Raven Jake Dawes

Bring out your dead

Still tryin' to figure out where Michael White ended up and here's another clue - an article on the KCET blog. Now to see if the Old Calvary Cemetery is still around...

Ah bad news - Calvary Cemetery is now underneath Cathedral High and Michael White probably is too. I like to think about him and the Picos cheering on the Phantoms at all their home games... Hare's some more info:  Bring out your dead.

In 1844, a new cemetery was set aside by the "Illustrious Council of Los Angeles" on Buena Vista Street (now North Broadway) at the southwest corner of Bishop's Road. Plans were drawn up and Bishop Francisco Garcia Diego y Moreno authorized the local priest to bless the 12 acre site "as soon as it is properly fenced in." The new burial ground was blessed on November 3, 1844 by Father Thomas Estenaga, and formally consecrated twenty-two years later by Bishop Thaddeus Amat under the title of Calvary Cemetery. "Old" Calvary Cemetery served the City of Angels for the next six decades, until city expansion called for a second relocation. "New Calvary Cemetery" was established in 1896 on Whittier Boulevard just east of downtown Los Angeles. Now simply referred to as "Calvary", it continues to serve the community and is considered among the most prominent cemeteries in Los Angeles. ~ Archdiocese of Los Angeles: History of Catholic Cemeteries in Los Angeles

(Old Calvary Cemetery) opened on Nov. 3, 1844, and, for the next five decades, became the final resting place for pioneer families whose names make up a "Who's Who" of Los Angeles history: Pico, Boyle, Bell, Chapman, Dominguez, Bandini and Downey, among them. Between 1844 and the end of the 19th century, when the cemetery was shut down and those buried there were moved to a new Calvary Cemetery on Whittier Boulevard east of Downtown, as many as 10,000 of the city's early residents were laid to rest there. As early as 1860, however, the cemetery was criticized as being too small. An article in the Los Angeles Star that year called it "sadly overcrowded" and noted its "crumbling walls." In 1886, cemetery officials stopped accepting new burials, but no move was made at that time to move the bodies that were already there. Bishop Francis Mora, recognizing the cemetery's limitations, had purchased 52 acres at the eastern edge of the city in 1895. Boyle Heights property owners objected to the idea of a graveyard in the area, claiming it would depreciate their property. As a result, the new graveyard was constructed even farther east, outside city limits. ~ Downtown News: The Former Downtown Dead Zone

Michael White's Funeral Card

This post has got me a little choked up too. Our girl Judy over at the San Marino Historical Society invited us over to check out a new box of old stuff donated  by Michael White researcher Dorothy Ross. Judy Carter is an aces archivist who has fully supported the restoration of the adobe from the get-go. Dorothy is a terrific researcher and there are some undiscovered gems in her collection, but this one took the cake: a photocopy of Michael White's funeral card. Let me tell you why.

Besides the sentimental value of such an item, there are some unanswered questions. Jane and I walked every row in the San Gabriel Cemetery, and none of "our" Whites are buried there. (of course we checked the burial register too!) At least some of "our" Whites are in the San Gabriel Mission cemetery, but the records from 1850 to 1910 are missing in action. So where could we find Michael White, who supposedly died broke and somewhere in L.A? Smart money's on Nuestra Señora Reina de los Angeles, Our Lady Queen of Angels down on Olvera St. It's the Church he probably helped Joseph Chapman build. Nice. Like going home after a long journey.

Here's what the card says:

Don Miguel White
QEPD

Natural de Inglaterra, falleció en esta ciudad el Sabado 28 de Febrero a la una de la mañana á la cedad de 84 años y 14 dias.

Sus funerales tendrán lugar el Domingo 1 de Marzo partiendo el cortejo  funebre de la residencia de Don Juan Castillon No. 146 Calle Aliso a las 3 de la tarde para la Iglesia de Ntr. Sra. De Los Angeles.

Suplicamos a Ud  nos acompane en este acto de caridad cristiana.

Maria G. de White, Viuda

Hijas:
Juana W. de Courtney
Zaragoza W. de Alvarado
Francisca W. de Heslop
Jane W. de Capdevielle
Ester W. de Castillon

Hijos
Santiago White
Jose Miguel White

Los Angeles, Febrero 28 de 1885

___________________________________________

And for my non-Spanish-speaking amigos, here's what it means:

Don Miguel White
RIP

A native of England died in this city on Saturday, February 28 at one o'clock in the morning at the age of 84 years and 14 days.

His funeral will take place on Sunday March 1, the funeral procession will start from the residence of Don Juan Castillon, No. 146 Maple Street, at 3 pm for the Church of Our Lady Queen of Angels. We beseech you join us in this act of Christian charity.

Maria G. White, Widow

Daughters:
Joan W. Courtney
Zaragoza W. Alvarado
Frances W.  Heslop
Jane W.  Capdevielle
Esther W. Castillon

Sons:
James White
Jose Miguel White

Los Angeles, February 28, 1885

Michael White Adobe Open House

So, like I said before, on Friday, October 29, 2010 the Friends of the Michael White Adobe hosted an open house so that folks could see the adobe before, during and after San Marino's homecoming game against South Pasadena. It was a tremendous success - hundreds of people came through including a couple of school board members, a bunch of alumni cheerleaders, students, faculty, some Raven Jake fans and some Michael White / Eulalia Perez family members, making it a very happy Halloween indeed. Check out the photo album over there on the left side of the page, towards the bottom, right above the ravens.

Here's the official scoop on the open house:

San Marino High School football fans received a rare treat at the homecoming game on Friday – entrance to the Michael White Adobe.  Opened to the public for the first time since the 1990’s, the Adobe offered visitors a glimpse into San Marino’s past.
 
Hundreds of football fans streamed through before, during and after the game at the urging of Friends of the Michael White Adobe.  Inside, curious visitors saw displays of the Adobe through time and some artifacts depicting San Marino history.  The Friends converted one of the three rooms into a theater where visitor took in a slide show prepared by SMHS Senior Taylor Beldy. 
 
Michael White and his bride Maria del Rosario Guillen de White (Jeryd and Jane Pojawa) appeared in period costume and took visitors on a tour of their home from 1845 to 1874.  Some of the guests included direct descendants of Michael White, including SMHS grad Kirt Boultinghouse, who came for the Homecoming game.
 
The Friends of the Michael White Adobe have received matching grants from the Los Angeles Conservancy and the San Marino Historical Society to conduct a feasibility study to investigate the possibility of using the 165 year old structure as a “Hall of Fame” intended to highlight student accomplishments.  Friends Committee Chairman, Gene Dryden, was on hand to describe how the Hall of Fame proposal will bring the historic building back as a vital component of campus life.  “K.L. Carver made the decision to preserve the Adobe for the students back when the High School was constructed, and we want to keep the Adobe relevant for today’s SMHS students,” Dryden explained.  For most of the students there, this was their first chance to look inside the historic Adobe they walk past every day to and from class.

Now I do apologize that the photo quality isn't a little better, but we tried (amid all the running around and setting up and everything) to get a pretty representative feel of the event. We had Taylor's slide show going in one room, some large historic photos courtesy of Ann Gray and the San Marino Historical Society set up in the "kitchen" room as a gallery, and Bill Enger's powerpoint presentation for the high school students running in the "living room." You can see it here: https://sites.google.com/site/michaelwhiteadobe/hot-news-1/asbleadershipclassatsmhs

I also want to send a shout out to the crazy girls of the pep squad. No, they're not so crazy any more - they're moms and business women and pillars of the community and that kind of thing, but man, do they have some great stories about the "pep adobe" in the '7os and '80s. If these walls could talk! Here's an old yearbook picture (1974) of some of the girls up on the roof (kids, don't get your hopes up - there's no way you're going up on the roof when the adobe gets restored. Times were less litigious back then, and pep girls were stealthier.)

And to all the Eulalia Perez de Guillen descendants: WELCOME HOME! One of the very best things about the restoration project is meeting all the family members and seeing y'all reconnecting. This adobe can be saved but it's going to take the whole community working together - so let's do it!

ExperienceLA.com: Michael White Adobe Open House

C'mon down to the Michael White Adobe on Oct. 29 for our first-ever open house event! The adobe has been closed to the general public since the 90's, so it's an opportunity you won't want to miss. I'll be there myself as the ghost of Michael White!

ExperienceLA.com: Calendar: Event.

The Old Mother Grapevine Revisited

 

Folks, remember how I said I didn't think there was anything to the story that David Frankin Hall of the Michael White Ranch planted the Old Mother Grapevine of San Gabriel? Well now that I've read the affidavit, I think I was wrong! At least I'll say the jury ain't out, and that David Franklin Hall here makes a compelling case:

California missions and landmarks: El Camino Real

By Mrs. A. S. C. Forbes, 1915 pp 95-96

THE GRAPE VINE AT SAN GABRIEL

The immense grape vine at San Gabriel is worthy of a visit, not because of its age but because of its size. The overzealous sometimes claim that the vine was planted by the padres, but the following copy of an affidavit, the original of which is owned by Mrs. Susan Thompson Parrish, who lives near El Monte (Los Angeles County) and who was one of the three persons present at the planting, will set the matter at rest and prove that truth is stranger than fiction.

 The vine was planted in 1861, and the gigantic proportions which it has attained makes the enthusiast believe and rehearse that it is over a century old and the largest grape vine in the world, while in reality it is only one of the largest vines in the world, and it is only a half century old!

And here's the sworn statement:

State of California, County of Los Angeles

ss

Personally appeared before me one DAVID FRANKLIN HALL who deposes and says as follows: In 1854, Dr George I. Rice and I bought of Hipolito Cervantes the house and lot now known as the Grape Vine property. The house was a small affair of three rooms and a bat roof and there was no grape vine on the lot. L.J. Rose's purchase of land, which he improved and called SUNNY SLOPE, included the house of Courtney, (a son-in-law of Michael White, one of the oldest pioneers,) on which he (Courtney) had transplanted a wild grape vine he procured from a canyon near the home of B.D. Wilson (Lake Vineyard).

Its location obstructed the plans of Mr. Rose and he gladly gave it to me, and assisted me in digging it up. It had been pruned to a height of two and a half (2 l/ 2) or three (3) feet and the trunk had thickened to a diameter of three or four inches. We left one short branch on it.

I took it in my buggy to my own house, and placed it where it now flourishes in the spring of 1861. It grew luxuriantly from the start and we used its shelter as a summer kitchen until I sold the premises to Mr. Bailey in 1881 or 1882, of which date I am not positive, but I had been there continuously for twenty seven years.

DAVID FRANKLIN HALL

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 10th day of January 1908, DR WELLER, Notary Public in and for Los Angeles County California.

The vine was planted in 1861, the year that the San Gabriel River divided its course and therefore one to be well remembered. The growth of the vine attests to the wonderful fertility of the soil for it should be remembered that it was only a wild grape vine dug up out of a cañon.

 

The Reed Family Murders at Mission San Miguel

Folks, a couple of posts down when Michael White was talking about his stagecoach journey, he was more than a little bit jumpy about highway men and the murder of the Reed family. After reading this, I can sure see why. If you thought brutal mass murders started with the Manson Family, you'd be wrong, and here's Wally Ohles to say more about it:

 

In his history of San Miguel, “ The Lands of Mission San Miguel“, author Wally Ohles lays out the historical facts of the brutal Reed Family murders at The Old Mission. No one has lived in the Old Mission rooms for many years now

As you might expect, the murders and stories of buried gold at the Old Mission have given rise to some colorful local legends, one of which is recounted at the end of this history... read it if you dare!

The Murders in the Old Mission
by Wally Ohles, Author and Historian

On the afternoon of December 4, 1848, five "white" men and one Indian arrived at Mission San Miguel, where [William] Reed and his family were living. Petronilo and his partner, William Reed, had obtained the Mission on July 4, 1846. Reed had recently returned from delivering sheep to his father-in-law; General Mariano G. Vallejo, for resale to the gold-miners of northern California.

The group which arrived on December 4th consisted of the following: Pete Raymond, a desperado who had killed a man by the name of J. R. Pfister at Murphy's Camp, but had escaped from jail, Joseph Peter Lynch, who had deserted from General Kearney's command at Fort Leavenworth, Peter Remer, who had belonged to the New York Volunteers in 1847, and Peter Quin, an Irishman who had just come to California.

These last two people were deserters from the warship Warren. The final member of the group was Sam Bernard (or Barnberry), accompanied by John, an Indian from Soledad. Lynch and Raymond had murdered two companions while on the way from the gold fields to Soledad.

At the mission, these men sold 30 ounces of gold to Reed for $30 per ounce; they stayed there that night, and left the next morning. They went as far as San Marcos Creek, and then returned to the Mission and spent the rest of the day and part of the evening. (Some accounts have it that the group went as far south as Rancho Santa Margarita, before returning to San Miguel.)

During the evening of December 5th, they murdered everyone at the Mission. The victims included: WIlliam Reed; his wife, Maria Antonia Vallejo, who was expecting a baby; their 4-year old son; a brother- in-law; Jose Ramon Vallejo; the mid-wife, Josefa Olivera; the 15-year old daughter and the grandson of Martin Olivera; a Negro cook; an Indian sheep- herder and his grandchild. Eleven were killed in all, counting the unborn child.

The group had been warming themselves near the cooking fire, which was slowly dying. Sam Bernard (or Barnberry) offered to go outside to get some firewood. He returned with an axe hidden in the armload of wood, and struck Reed several blows with the axe; the Indian stabbed Reed with a knife. Reed was wearing his hat at the time he was killed; he had several gashes on his nose. The women must not have gotten ready for bed, because when they were found, they were still wearing day-time clothing.

Ralph J. Leonard, a retired Lieutenant-Colonel of the U. S. Army; has done an in-depth study of the murder of the Reed family; In his work entitled The San Miguel Mission Murders, he gives the details of the incident from the record of the interrogations of Joseph Lynch, Peter Quin and of Peter Remer. Lynch and Quin signed their confessions; Peter Remer used a witnessed mark for his signature.

According to Lynch, Sam Bernard (or Barnberry) and the others went to Reed's rooms and killed the women and children, and then took the bodies to the carpenter's shop. After the killings, they went to Reed's room and drank some wine; then, using an axe, opened all the chests and rifled them of their contents, taking the money and valuables. About half an hour after the murders, they left the Mission that evening, and slept the rest of the night near the house at Rancho EI Paso de Robles, which was located approximately one mile south of the present-day town of Templeton.

Leon Gil, a grandson ofPetronilo Rios, later stated that the night after the murders, the killers "camped at my grandfather's place at Templeton, with the intention of killing him also, if necessary; in order to secure the gold which they had expected to get at Mr. Reed's. But on account of there being so many Indians about, they were afraid to attempt it. One of the Indians went over, as Indians are apt to do, to the men's camp after they left, and there picked up an earring, which he brought to Don Petronilo. He recognized it as one that he had often seen Mrs. Reed wearing.

[This statement must have been given no earlier than 1887, because the town of Templeton did not exist prior to that time, nor was that name used prior to the arival of the railroad.]

Catarina Avila Rios, in 1877, related that it was known that the murderers ate breakfast at Rancho El Paso de Robles, because of some cups that were found there by some Indian servants; they also found a new knife and a small box that contained some gold articles that belonged to the late Maria Antonia Reed.

The murderers spent the next night near a creek about two leagues south of Mission San Luis Obispo. [The Spanish league equaled 2.63 English miles.] At that point, the Indian left the group. It is possible that this location was the Corral de Piedra Rancho. (Leon Gil has said that years after the murders, Mariano Soberanes, of the Los Ojitos Rancho, visited at the Rios house in San Miguel. He chanced to see an old Indian who was working for Leon's Grandfather, Petronilo Rios. Soberanes recognized the Indian as the one who was with the group who murdered the Reed family.

The group then went to Rancho Los Alamos, and obtained four horses. Near Las Cruces, they spent the night. The next night was spent at Los Dos Pueblos. They passed Santa Barbara during the late evening of the next day, and camped about a mile from town. The following day, at about eleven o'clock in the morning, they stopped at Rancho Ortega, about five or six miles below Santa Barbara, and bought something to eat. They left about one o'clock and had gone no more than a mile when they were met by the posse.

Miss Ella Villa (VIllavicencio) related a story to Chris Jespersen, which he included in his county history book. Ella VIlla, the grand-daughter of Captain Jose Maria VIllavicencio, grantee of Corral de Piedra, related the story that Senora Villavicencio said that the desperados had stopped at their rancho. The Senora thought it strange that one of the men should be wearing "the conspicuous, blue, brass-buttoned coat of 'the pilot,' as Reed was called by his friends."

Meanwhile, on the evening of December 5th, James E Beckwourth was carrying the mail from Captain William Dana's Rancho at Nipomo to Monterey; He discovered the bodies, and rode with the news to the nearest ranch, that of Petronilo Rios, southeast of San Miguel, and probably five or six miles away. Beckwourth then continued his ride to Monterey.

There, he would deliver the mail and also inform the military governor, Colonel Richard B. Mason, of the murders.

It should be noted that at the time of the murders Petronilo Rios must not have been living at the Caledonia adobe, which is located one-half mile south of the Mission; he was living at La Estrella. One reason for making this deduction is that the distance five or six miles is not far enough to refer to the Ranch EI Paso de Robles, located south of Templeton, all owned by Rios. This site is approximately fourteen miles from Mission San Miguel. Petronilo Rios and his family must have been living at the adobe on the Estrella River, southeast of San Miguel, and a distance of approximately six miles.

On December 6th, John M. Price, alcalde of San Luis Obispo, also discovered the bodies at Mission San Miguel. (An alcalde was an office which was a combination of mayor and justice of the peace.) On the 7th of December, Price signed a document as Jusgado of San Luis Obispo, and designated Trifon Garcia as his representative to take all measures necessary to apprehend the murderers. Trifon Garcia was a son of Ynocente Garcia, and the owner of Rancho Atascadero.

Petronilo Rios helped bury his partner, and the other victims of the crime, in the cemetery of Missio San Miguel. According to Eva C. Iversen, "Just outside the rear door of the sacristy; a little to the southwest and near the old first church wall, the bodies of the slain were all buried in one grave."

According to Catarina Avila Rios, her husband "returned to bury the family; consequently he ordered two tombs opened in which they were all buried gathering all of the remains that had been left." Thomas Savage provides this quote from the Recuerdos of Mrs. Rios, which were furnished to Vicente P Gomez on June 20, 1877, in Santa Clara.

The action taken by citizens of Santa Barbara commenced on December 10, 1848, when Cesario Latillade requested the formation of a posse. This became a 37- member semi-vigilante group which caught up with the murderers on the crown of Ortega Hill, overlooking the present town of Summerland. Cesario Latillade was the vice-consul of Spain at Monterey since 1847, and was allowed to reside at Santa Barbara. He accidentally shot and killed himself at Santa Barbara in 1849.

Sam Bernard (or Barnberry) was mortally wounded by Ramon Rodriguez, who was, in turn, killed by a bullet from that bandit's gun. Pete Raymond jumped into the surf, in an attempt to escape, and was drowned. Peter Quin was wounded and captured; Joseph Lynch and Peter Remer were also captured, and later gave their confessions.

A temporary court sentenced the murderers to be hanged. From the time of the Mexican surrender in January of 1847 until statehood in September of 1850, California was a military territory of the United States. Mexican Santa Barbara had some question about the authority of the temporary court, so its findings were presented to Colonel Mason in Monterey; His response was to send Lieutenant Edward O. C. Ord, of the Third Artillery; and nine soldiers to Santa Barbara as a firing squad.

Joseph Lynch, Peter Remer and Peter Quin were executed by fIring squad, in Santa Barbara, on December 28, 1848, near the corner of De la Guerra and Chapala Streets. They were buried in the cemetery of Mission Santa Barbara.

The Santa Barbara historian, Walker A Tompkins, in a November 28, 1963 letter to the San Miguel Banner, states that "The executed men received the last rites of the Church and were buried in the campo santo at Santa Barbara Mission." (Hubert Howe Bancroft believed that Peter Remer and Peter Raymond were the same person.)

An inventory of gold dust and silver seized from the prisoners lists the following: a stocking containing 80 pesos in silver; another stocking with 82 pesos T in silver; a kerchief containing 100 pesos 2 reales in silver and one ounce of gold; another kerchief containing one gram of gold and a paper with 7 pesos 5 reales in silver.

Petronilo Rios, William Reed's partner, sent word to Pablo de la Guerra that all recovered money should be given to the widow of the man in the posse who was killed by the murderers. This item of information came from the interview; already mentioned, that was given by Catarina Avila Rios, in 1877. This interview was by Vincent E Gomez, who was collecting historical information for Hubert Howe Bancroft. The Lands of Mission San Miguel
by Wallace V. Ohles
Copyright © 1997 The Friends of the Adobes, Inc. All rights Reserved,

A copy of this book may be obtained from the Mission Gift Shop (805) 467 3256.

 

Michael White on his Return to San Ysidro

Robert Field Stockton

Michael White Continues:

[The] next morning Cottrell and myself went on top of the hills, and I told him he might go back if he wanted to, for I was going to Los Angeles, and would contrive to get in. Los Angeles had been taken the day before by Commodore Stockton's forces and my fears were that the Mexicans might catch me and carry me off to Sonora or kill me on the road.

We started together, and that night just before the day broke were at the Ranchito then belonging to an uncle of my wife's (Juan Perez), now to Pio Pico.[Between 1850 and 1852 Pio Pico built an adobe home, "El Ranchito." now the Pio Pico State Monument, near Whittier.]

 

Stephan Watts Kearny

After daylight I went to the shanty. The old man came out and said, "In the name of God, where have you come from?" I told him from Chino and was bound to Los Angeles. He said if I was seen by the Mexicans they would kill me. My intention was to hide in the mustard weed all day and get in at night.

We got plenty to eat, and were stowed under the bed the whole day.

In the evening after it was dark, we left for Los Angeles. My wife's uncle sent a guide with us till we got over the river. We went on and had fun with him. Every time I heard a band of horses I would tell Cottrell they were horsemen after us and to lay down flat on his belly, and I would do so just for deviltry. He was in a constant dread of being taken. In fact, several Mexicans had been to the Uncle's house inquiring if he had seen any Yankees, and he would answer, "No, go home to your affairs; Stockton passed here yesterday and did not hurt me or mine―did not even take a borrega [a small yearling lamb].

Pauline Weaver

We got into Los Angeles sometime before daylight, went to Lemuel Carpenter's house and got something to eat. About 10 or 11 a.m. went to Headquarters of Commodore Stockton and General Kearny. He asked me if I had been set at liberty, and I said, "No, I have taken French liberty; if the cage door is left open, the bird will fly away." He said he did not blame me and advised me to go to my quarters. I told him I was going home. He asked me if I was not afraid of being killed on the road, and I replied that home I would go anyhow.

As I was near the Rosa de Castilla I saw about a dozen Mexicans, all armed and mounted. I was on foot. I heard them cry out, "There goes a Yankee, let's go and kill him." They came rushing toward me, when one of them burst out, "That's my cousin, you must not touch him." That was the huero [blonde] Higuera. He was in some way a relative of my mother-in-law.

He asked me if Stockton would not kill them if they went into town. "Kill the devil," I said, "you are not a deer. You may go in and deliver your arms or go and put them away, and go to your work, and no one will molest you." He asked me two or three times if I was sure of that, and I answered him in the affirmative. He said he would go home to his work and be done with war. I told him his country was taken and he had nothing to do but to go home and keep quiet, and no one would interfere with him. They left me and I went home without any mishap.

[there is a piece of the text missing here] clothing in the house. Not a thing was left, not even corn or anything else to eat. A day or two later I came over to Workman's. I did not want to say that I had nothing to eat, but he divined it, and asked if I had brought a sack. I said “yes” and he gave me a sack of flour, and told me to send my ox cart the next day and he would load it for me. I did so, and got a good supply of grain and other things.

Got some questions for you, Michael White: how come you’re having to check in with Kearny and Stockton while Lemuel Carpenter and the others are just hanging out at home? That sounds like you’re enlisted, not just some guy who was looking at lumber the day the Californios “attacked” Wilson’s battalion, who somehow found themselves at Isaac William’s place. Now we know that you worked for Workman for a year while you were living in Taos, and that while he wasn’t physically at the Battle of Chino, he was the captain at the Battle of Cahuenga, and he was definitely affiliated with the Americans. The wagonload of groceries sounds like a payment, not like a nice guy being generous to a friend who’s down on his luck.

Then we’ve got the missing text. It seems like the beginning of the paragraph was probably that you went home and the place had been cleaned out, which makes me wonder, “when was the last time you were home?” I’m guessing that Maria del Rosario and the kids are probably hanging out someplace safer, like the mission. Back to the morass of moral ambiguity – White’s family hasn’t been exactly safe from either the Mexicans or the Americans all summer, so it’s a good thing the war is over. In fact, from White’s comments to Higuera, it’s pretty clear that he identified the winning side and got on it, but he just wants things to get back to “normal.”

�

And there’s the money issue. If he was making bank on his ranch, he wouldn’t have taken a construction job for Hugo Reid. He’s probably still wiped out from losing all his stock three years before. Clearly, he still has an ox and a cart, and that’s something, but it ain’t much. He’s got San Ysidro and he’s got El Cajon de Muscupiabe (which he probably hasn’t given up on yet) In fact – he’s probably trying to curry some favor with Wilson, Williams, Workman, and Weaver to get Muscupiabe up and running since it didn’t work out with the Lugos. He never said, but being broke creates its own kinda logic.

�

View Michael White in the Mexican-American War in a larger map

Michael White in the Mexican-American War

�

Michael White on the Battle of Chino

 

General Andrés Pico

 

Now between the revolt against Micheltorena and the Battle of Chino, White’s friends are doing pretty well for themselves. Pio Pico became Governor, José Castro, Comandante General and Workman, Wilson and Rowland are collecting land.

Things are going very badly for the Mexican government in California and it really just doesn’t seem possible that Michael White, whose aforementioned friends just de-stabilized the last Mexican-appointed governor didn’t know that. James Beckwourth, of the Pegleg Smith-Walkara-Beckwourth gang helped himself to 1,500 horses on his way out of California after the Battle of Cahuenga, justifying it by saying he was depriving the “enemy” of horses. What? The Mexicans weren’t enemies – yet. 

Pío Pico

Pico moved the capital of California from Monterey to Los Angeles in 1845. America declared war on Mexico in May 1846, the Bear Flag revolt was in June 1846 and Monterey was captured in July. So in 1846, Michael White knew trouble was brewing.

Here he goes:

“I was working in September, 1846 for Mr. Hugo Reid building a house at the place where Mr. B. D. Wilson now lives.”

Side note on that, courtesy Glen Dawson: Rancho Huerta de Cuati was owned by Victoria Reid, wife of Hugo Reid. She owned this rancho and that of Santa Anita and was one of the few full-blooded Indians to hold land under a Mexican grant, in California. She sold to Huerta de Cuati to Don Benito Wilson, who renamed it "Lake Vineyard."

Back to Michael White:

“My home was at the San Isidro ranch, which I still hold. Reid went up to San Francisco. There was a man sawing lumber at San Gorgonio, named Pablo Weaver” [aka Pauline Weaver, the guy who knew that the “we’ll give you the Rancho Muscupiabe Grant and all you have to do is keep raiding parties out of California” was a bad idea].

Here the Beatties have something to say “The mission rancho San Gorgonio, at the summit of the pass of that name, was the most eastern property occupied by San Gabriel. In 1845 Pauline Weaver joined Isaac Williams in petitioning the Mexican government for a grant of this former mission holding. (Beattie, Heritage of the Valley, p. 68)

And back to Michael White:

David Alexander and William Workman

“I am coming to see this lumber. When I got to the Chino ranch, belonging to Isaac Williams,

he asked me to remain, and as I had had a long ride, I consented to stay. [that’s no joke; San Gabriel to Chino is a long haul - about 30 miles. The ranch house of Isaac Williams, the site of the Battle of Chino, is no longer in existence, but was about three miles southwest of the present town of Chino.]

That evening B. D. Wilson came there with his men, 18 all told. After that other men joined us, namely Rubidoux, John Rowland, David Alexander, George Walters, Loring and an Austrian named William Skene or Stene.”

The Wilsons 1852

O.K., now I think that basically Michael White was a pretty honest guy, but I’m not sure I believe the whole “I was just looking at lumber and the Benito Wilson showed up with his posse” scenario. He’s got to know after the Battle of Cahuenga that when the Taos mafia showed up, they weren’t going out to a sports bar.

 

Back to Michael White:

“Among Wilson's original 18 were William and Edward Cottrell (both sailors) and Godey and Perdue (American Creoles from St. Louis, Mo. and both officers under Wilson). I don't remember the names of the others—one of them was an American sailor, who some years after was hung in San Diego for having joined hostile Indians to commit depredations.

We by this time formed a party of 22 or 23. That night I stood guard with David Alexander (present [1877] sheriff of Los Angeles). I heard the Californians who were besieging us that they would burn us out the next morning. I think that was the night of 26 September.

As soon as I got relieved, I went to Wilson and Isaac Williams and suggested that we should build two little forts with joists of which there were a quantity there, so that we could sweep the enemy from all sides at which they could approach the house where we were. My advice was not heeded, as they said that the Californians would not come near us.

  

Next morning got up, and one fellow went on top of the house. His name Isaac Batchelder, (surnamed the Picayune because he was short). He sang out to me, and said, "Good God—what a quantity of horses are there!" I told him to lookout sharp, and he would see men on top of them.

A Frenchman named Anton the Cook, said, "I must hurry up and make some coffee" and I told him, "Yes, hurry up, or else you'll get chocolate." We did get chocolate, sure. I had hardly got the words out of my mouth, when I saw the whole force of Californio cavalrymen rush to the house and the roof was very soon on fire—it was made of wood and asphaltum.

Williams begged me to go on the roof and ask the Californians to let us off, but as I was angry with him for not heeding my advice of the night before, and charging me with cowardice. I refused, and told him to go himself. Williams was frightened out of his wits.

He was a traitor to us. He wrote a letter to the Californian commander encamped at the place now called Bella Union, which I saw him deliver to Felix Gallardo, saying that if his forces did not come up quick, they would not be able to take us, for Stuttering Alick (whose name was Smith) was out at San Jacinto and would come to our rescue the next day. I know this to be a fact for Captain Segura some days afterwards told me of it and showed me Williams' letter.”

Here’s the footnote on that one: “Don Benito Wilson wrote a letter to Gillespie from the Chino Rancho apprising the Lieutenant of the fact that it would be impossible for him to come to his assistance in the pueblo due to lack of ammunition. This letter was given to Felix Gallardo to deliver, but Williams told the messenger to deliver it to General Flores, instead, as a token of his (Williams') loyalty to the Californians.” [Wilson, Observations of Early Days, Historical Society of Southern California Annual Publication, 1934.]

Boy, I’ll be Michael White was feeling good and suckered by now. Here he goes again:

“Williams took a very long reed and hung on it something that looked like a piece of a shirt, and exhibited it in the enclosed plaza so that the Californians could see it above the roof (it was a square of about half an acre surrounded by buildings). After some palavering, Wilson, who acted for us, received a promise that we should be treated as prisoners of war if we would surrender. Previous to that there had been a good deal of firing from both sides. Our fire killed Carlos Ballesteros, and wounded a New Mexican.

On our side we had Callahan (in the prairie the day before) and Godey wounded, besides William Skene who was hit by a ball in his breeches' pocket where he had a box of caps, which bursted and burnt into both his thighs and into his privates. The poor man suffered horribly.

We accepted the terms offered us and surrendered.

The Californians took us over to the soap works—about 300 yards from the house. On going over I saw one of the Mexican officers brandishing his sword and heard him say that they must look upon us with mercy.

Loring asked me what the Californians were talking about and what they were going to do with us. I answered that they were going to make soap of us. Loring did not like the joke, for he had seen the brandishing of the sword and had not understood the words. Indeed, he believed that they were going to kill us all.

We were searched, and the same evening started on the march for the headquarters of the California forces. I had been requested by Wilson to say that we had taken the Chino by force so as to save Williams from being carried off as a prisoner, and I complied. Williams was left at home with his children.”

Alright, now that’s a little weird, don’t you think? Again, it answers the “what,” but not the “why.” If Benjamin Wilson and Michael White both believed that Isaac Williams betrayed them, why on earth would they cover for him?

If Michael White is being completely truthful, then this is the sequence of events:

Isaac Williams, a considerate host, noted that Michael White had a long ride and offered him a place to crash. White, having made the long ride from San Gabriel to Chino, was happy to have some down time before getting back on the road. “Oh, look who’s here - it’s Ben Wilson and 20 of his friends? Hey, looks like this is shaping up to be quite a party!” Then they got besieged and had to come up with a good defense. Then Wilson and Williams together shot down White’s 2-fort plan. Then White got pissy with everybody for dragging him into another disaster. Then Williams tried to save his own neck at everyone else’s expense, which isn’t too surprising since his whole family was in the house and he didn’t want it burned down. And then Wilson told White to lie about it to save Williams, so he did! Sorry, amigo, but your story has some holes in it. I think you knew what was going down, and you weren’t just there to look at lumber.

Now here’s another wrinkle and it’s a more sympathetic look at Isaac Williams, and White doesn’t mention it. Williams, originally from Pennsylvania, had become a Mexican citizen and married Maria de Jesus Lugo, daughter of Antonio Maria Lugo. Yeah, that Antonio Maria Lugo. So it isn’t just “whose side are you on” – it’s a family thing because William’s own brother-in-law was coming out to arrest him

Here’s the recap: Serbulo Varela, Diego Sepulveda [Diego Sepulveda and José Lugo were cousins] and Ramon Carrillo left Los Angeles with about fifty men, while José del Carmen Lugo with another fifteen to twenty men left from San Bernardino to converge upon Rancho del Chino. On the night of September 26, 1846, the adobe ranch house was surrounded by the Californios. At dawn, the following day, gunfire was exchanged resulting in one Californio (Carlos Ballesteros) dead with two wounded and three American wounded. When the Californios attempted to set fire to the roof of the house, Wilson surrendered to Varela. This brief engagement became known as the Battle of Chino.

So did Isaac Williams know what was up or didn't he?

Back to Michael White:

“About one mile or two from the Chino on the march, we were in the utmost danger of being killed. The Californians and Mexicans were exasperated because of the death of Ballesteros and had come to the conclusion to shoot us all. Ramon Carrillo saved our lives. Mr. Wilson has always said that we owed our lives to Sérvulo Varela, but I know that he and Diego Sepúlveda were in cahoots and would have sent us to the other world if it had not been for Ramon Carrillo.

I saw with my own eyes when Carrillo, on the road went, and struck several whacks on Varela's back with the flat of his sword, saying at the same time, "I'll let you know that they are prisoners of mine, and you can do nothing with them. They say that I am an assassin" (he referred to the charges preferred against him of having murdered some Americans in the Sonoma region) "I will prove to the world that I am not one." Diego Sepúlveda and Sérvulo Varela were always after that and had been before very good friends of mine; but the facts of the case are just as I have stated.”

A note about Ramon Carrillo: This incident occurred during the Bear Flag Revolt at Sonoma. On June 18th or 19th, 1846, two men, Cowie and Palmer, were sent by William Ide to secure a keg of powder from the Fitch Rancho on the Russian River. Discarding all precaution these men took the main road and were captured by Ramon Carrillo and Juan Padilla, by whom they were supposed to have been killed. (Giffen)

Now I’m thinking that it isn’t that Michael White was a liar, I just think he ain’t being 100 percent truthful, and the reason is because he found himself in a morally ambiguous situation and there was no possible way he could win. He had “friends” on both sides of this conflict and he chose to side with the Americans. That wasn’t such a bad thing – everyone knew the Mexicans and Californios weren’t going to win the war (although they did well in battle) because they didn’t have the infinite resources of the United States. And since he was English, not Spanish, he never really was “one of the Dons.” Since New Mexico, he’d been hanging out more with these Americans, and maybe their ideology was appealing to him – they seemed like a bunch of movers and shakers that shared his sense of adventure instead of just kicking back on the farm.

By the time this of this narrative, about 30 years had gone past, and he was sorry he’d had anything to do with this war, even though it probably seemed like a good idea at the time. And who can say? If he fought with the Californios, he would’ve won this battle and lost the war, instead of losing the battle and winning the war, or maybe he would just be dead. Remember what I say about luck.

But let’s get back to Michael White:

Archibald Gillespie

“One or two days later in the Paredon Blanco [White Bluffs, now Boyle Heights. In a few short years, the Workman family would own this property] three or four of us were exchanged. I was exchanged for Andres Pico, who had been till then a prisoner in the hands of Captain [Archibald H ] Gillespie. Isaac Batchelder, Edward Cottrell, and a half-breed Cherokee were also exchanged for other Californians in Gillespie's hands.

 

The whole trouble and revolt of the Californians arose from the despotic measures of Captain Gillespie, who seemed to take a special pleasure in humiliating the most respectable among the Californians and reducing the people to the condition of a conquered race. His measures were unwarrantable, and led to all the trouble and bloodshed that ensued. Had a sensible officer been left in command at Los Angeles instead of him, the Californians would have continued to acquiesce to the occupation of their country by the Americans at least until something favorable to Mexico had resulted from the campaign there.”

 

It’s interesting that Gillespie considered Michael White a suitable hostage exchange for Andres Pico. It’s also a little weird that White considered Gillespie a total ass, and joined the American side anyway.

 

The chronology of this period is as follows:

·        August 13, 1846, Fremont and Stockton took Los Angeles without opposition;

·        early September, Captain Gillespie and some 50 men were left to hold Los Angeles;

·        September 23 there was an outbreak by the Californians in Los Angeles;

·        September 26 was the Battle of Chino, described by White, with the American force surrendering to the Californians;

·        September 30 was an exchange of prisoners and Gillespie forced to withdraw to San Pedro;

·        October 9, the attempt to retake Los Angeles fails at the Battle of Dominguez;

·        December 6, Kearny and his men fight the Californians at Battle of San Pasqual;

·        January 8 and , Americans approaching from San Diego fight battles of San Gabriel and La Mesa, the last battles on California soil

·        January 13, 1847, Fremont and Andres Pico sign treaty of Cahuenga.

Michael White on New Mexico

Old Spanish Trail 1846

Michael White’s narrative didn’t go exactly chronologically and there was some stuff he left out, plus some additional research that I’m putting in now so that it follows a more linear time frame.

David Alexander and William Workman

Now when we last heard from our hero, he was stuck in a flooded house. Occasions like that cause a man to reflect on the misery of his condition. We also found out through other research that he was planning all the time – setting up a land deal with the Lugos and Alvarado and preparing for a trip up the Spanish trail with a big caravan from New Mexico. It ain’t much of a stretch to picture this guy with his political connections and his intimate knowledge of “the coasting trade” to be scheming a way to exploit this new trade route that just opened up. He owns land right at the opening of the trail, he speaks English and Spanish, and now he needs to go check it out and hopefully make some connections. He’s 37 years old, fit, and a man of some means.

Here he goes:

I had forgotten to state, in April 1839 I started from Los Angeles for New Mexico, as far as Taos. I accompanied a New Mexican expedition carrying horses and mules. I carried 50 head, mostly horses, of my own; reached Taos in July without anything very important happening on the way--had a little skirmish with the Utes on the Red river. One of the Utes came and told me not to interfere in the fight as we were friends, and if any of my animals were taken, they should be returned to me—that the Mexicans had robbed them, and they were getting the value of their own.

John Rowland 1860s

We stopped a day or two on a lake called the San José (now known as the Beggars'), and I told my partner to take care of the horses, as I wanted to ride around and take a look at the country. Riding round I heard firing a little ahead of me. Hurrying on, I discovered that our New Mexicans had surrounded a rancheria of Piutes. I saw one little Indian boy, about 12 years old, with his arm nearly shot off, just hanging by the skin a little below the shoulder. I began to scold the New Mexicans and called them a pack of damned brutes and cowards, and they were so.

There was one old Indian, standing with his bow and arrow. They wanted to take and kill him, but were afraid to approach near enough to come within reach of his arrow. I went up to the Indian and asked him for his bow and arrows--they had solemnly promised me not to hurt him if I succeeded in disarming him. The Indian handed them to me and I shall never forgive myself for having taken the word of those villains, for villains they were, of the blackest kind. As soon as they saw the Indian without arms they came near and riddled him with bullets.

I parted with them and went by myself. This was a considerable distance from our camp.

I found another rancheria in a thicket of willows. An Indian came out and by sign asked me if I had come to fight. I said no; then he asked me if I was hungry, and answering in the affirmative, he invited me to alight, and partake of what he had, which was atole [a porridge], made of the seed of hogweed, and barbecued trout of the most delicious--as you may suppose, considering I had had nothing to eat in nearly 24 hours. Whilst I was eating up came the confounded New Mexicans, and the Indians ran to conceal themselves in the brush. All but two succeeded in escaping—those two unfortunate Piutes were taken by the Mexicans, tied, and shot in cold blood. I begged, entreated, threatened, and did all I could to have their lives spared but all my efforts were unavailing.

The Wilsons 1852

When they were about to shoot the Indians, I was so indignant that I raised my gun, aimed at one of the gang, and pulled the trigger, and it wouldn't fall, though I pulled it with all my force. 10 or 12 guns were pointed at me, but they didn't fire, as my gun had not gone off--they said this was what saved me. The rascal's name was Tomás Salazar. I assured them that I would never again travel with such a set of brutes. They answered, "Que! no es pecado matar esos indios gentiles.” [Oh, well. It's no sin to kill those pagan Indians.]

My partner in the camp wanted me to keep quiet, because the New Mexicans were exasperated against me and would put me to death if I said more. From that time I had no rest at night. I was apprehensive of being murdered.

 

Finally reached Taos, and stayed there the rest of 1839, and till the fall of 1840. During that period I visited Santa Fé two or three times, trading for blankets. I had sold or exchanged all my horses and mules for blankets. Most of the time I was in the store of Mr. William Workman at Taos.

 

In the fall of 1840, Mr. William Workman, Mr. John Rowland, Mr. Benjamin D. Wilson, William Gordon and his family, William Knight, a German tailor named Jacob, Hamilton, Dr. Lyman (afterwards a famed scientist of Philadelphia), Taylor, Col. McClewen, and a great many others, whose names I can't recollect. We formed a party of 94 or 95, all foreigners, [and] started from Taos in September for California, and arrived here in December at the Cajon. We celebrated Christmas day at the Cajon. We of course considered ourselves in California then.

 

We met with no adventures on the road. Indians would occasionally come to our camp and beg for something to eat, which we gave them. We finally reached Los Angeles, where each man took his own road. I came home to my family at the Mesa just below Los Angeles.

 

Back to “The Works Hubert Howe Bancroft Volume XXI History Of California vol IV 1840-1845” for a more complete list of the Workman-Rowland Immigrant Company.

 

Workman-Rowland Immigrant Company of 1841:

 

1. Fred Bachelor
2. Frank Bedibey
3. James Doke
4. Jacob Frankfort
5. Isaac Given
6. William Gamble
7. William Gordon
8. Frank Gwinn
9. Wade Hampton
10. William Knight
11. Thomas Lindsay
12. L or JH Lyman
13. John McClure
14. James D Mead
15. William C Moon
16. John Rowland
17. Daniel Sexton
18. Hiram Taylor
19. Tibeau
20. Albert G Toomes
21. Michael White
22. Benjamin D Wilson
23. William Workman

 

Those who did not remain in California are marked by a John Behn and John Reed are named by Wilson and others as members of the party but are not included in Rowland Lista de los que le acompañan en su llegada al Territorio tie Alto California MS signed by Rowland and copy certified by Manuel Dominguez, Juez Feb 20 1842.

 

The Old Spanish Trail website lists a few items in the chronology that are of interest. For instance, Hipólito Espinosa on whose land Michael White was staying prior to making the journey, was a New Mexican who had only come to California a few months prior to White’s departure:

 

1838 September 22 — Lorenzo Trujillo, José Antonio Garcia, Hipolito Espinosa, Diego Lobato, Antonio Lobato, Santiago Martínez and Manuelita Renaga (who gives birth to a son, Apolinario, at Resting Springs) leave New Mexico, bound for California. These eight individuals are the first settlers of the San Bernardino area.

 

Secondly, there were two Salazars - José Antonio and Tomás. They made it to California in 1838 (apparently with a lot of problems with “insubordination”). White was on what was Tomás Salazar’s return trip, and obviously it was a nightmare.

 

1839 — José Antonio Salazar and several New Mexicans and two Canadians travel in party of 75 men to California. José Antonio Salazar’s expedition returns to New Mexico on April 14, 1839, with an estimated 2,500 animals. Some of Salazar’s men desert the expedition and remain in California as settlers. Michael White was either with this party or on the return trip with Tomás Salazar in 1840.

 

http://www.oldspanishtrail.org/trail_history/chronology.php

The Michael White Adobe - John Kielbassa's History

Historic Adobes of LA County book cover

When I'm researching local adobes, there are two books I always need to reference. "The Historic Adobes of Los Angeles County" by John Kielbassa is a comprehensive guide. Now, as you know, the Board of Education in San Marino is trying to tear this adobe down, and they need to be stopped - for their own good and for the sake of our collective history. But take a second and find out what we'll be missing:

 

The Blanco Adobe: On the campus of San Marino High School in San Marino, California stands an obscure little adobe, known as the "Blanco" or "White Adobe. It can be found toward the center of the school grounds near the athletic field. The house was built in 1845 by Michael White, alias Miguel Blanco. He received a land grant north of the San Gabriel Mission, which consisted of seventy-seven acres of former mission property. For many years the house stood upon this small tract of farmland known as Rancho San Ysidro and was in the midst of an orange grove up until the 1930s. But, progress prevailed and swallowed up the land right to the threshold of the old adobe. Long ago at this same site, the Gabrielino village of Sonangna stood. These early settlers were drawn to the area by the year round flow of underground spring water.

 

Michael White, a native of either England or Ireland, was born sometime between 1802 and 1806. He was sailor by trade and may have visited Baja California as early as 1817. Afterward, he made several voyages between the Sandwich Islands (Hawaiian Islands) and Mexico's Pacific coast. The British ship, Dolly, brought White to Alta California in 1829. He soon became a Mexican citizen, as did most Anglo immigrants at the time in order to marry and hold property. He was given a Mexican name, Miguel Blanco, which is the Spanish form of Michael White.

 

White may have first settled in the San Pedro area, although there was no permanent settlement there at that time of his arrival. San Pedro was part of the Rancho Los Palos Verdes, owned by the Sepulveda family, and was a desolate place. His living in San Pedro is supported by his name appearing on early records as being one of the ship builders of the Guadalupe, which was constructed there at Goleta Point in 1830. White, along with former pirate, Joseph Chapman, constructed the schooner, Guadalupe from the remains of the brig, Danube, which ran aground in a storm on Christmas Eve, 1828. The vessel was built for the padres of the San Gabriel Mission to be sold to sea otter traders. White sailed the Guadalupe to Mazatlan and returned in 1832. Upon his return from Mexico, White married Maria del Rosaria Gullien, who was a daughter of Dona Eulalia Perez de Gullien, the old matron and bookkeeper at the San Gabriel Mission. Following his marriage, White set up a small store at Rancho Los Nietos, a short distance south of the mission.

 

Smuggling was a common practice along the California coast in the 1830s. Mexican authorities imposed high tariffs upon imported goods, which was desperately needed by the citizens of the province. The settlers in California were neglected by Mexico and there was no industry, so there was a heavy reliance upon trade with foreign vessels and smuggling was generally accepted by the citizenry. White may have been involved in a smuggling scheme in San Francisco in 1833. Although a man named White was accused of this illegal deed, it has never been determined that the implicated individual named White was the same as Michael White.

 

In 1836, White was listed as living at Los Angeles, but as a former world adventurer, he had the wanderlust to move again. Three years later he went to New Mexico where he may have involved himself in the fur trade. He returned to San Gabriel with the Rowland and Workman Party in early November 1841. Later, William Workman and John Rowland, the party leaders, would acquire former San Gabriel Mission land known as Rancho La Puente.

 

In 1843 White was granted Rancho Muscupiabe by Governor Manuel Micheltorena. It was a single league of land located near the Cajon Pass in the San Bernardino Mountains. It was named for a Serrano Indian village in the vicinity. The remote rancho was subjected to frequent raids by Paiute Indians and their allies; therefore, it was abandoned in 1844 because it was indefensible. The following year, White participated in the revolt against Governor Manuel Micheltorena. He was a member of the company of foreigners led by William Workman at the Battle of Cahuenga late February 1845.

 

After a failed attempt with Rancho Muscupiabe, Miguel Blanco had another chance to become a ranchero. Due to the Mexican Secularization Act of 1834, all mission properties in California were available for sale. In 1845, White received a concession to 500 square varas (77.23 acres) of land north of the San Gabriel Mission from Governor Pio Pico. This tract was one of several smaller land grants in the area given to former associates of the secularized mission. White may have had the land bestowed upon him for his service to the mission and for building the Guadalupe fifteen years prior. Also, being the son-in-law of the influential, Dona Eulalia, may have helped some. White named his small concession Rancho San Ysidro (Ranch of Saint Isidore).

 

After receiving the grant, he built the adobe dwelling, which stands today at San Marino High School. The original adobe section of the house was a story and a half. Later, a two-story wing made of wooden ship siding was added. White planted a vineyard and an orchard consisting of a variety of fruit trees. Although, this became his permanent home, he still yearned to travel and in passing years he embarked on several sea voyages.

 

The year 1846 brought war between the United States and Mexico. California entered the war in June of that year with the American invasion of Monterey. Los Angeles was the next to fall into the hands of the invaders two months later. In September, a revolt led by Serbulo Varela expelled the American garrison holding the pueblo. By this time, a party of fifteen foreign born (mostly American) yet naturalized Mexican citizens led by Benjamin Davis Wilson were stationed at Rancho del Chino to protect the eastern frontier from enemy forces that may approach from the Cajon Pass. The Californios doubted the loyalty of Wilson's men and set out to arrest them. Varela, Diego Sepulveda and Ramon Carrillo left Los Angeles with about fifty men, while Carmen Lugo with another fifteen to twenty men left from San Bernardino to converge upon Rancho del Chino.

 

On the night of September 26, 1846, the adobe ranch house of Isaac Williams, the owner of rancho, was occupied by Wilson's group when it was surrounded by the Californios. At dawn, the following day, gunfire was exchanged resulting in one Californio dead with two wounded and three American wounded. When the Californios attempted to set fire to the roof of the house, Wilson surrendered to Varela. This brief engagement became know as the Battle of Chino. Wilson's men were taken prisoner and marched to Paredon Blanco , the main camp of the California forces. The prisoners were nearly executed in retaliation for the death of Carlos Ballesteros, the only fatal casualty at Chino, but Varela and others intervened. Later, the prisoners were taken to Rancho Los Cerritos, near present-day Long Beach, where they were detained and ultimately released. Michael White returned to his home on San Ysidro and took a neutral position throughout the ensuing conflict.

 

After the war, and after California was admitted to the Union, the United States Land Commission was formed. White had to prove his claim to his little parcel north of the mission. He was able to do so and continued living there for many years. Here, he raised a large family and when his children married he gave the lots upon his ranch so that they could raise their own families. One daughter married Francisco Alvarado, the brother of Governor Jose Alvarado. The Alvarados lived on a quaint farm on the White Tract.

 

Eventually, White sold San Ysidro to L. H. Titus, who owned an adjoining ranch to the east. Titus, in turn sold the property to James C. Flood. Michael White, also known as Miguel Blanco, died in 1885.

 

The wood section of the Blanco adobe was razed, leaving the original adobe standing. The adobe fell into a state of disrepair by the 1930s and later it was restored. Today, the San Marino School District now uses the old adobe, which is relatively unknown, even to the local community. Plans are underway to make this historic structure available to the public. The San Marino Historical Society is taking the lead in this project. Tours may be arranged by contacting the San Marino Historical Society or the San Marino School District. The Blanco adobe is located on the school grounds of San Marino High School at 2701 Huntington Drive in San Marino, California.

 

Blanco Adobe

2701 Huntington Drive, San Marino, CA 91108

 

Historic Adobes of Los Angeles County