a t t h e p o i n t w here I i n t e n d t o make a s e t t l e m e n t , i f y o u r H o n o r, s e e s f i t , t o g r a n t my p e t i t i o n ; t h e l a n d i s , i n p a r t i r ­ r i g a b l e , and i t i s a d a p t e d t o sow ing p u r p o s e s ; i t h a s no c o l i n d a n t e s , s i n c e i t p e r t a i n s t o t h e v e r y e x t e n s i v e Rancho a l r e a d y r e f e r r e d t o . The p e r s o n s t h a t I i n t e n d t o e s t a b l i s h on s a i d R an ch o , a r e my f a m i l y , one son and one s o n - i n - l a w w ith t h e i r s , w ith th e n e c e ssa ry s e rv a n ts , a ls o in te n d in g to b u ild d w e l l i n g h o u s e s , and make o t h e r im p ro v e m e n ts . The t r a c t I p e t i t i o n f o r , i s a #l e a g u e and a h a l f fro m t h e e a s t to w a r d s t h e p o b l a c i o n 5 an d one l e a g u e from t h e e a s t t o t h e s o u t h . W ith in t h e p e r i o d o f two y e a r s , I o b l i g a t e my3 e l f t o c o n s t r u c t r e s p e c t a b l e d w e l l i n g s , s t o c k s a i d p l a c e , c u l t i v a t e t h e sam e, and p l a n t a v in e y a r d .6

3 The p r i n c e l y Rancho Los N i e t o s wa 3 g r a n t e d t o Don M anuel N i e t o i n November 17&4 by G o v e rn o r P e d ro F a g e s . T h ere was no a b s o l u t e t i t l e , and t h e b a s i s f o r p o s s e s s i o n was a te m p o r a r y o c c u p a t i o n p e r m i t from t h e G o v e rn o r. A round 1795 t h i s Rancho was known by t h e name o f La Z a n j a , a c q u i r i n g t h e more f a m i l i a r Los N i e t o s somew hat l a t e r . 4 Los A la m ito s was one o f t h e s i x l a r g e g r a n t s i n t o w h ich t h e immense Rancho Los N i e t o s was d i v i d e d by G over­ n o r J o s e F i g u e r o a i n 1$34* The o t h e r s w ere Los C o y o te s , S a n t a G e r t r u d i s , L as B o l s a s , Los C e r r i t o s , and P a lo A l t o . Don Manuel N i e t o * s h e i r s w ere t h e f o r t u n a t e r e c i p i e n t s o f t h i s a p p o rtio n m e n t. 5 Los A n g e le s . 6 C e r t a i n c o n d i t i o n s w ere u s u a l l y im p o sed w h ic h , i f n o t f u l f i l l e d , made t h e l a n d g r a n t s u b j e c t t o d e n o u n c e ­ m e n t.

DISEHO, F e r in e llfonkiai

ALAM 1T0S §r