E. Palmer Conner

“ In the following thirty-three years many changes came over California. The rule of the United States supplanted the ruin of Mexico, California became a state and Los Angeles a city. The wool of the lazy sheep became more profitable than the hides of cattle.
In 1872 the heirs of Sepulveda, anxious to divide their inheritance and believing that Rancho San Vicente y Santa Monica had reached the peak of its value, sold the same for less than $2.00 an acre to Colonel Robert S. Baker, prominent wool grower of Kern County. ”

“ For years chaos reigned at the Mission. The government drove off many of the Indians, others left and the herds of cattle became legitimate prey alike for “Gentlemen of Mexico” and Mexican bandits not claiming the distinction.
In 1846 armed invasion of California was commenced by the Americans. Governor Pio Pico in a blaze of oratory declared that at any cost the “Department of California” must be retained as property of Mexico forever and asked for authority to sell Rancho Mission de San Fernando, then known as Rancho Ex-Mission, for funds with which to equip an army. ”

“ At the height of the cattle days there was only one house on the Rancho Tajauta, a two-room adobe. Today it is estimated over 20,000 people live within its boundaries, which include most of Watts and adjoining area in the southerly part of Los Angeles—and a fourth of the rancho is yet to be subdivided. The size of the rancho, however, was no criterion to the number of its owners and changes in its title. Before California became a state, its original owner, Anastacio Abila, died and left so many heirs that it was necessary to divide the estate into seventieth parts to properly partition it. ”

“ The Rancho San Pascual has always been a famous ranch. Its owners have always been prominent in the affairs of California and in the Pueblo of Los Angeles. It has always been famed for beauty and today within its far-flung boundaries are the world famous cities of Altadena, Pasadena, South Pasadena and parts of San Marino. ”

“ Mrs. de Baker, child of an illustrious Spanish family, was famed for her beauty, and, as wife of Don Abel Stearns, commanded an outstanding social position in Los Angeles. Upon Don Abel’s death she inherited all of his ranchos. Shortly after the boom the Estate of Colonel Baker, Senator Jones and the Santa Monica Land & Water Company conveyed 300 acres of land along the east boundary of the rancho to the United States and on this and adjoining land the Soldiers’ Home was built. ”

“ At one time he owned 25 Rancho Paso de Bartolo, his interest in Rancho San Fernando, his home place called Ranchito, near Whittier in this County, and Ranchos Las Flores and Santa Margarita, both tremendous ranches in San Diego County. In addition to his ranchos he owned a home on the plaza in the Pueblo of Los Angeles and considerable additional pueblo land in Los Angeles and San Diego. He built the celebrated Pico House, yet standing, facing the plaza in Los Angeles. His life was crowned with success at every turn. Under Mexico he was California’s leading citizen. ”

“ Rancho Los Palos Verdes has been the scene of some of the earliest as well as the latest development in Los Angeles County. For more than thirty years before Willmore platted Willmore City, later called Long Beach, and before Jones and Baker laid out their harbor city of Santa Monica there had been a thriving settlement at the port of San Pedro in the Rancho Los Palos Verdes. ”

“ He built the “fireproof” Baldwin Hotel, the largest in San Francisco, later destroyed by fire. But the charm of Rancho Santa Anita soon took Baldwin from his northern home and he moved into the large ranch house, devoting the balance of his life to the development of this rancho and the acquiring of others. Upon his death in 1909, his daughters, Anita M. Baldwin and Clara Baldwin Stocker, succeeded him in the ownership of Rancho Santa Anita.
Baldwin’s greatest love was for horses and he developed a breed of racing stock which became world-famous. ”

“ Not only did Temple naturalize as a citizen of Mexico, but he married a Spanish girl of a prominent family. Dona Rafaela Cota became his bride and by this marriage Temple acquired one-twelfth of the Rancho Los Cerritos, then owned by Rafaela and her eleven brothers and sisters, heirs of Manuela Nieto de Cota. The remaining eleven-twelfths was not so easily acquired and it cost Don Juan “$3025 in silver coin and an equal amount in merchandise at market prices” to complete his ownership of the 27,000 acre rancho. ”

“ The moving-picture industry has expanded into the property and several of the largest studios are located there. Now the University of California at Los Angeles is being built on the rancho, and already opened as one of the greatest institutions of learning. ”

“ The modern escrow system was originated by this Company. It was designed to make real estate transactions convenient and safe. A highly trained personnel and complete and convenient facilities provide efficient service to buyer and to seller. ”

“ But Willmore had planned well—his streets were wide, 80 and 100 feet being usual, and one, American Avenue, being 124 feet wide, and the natural beauty of the land and ocean frontage made it attractive to others. Soon a syndicate under the name of Long Beach Land & Water Company took up the sale of the lots and Willmore City took the name of Long Beach. ”

“ This real estate information has been indexed and classified so that the Company’s examiners may find the necessary information in the least possible time. Millions of dollars have been expended in creating this great plant which is not surpassed by any in the nation. ”

“ No lessee could be found to take the land under this act and on June 18th, 1846, Pio Pico made the final grant of all the remaining Mission lands to Julian Workman and Hugo Reid. The United States government, however, refused to confirm this last minute disposal of the Mission land and declared the property public land of the United States, first setting aside to Bishop Alemany 190 acres surrounding the Mission buildings.
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The public land was quickly taken up by many settlers, who were eager to acquire homesteads in a country almost exclusively made up of giant ranchos. ”