History
The original dwellers in the region were the Tongva.
Some literature states that there was tension between
them and coastal groups – coastal settlers having
better access to water and fishing.
Among first European settlers in San Gabriel Valley were
those that established the missions. The closest mission
to us was San Gabriel. Originally it was near what is
now Whittier Narrows, but moved because waters were
stagnant. No Tongva lived there, as they knew about the
poor quality of water.
By the early 19th c. Spanish and other Europeans began
to explore the area for a variety of reasons. Frs.
Sanchez and Salvidea were in charge of San Gabriel
Mission. Doña Eulalia, after about a dozen years
of service, was “given” the land in
recognition of her services when the mission lands were
secularized. Her oral history states that the Indians
were asked if it was acceptable, and they agreed. She
finished her days in San Gabriel; her oral history and
her son-in-law's oral history were taken at his house
which is now situated in the middle of San Marino High
School.
While she was at the mission it is likely that she knew
or knew of John Chapman, for whom Chapman Woods is named
and Hugo Reid, whose wife Victoria was originally given
a land grant for Rancho Cuati, came to own what we now
know as the Arboretum.
She may have also known Benito Wilson or William
Wolfskill, who like many that came prior to the Gold
Rush, per Mexican legal requirements, took Spanish names
and became Catholics in order to gain land. This fact is
often only alluded to in many of the earliest English
language histories.
In the mid 19th century many of the children of the
Rancho owners found it important to educate their
children in English and sent their children away from
home in order to be educated. Some went to the Sandwich
Islands (present day Hawaii), because it was quicker to
get there than around the Great Horn to go to New
England.
Santa Clara College had classes in Spanish because there
were so many “native” speakers attending.
Spanish was one of the two languages that were part of
the first state constitution. The Gold Rush changed the
demographics so solidly that the second version was in
English only. In the 1870’s there was good deal of
speculation going on. And those that had served in the
Civil War – both sides – settled here. I
feel that this has had an impact on the area that has
yet to be explored. It was also during this time that a
number of lynchings of Chinese and Mexicans occurred in
California. Among those that came to California were
Chileans and Chinese miners.
During this transitional period many “
Californios” dealt with issues of identity. Some
chose to hold on tightly to old traditions, others
married their daughters to the New Land Owners, and yet
others worked to become more “Americanized”.
In many histories, the land transference often seems to
be swift, in part because the familial history that is
later shared follows the “males only”
history, thus daughters or wives are often only
mentioned in passing.
In Pasadena, many Latinos initially interacted with the
new Immigrants and Migrants, initially as enemies due to
the US Mexican War. Some US citizens looked to the
Mexicanos/Californios as the vanquished or as the
foreign. Many who came to settle here served in the
US/Mexican War that had occupied Mexico City.
In the 1870’s there was good deal of large-scale
land speculation going on. And those that had served in
the Civil War – both sides – settled here. I
feel that this has had an impact on the area that has
yet to be explored. They had both positive and negative
feeling for African Americans.
Many of those that settled the on the Rancho San Pascual
lands in the 1860’s and 1870’s found it
difficult time to do so because of the climactic
situation. Most of the area lands had Spanish names.
Places like Rubio Canyon, Garfias street and San Pascual
bear testament to some of the earliest settlers.
It is important to remember that although technically
the area was the United States, for those coming from
the East Coast, the culture was different. Calling the
area the United States sped up the changes that
occurred, but they happened in a way that was impacted
by the community that was here “before”.
When D.M. Berry came here from Indiana to scout a site
for the rest of the “Indiana Colony” to
purchase and then to live on, he stayed at the newly
built Pico House in Los Angeles. My guess is that he may
have had interactions with or at least seen Pio Pico.
Berry like others that came later knew of many of the
Mexicano/Californio individuals. There were stories
written about Doña Eulalia and Pio Pico by
popular journalists and
In the 1880’s the racial identity, railroads and
ranches were major factors in how the area was settled.
Blacks, Chinese and Mexican workers were in the area and
there are writings that share disparaging remarks and
records of the differences in pay that different groups
received. Language was an important factor in deciding
how interactions would occur. There are written memories
of Blacks that refer to themselves as White, because
they speak English and not Spanish.
The railroads and ranches helped define the area because
of the sort of work that was required and by the
settling patterns of different groups. As the mines
began to return less and less, workers settled in new
areas or in different jobs. As some laws were enacted by
congress, different ethnic/racial groups were encouraged
or discouraged to “settle” here. Thus when
the Chinese were limited in number, the Mexican south of
the new border became a source for workers. Partially
due to proximity, and partially due to political
limitations many moved with their families. It was at
this time that the Porfiriato existed and access to
lands by a majority of Mexicans was limited by
“reforms” taking place in Mexico. The
percentage of those that owned lands shrank
tremendously. There were also American land barons, like
Huntington, who broke U.S. law and sent trains to Mexico
to bring workers to the United States.
During this time there was another of transference of
land and land speculation. Some living in the Midwest
and the East coast began to hear of the open land that
was available in the west. For the first wave that
arrived in the 1870’s and early 1880’s this
was an opportunity to reap the benefits of Manifest
Destiny. For those that arrived latter part of the 19th
century and were moneyed, this was a grand place to
vacation -splendid scenery, cheap labor and warm
winters. This was the ideal site for the Millionaires
that brought income to the area and were the owners of
land on Millionaires’ Row on Orange Grove
Boulevard. Their arrival and the social sensibilities
that arrived with them would change the character of
Pasadena in the 20th century.
Latino Heritage
Ph: (626) 683 3450
Fax: (626) 791 9418
E-mail:
latinoheritage@mindspring.com
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