.ms^jjsemiasisssif^sk i»smittmmiaimRaissmami^m\ r -^ ?LT T> r; v/iLLL, I riiOM tut PADRKS TO THE PiONEHH;-: ^ l>^«tiS^IKSK!!S&KiMW^ :ABALLE; '■*^r VjtC, 3\ \902 RF.V. FATIIKR [UAX CAF-ALLKRIA. HISTORY ^. OF5 -K. San Bernardino Valley FROM THE PADRES TO THE PIONEERS •^HBlO-'-lBSlt^ •^1- BY i^ ILUUSTRHTED BV CONSXKNCB F=KRHIS THE LIERARYOF CONGRESS. Two Copiec PercrvpiJ DlC 26 t<^'^'> -^ Copyright E-ntry ^CLASS Cf^ XXc. Ho. COPY A COPYRIGHT 1902 BY REV. FATHER JUAN CABALLERIA. ny^^ TIMBB-INDEX PRESS SAN KKKNAHDINO, CAL,. 1093 Table of Contents. Introductory - - - - - . - Early Spanish Exploreis — Cabrillo ... -I Viscaino - . . H Coming of the Missionaries - - - III The Franciscans - - - - IV Father Junipero Serra - - - V The Missions ...... VI Founding of the Mission San Gabriel Arcangel - - VII Poiitana — The First Christian Settlement in the Valley - VIII The Patron Saint of the Valley . . - - IX The Indians ..._.. X Religious Behef of the Indians - - - - XI Primitive Indian Language - ... XII Social and Domestic Condition of the Indians - XIII Indian Ceremonies and Sujierstitions - - XIV Building of San Bernardino Mission - ... XV Secularization ... ... XVI Abandonment of San Bernardino Mission - - XVII Early Land Titles — Mexican Land Grants - - XVIII Early Mexican Pioneers - - - ' - - XIX Mexican Pioneers. Battle at Chino - - - XX New Mexican Pioneers — La Placita — Agua Mansa - - XXI New Mexican Pioneers — Religious, Social and Domestic Customs XXII American Colonization — Morman Pioneers - - XXIII INTRODUCTORY. History may be compared to a skoiu of tangled threads, gathered here and there. After a time, often many years, these strands are taken up, straightened and woven into a fabric that may satisfy the weaver— for the story is not of his day. So, as the present weaves Ihe story of the past, it prepares the web of its own story, for the future to weave. The shears of Atropos never rust. These brief chapters of the history of San ]3ernardino Val- ley have been prepared by Father Caballeria with tlie sole purpose of preserving some historical facts that are in dan- ger of being overlooked and forgotten. The later days have many chroniclers, but of events prior to American colonization nothing has been written. These events form an important link in the historical chain; they provide a starting point, be- 3'Oiid which there is no record, no tradition. As the early history of San Bernardino Valley is inter- woven with mission history, it is well to outline the principal events preceding the first settlement of the valley. This wiil cover briefly the Spanish occupation of California and what is known as the missionary era. No person is more competent to write of mission history than Father Caballeria. Endowed with a love for ancient historical lore, and the spirit that impels men to search fOx knowledge, he deems no effort or labor too great if knowl edge may be gained. He found in the Indian and mission history of California an interesting field to which he has de- voted much time, study and research. His profession is tho "open sesame" to doors sealed to the average student. The faded, musty old records of a by-gone age and generation written in the seclusion of cloistered missions, need no trans- lation to tell to him their story; for the language in which they are written is his mother tongue; the men who made the early history of California, by faith, race and land o? birth, his kindred. Father Caballeria is already well known as the author of several philosophic works in Spanish. He has Avritten a his- tory of Santa Barbara Mission which has been translated in- to English. All this gives value to the work of his pen and is assurance of a thorough comprehension of the subject upon which he now writes. AMY DUDLEY. San Bernardino, Cal., January, 1902, HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY, 17 CHAPTER L THE EARLY SPANISH EXPLORERS— CABRILLO. Long before the caravel of the first explorer touched th«; western coast of North America, marvelous stories had reached the ears of the Spaniards of a wonderful island lying afar off in unknown seas, called California. In these stories nothing was lacking to excite the imagination and appeal to the cu- pidity of man. It was said to be a land of enchantment, in- habited by a race of people unlike the Europeans, who lived in Avonderful cities and were garbed in raiment glittering with gold and precious stones. It was a dream of oriental splendor rivaled only by the tales of the Arabian Nights, These fables at last bore fruit. In them is found the lure that beckoned the early explorers to California. In this re- spect the history of the world reads the same today as yester- precarious and their habits somewhat migratory, going from place to place in search of their food supply, which varied with the season of the year. In personal appearance the California Indians were not prepossessing. There was little physical beauty among them. They were undersized, broad-nosed, with high cheek bones, wide mouths and coarse black hair. Their personal habits were uncleanly. Their clothing extremely scanty; that of the men "in naturalibus," but the women partially covered themselves with skirts of woven grass reaching from the waist to the knees. They were fond of ornaments of various kinds and decorated their faces and bodies with paint, often in a most grotesque manner. Upon the coming of the Americans they were classed without distinction under the term "Diggers." 48 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY, CHAPTER XI. THE RELIGIOUS BELIEF OF THE INDIANS. iln studying the history of a people the point first taken into consideration is their religion. By that standard the in- tellectual development of the race, nation or tribe is meas- ured and determined. This will apply to the higher forms of civilization as well as to the lowest fetish worshipers. With the firet light of intelligence the savage, conscious of the unknown which surrounds him, builds a shrine to some vaguely comprehended power which he personifies in his im- agination and clothes with attributes which seem to him su- perior. This he calls his God. His mind can comprehend nothing better or more powerful than this deity. It is the summit of his intellectual capacity. The Indians of San Bernardino Valley had a crude form of religious belief. It was similar to that of other native tribes of Southern California. Their beliefs differed some- what 'according to locality. They were never thorouglily un- derstood. The Padres were so :;ealously engaged in teaching the natives the Christian religion that they ga.e practically little attention to beliefs previously existing among them ; and as the Indians had neither writings, pictured repre- sentations or records of any description, the origin and growth of their religious ideas is lost in obscurity. This much, however, is known: The early Indians were not idolators. Their religion might properly be termed a form of Manicheism. They worshiped both the good and the evil principle. The latter, typified by the coyote, was evi- dently considered the more powerful, as their dances and re- HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY . 49 ligious ceremonies were generally propitiatory and usually in honor of the evil one, the object being to placate him aiil avert the consequences of his displeasur»;. According to the belief of the Indians of San Bernardino Valley, the god Mutcat created the earth, the sea and all tue animals, birds, fishes, trees, and lastly man. Then, desiring to view the work of his hands, he descended from his heavenly abode of Tucupac, to visit Ojor, the earthly creation. Wishing to express his satisfaction and still further beautify the earth he gave to man the various seeds, plants and flowers. Know- ing that in employment man finds happiness, he taught them to build their houses and the many arts whereby they might pass their time in contentment and usefulness. For a period of time all was peace and serenity. Men lived together in brotherly love and harmony and no discord came among them in their relations with one another. The earth yielded fruit in abundance to supply all their needs, and no want of man was unsatisfied. Earth was itself a paradise inferior only to the abode of the god Mutcat, and death had never entered to bring sorrow and separation to mankind. Unfortunately the peace was broken. Isel, the evil god, became envious of the happiness of men and set about devis- ing means to accomplish their downfall and destruction. Hf caused death to come into the world, brought famine and pes- tilence and sowed the seed of discord among men. But as Isel was moved solely by envy, it was believed his auger could be appeased and favor obtained through gifts of food, chanting, dances and feasts in his honor. On the other hand, Mutcat, the spirit of good, was ever eolicitous for the welfare of his earthly children. Observing the faithfulness of men, and their affliction, he directed them to increase their number, and promised that, though they must first die, after death they should be admitted into his paradise of Tucupac where the dominion of the wicked Isel would 50 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. cease and he could not follow and could no longer work them harm. This was the foundation of the Indian religious belief. The whole fabric was woven around these incidents. Bach tribe had its sorcerers or medicine men. They wers the guardians of the traditions of the tribe, directed all cere- monies and were regarded with superstitious awe on account of the mysterious supernatural powers that ihey oJainied to possess. Every lancheria had a place for religious ceremonies where incantations and secret rites werf performod. The sorcerers were more powerful than the chiefs, who yielded obedience to them. They claimed to curp disease, bring rain^ ward off misfortune and were called upon to decide all matters of importance pertaining to the tribe or rancheria. The missionaries experienced the greatest difficulty in ov- ercoming the evil influence of the sorcei-ers. They were us- ually vicious men steeped in vileness, wickedness and duplic- ity. They naturally resented the interference of the padres and exerted all their influence to keep the Indians under their own control. Thus, the teaching of Christianity while work- ing great moral good to the Indians, could not immediately overcome and eradicate this superstitious fear of the medi- cine man. Their influence was everywhere apparent and came to be dreaded by the Indians as well as disliked by the padres. In hidden recesses of the mountains, far away from the missions, the padres often discovered shrines erected for the worship of the coyote, and evidence of their continued use. The poor, weak nature of the Indian, while honestly embracing the new belief, could not rise above a feeling of timidity, and this prompted him to secretly steal away with ?ome propitiary gift to the idiomatic language of its own, which wa^ frequently unintelli- gible to the neighboring rancherias, perhaps separated only by a few miles. These dialects could hardly be dignitied by the name of language. One of the first tasks of the missionaries was to familiar- ize themselves with the native language and to teach to the Indians the Spanish language. Until this was accomplished the work of Christianizing them could not begin. The var- iance in the language of the Indians added in no small degree to the difficulties encountered, and to overcome them required minds schooled to the mastery of patience, with an abiding faith that the end, however remote, would fully justify the day of small beginnings. This was the spirit that animated the padres and gave such marv'dous success to their onterpiise. For example, three distinctly separate languages weri> HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY . 53 spoken in the neighborhood of San Gabriel Mission. Tho Qulchi language was spoken by the Indians of Los Angeles, San Gabriel and as far east as Cticamonga. Another language was spoken all along the Santa Ana River and in Orange County, while the language of the Guachama was spoken by the Serrano tribes, among whom were the San Bernardino Indians. The Gu'achama language was gutteral and principally mon. osyllabic. The orthography, recorded by the padres, is, ot course, phonetic. In analogy the nouns formed plural by pre- fixing the word "nitchel." The conjugation of the Guachama verbs is exactly the same as in other Indian languages of Southern California. Pronouns, and the different tenses of the verb are also expressed by prefixes. The system of numeration, like other mission Indian lan- guages, counts only to five. The number with the prefix one (con) is repeaed to express six, seven, etc. Vocabulary of the Guachama, the language of the tribe of Indians located in the San Bernardino Valley: NOUNS. Man — nejanis Woman — nitchul. Father — jana. Son — mailloa Daughter — puUen. Sister — nau. Brother — iua. Friend — ^niquiliuj. Enemy — panajanucan. Head — toloea. Eyes — ^japus. Mouth — ^tama. Hand — jamma. Foot — jai. Sun — ^tamit. Moon — mannuil. Mountain — temas. River — uanish. Tree — pans. Water — paL Fire — cut. Stone — cauix. Night — tuporit. House — jaqul. Bow — yujal. Arrow — penyugal. „ Rabbit — tabut. Cold — ^yuima. Name — esen. ADJECTIVES. Good — utcha. Bad — elecuix. Small — cum. Large — lul. 54 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. NUMERALS. One — supli. Three — pa. Five — namacuana. Seven — conuil. Nine — conuitchu. I — nehe. He — pe. You — eheh. To eat — gua. To cook — culcu. To walk — ^nacaix. To wish — nacocan. To rain — nenix. To fight — nucan. To cure — tinaich. To be — yanash. Nearer — sunohi. Tomorrow — paix. Not — quihi. Plenty — chama. Two — uil. Four — uitchu. Six — consupli. Eight — conpa. Ten — namachuma. PRONOUNS. Thou — eh. We — chem. They — pehem. VERBS. To drink — paca. To sleep — culca. To v/ash — paixjanx. To have — nauca. To be sick — mucal. To paint — piecuaquis. To give — andixgam. ADVERiiS. Today — iach. Yesterday — tacu. Many — meta. PRESENT. Example of conjugation: Conjugation of the verb Tculcu (to cook). I cook — neheculcu. Thou cookest or you cook — ehculcu. He cooks — peculcu. We cook — chemculcu. You cook — ehehculcu. They cook — pempemculcu. PAST. I cooked — ^tocu neheculcu. cooked — tocu ehculcu. He cooked — ^tocu peculcu. You cooked — tocu ehehculcu. lilcu. Thou cookedt, or you We cooked — tocu chemculcu. They cooked — tocu pempemc HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. 55 FUTURE. I shall cook — paix neheculcu. Thou wilt cook, or you will cook— vaix ehculcu. He will cook — paix peculcu. You will cook — paix ehehculcu. They will oook — paix pempemculcu. We will cook — paix chemculcu. The Lord's Prayer in the Guachama language is used as a specimen of the work performed by the padres. Having no word in Indian to express God, the Spanish Dios is used. The same applies to the word pan (bread). The staple article ot food among the Indians was acorns. Not wishing to ask f>r acorns the Spanish word is substituted to give the idea oi the article asked for. THE LORD'S PRAYER IN INDIAN. Dios Janna penyanash Tucupac santificado ut cha et en pennacash toco jahi cocan najanis Tubuc aix. Guacha pan meta tamepic penaixjan chemyanaix ut cha panajanucan quihi elecui suyu Amen. c.^ 66 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. CHAPTER Xin. THE SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC CONDITION OF THE EARLY INDIANS OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. After the coming of the padres the tribes of Indians all over California were given Spanish names; these names gen- erally applying to the part of the country which they inhab- ited. The Guachama and other Indians living in San Bernar- dino Valley, became known as Serrano Indians, the name Ser- rano signifying of the mountains. The Indians known as the Cahuillas came into the valley at a later date, having orig- inally belonged to the country around San Luis Rey Mission. Other tribes contiguous to the vallej'^ were the Piutes, Chime- huevas, Mohave and Yumas; the first frequenting the desert north of the Sierras, and the other tribes inhabiting the des- ert and country all along the Colorado River. The Yuma and Mohave Indians are of a race superior in many ways to the California Indians. They are more intelligent and more warlike, and were ever a menace to the peace of the vallej'' and in their frequent raids a constant source of disturbance lo the natives of the valley. The Indians of California were not united either socially or politically. Their rancherias were independent of each other, they spoke different idioms, though often related, and sometimes banding together for the purpose of making a raid on or defending themselves against some other tribe. They were sometimes friendly, sometimes hostile to each other, but could never be relied upon. The Indians were not endowed with personal courage. HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY . b7 They were cowardly in battle, and consequently a few soldados de cuera were able to control a large community and could easily bring them into subjection in case of an uprising. Their weapons were bows and arrows, spears and a rude kind of stone knife. This further placed them at a disadvantage in at- tempting to cope with the white men. Each community was governed by a chief, called by the Spaniards, "el capitan." The office of chief was usually her- editary. The chief was generally respected and his com- mands obeyed without question. When war aguinst a neigh- boring rancheria was contemplated the tribe, and their allie.-i, if there was combination, gathered together, when the chiefs would state the grievance, and after certain ceremonies and incantations the matter would be decided according as the sorcerers found in favor or otherwise. In battle there was no concerted action. Each chief assumed leadership of his own band and fought or ran away as the impulse moved him The Indians soon learned their independent rights accord- ing to the ide'as of the white men. Several instances are re- lated where the Indians demanded certain things of the gov- ernment and the justice of their demands conceded, by their requests being granted. The marriage customs of the Indians were similar to that of uncivilized people all over the world — ^that is to say, they had no ceremony of marriage, though marriage was recog- nized. Sometimes, if the parties were of sufficient importance, a feast was prepared. In all cases the daughter was subject to the command of the father and was usually bought and sold without regard to her own preferences or desire. The price paid varied according to the desirability or the girl and the ability of the purchaser to pay. There were occasions when marriage by capture was resorted to. This was when the woman belonged to some other tribe, or when obstacles were in the way to other possession. The birth of the first child was made occasion for rejolc- 58 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. ing. Sterility was deplored as a great misfortune. The ma- ternal instinct was very strong in the Indian mother and the children were invariably treated with much affection. The infant was carried in a rude basket "cuna" strapped upon the back of the mother, and thus encumbered she attended to the usual labor of gathering and preparing food for the tamily. The life of the Indian woman was one of toil and privation, and she received little consideration at the hands of her sav- age lord. The men were notoriously idle and lazy, their only occupation that of hunting small game and fishing. Their food supply of acorns, when gathered, was prepared by crush, ing in stone mortars, or on flat stones, after the manner now in vogue among the Mexicans. This converted the nuts into a meal from which was made "atole." It was sometimes pre- pared by boiling in water heated with hot stones. The women were expert in the making of cunningly woven baskets. These were of different shapes and were used for all domestic pur- poses. Polygamy was common among many of the tribes, out there were exceptions to the practice. Adultery was sometimes punished, but gross immoralties and vices were prevalent among them and their moral condition was unaccountably de- graded. These marriage ties were not considered binding and rep- aration or divorce was easily obtained by consent of parties interested. This, in brief, covers the social and domestic condition of the Indians of San Bernardino Valley, and of California, Mor- ally, intellectually and physically they were the inferiors of any race of natives on the North American continent. Tnat the missionaries accomplished their work with these Indians and brought them to a degree of civilization is little less than marvelous. HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. 59 CHAPTER XIV. INDIAN CEREMONIES AND SUPERSTITIONS. The subject of Indian ceremonies and superstitions, when approached in a spirit of honest investigation and not of mere curiosity, is one of great Interest. No race or people can be declared entirely free from super- stitious beliefs, and a very little inquiry will show that super- stitious beliefs are not so exclusively confined to the ignorant as many suppose. If verification of this statement is needed it can be readily found in any community, and the seeker will further discover that superstitious beliefs are surprisingly prevalent among educated men and women. The spirit which moves the untutored savage to seek the sorcerer, prompts members of the higher civilized race to invest in "charms," "fortune-telling" and divination of various kinds, while "signs" and omens innumerable are observed to the ultimate of "reductio ad absurdum." In view of these facts it is not becoming to treat the subject of Indian ceremonials and supei*- stitiona with contempt. Whatever may be said of Indian dances it is certain that the Indians never did, and do not, indulge in their dances for the mere pleasure of dancing. Their dances always signify something, though the meaning is often too obscure and dif- ficult for white men to determine. Survivals of ancient cere- monial dances are still common among certain tribes of semi- civilized Indians. In some instances the government has at- tempted to suppress the dances, but with indifferent results. The so-called ghost-dance of the Northern Indians is looked 60 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. upon by white men as premonitory of approaching trouble, and as indicating a state of unrest and dissatisfaction among the Indians. The Indian tribes living along the Columbia River indulge in a wierd kind of dance with the idea of pro- pitiating the spirit believed by them to rule the winter. This dance is called the Chinook-dance and is exceedingly barbar- ous and revolting on account of self-inflicted torture. The Moki Indians of the Arizona desert have several interesting tribal dances. Their periodical Snake dance has received much attention and is a religious ceremonial which the Moki Indian? firmly believe produces rain. In early times the Indians of Northern California indulged in a very grotesque dance called the Dance of Death, which has been graphically described by the missionaries. The time set for ceremonial dances and feasts was always fixed by the sorcerers, in whom the Indians placed the most implicit confidence. Seldom an undertaking of any kind was entered into without first invoking the aid of supernatural powers, and this was always done by feasting and dancing. The ceremonies often lasted a number of days and nights. Those taking part in the dances made elaborate preparations by decorating their bodies with different colored paints and donning ceremonial costumes. In some tribes the women and men danced together, in others only the men danced, while the women would form a circle outside by themselves. Some of the old men and women of the tribe, seating themselves in a circle accompanied the dancers with a peculiar chant, others at the same time, playing on bone flutes and beating rude drums. The dancing was often indulged in to the point of extreme exhaustion, the dancer falling to the ground insensi- ble. Among the principal dances of the Indians of San Bernar- dino Valley were those known as the Hawk-Feast, the Dance of Peace, the Dance of Plenty, the Dance of Victory, and the Dance of Deprecation. Another of their peculiar ceremonial HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY . 61 dances was designated by the padres as "tatamar ninas" or "roasting young girls." This custom filled the padres with great horror and they made every effort to induce the Indians to abandon the practice. The ceremony of "tatema" took place upon the first evidence of maturity. A hole was dug in the ground and filled with stones previously heated in the fire until very hot. Over this was spread a covering of leaves and branches and the girl laid upon it and then nearly covered with heated earth. The result was a profuse perspiration which was kept up for twenty-four hours and sometimes longer. At intervals the girl was taken out, bathed and again imbedded in the earth. During the whole time constant dan- cing and chanting was kept up by young girls, attended by hideously painted old women who had charge of the ceremon- ies. At the close, a great feast was prepared in which all joined and which lasted several days and nights. The girl was then considered ready for marriage, which usually took place soon after. The Dance of Deprecation took place when a member of the tribe fell sick with some unusual disease. The disease was always attributed to the influence of an evil spirit. The whole tribe would assemble each person bringing a food offer- ing, and all the gifts were placed in a large basket. The dan- cing would then begin. Significant words were chanted by the women, children and old men, while the younger men kept up the dance in the ordinary way beating time with arrows. After awhile the sorcerer would arise and present the offering to the supposed offended spirit. In making the offering he moved from left to right, and then in a circle, all the time mumbling mysterious words. During the time the sorcerer was engaged the people observed complete silence. At the close of the ceremony the dance broke up. The offerings would be cooked and left until the following day. This act was believed to appease the evil spirit whose baneful influence 62 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. would then be removed and the sick person allowed to recover in the usual way. The Indians looked upon their medicine men as beings en- dowed with superior knowledge and skill in the art of healing. The medicine men practiced their art through mystical incan- tations and also used various herbs, balsams and healing leaves, to effect their cures. When a person was taken sick the medicine men were always called. They approached the patient with an air of solemn mystery, and after diagnosing the case and locating the pain proceeded to work a cure. The principal point was to first impress the patient, and those around him, with their importance, and in order to do this incantations, passes, contortions and gesticulations were made by the medicine men, after which it would sometimes be an- nounced that the disease was due to some extraneous matter, whereupon one of the medicine men would apply his lips to the affected part and soon produce the alleged cause of the disease. This cause was usually a stick, stone, thorn, flint or piece of bone. The patient often experienced immediate re- lief and a marvelous cure followed. There is no doubt out some very wonderful cures were effected in this way. Modern materia medica admits the potency of the imagination as a fac- tor in both the cause and cure of diseases. The Indians of San Bernardino Valley were fully aware of the medicinal properties of the hot springs in the vicinity of the valley. They regarded these springs with much ven- eration and believed them to be a cure for many diseases. The springs were also visited frequently by Indians from a distance. The "temescal" or sweat-house was another mode of cur- ing diseases among the Indians, and it was also used by In- dians in good health. These sweat-houses were built by first excavating the earth to some depths for a foundation, then building above it a hut and covering the exterior with mud until it resembled a huge moiund. A hole was left at the bottom barely sufficient to allow a person to crawl in and out HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY . 63 of the hut. Light and air was almost entirely excluded. In the center a great fire would be built, around which the Indians would sit or lie stretched upon the ground. Here they would stay until nearly suffocated and in a profuse perspiration, when they would climb out, make a wild dash to the nearest stream of cold water and plunge into it. In many instances this heroic treatment was very successful, but in some sick- ness, like small-pox, it was quite likely to prove fatal. The Indians of San Bernardino Valley burned their dead. Their method of cremating was similar to that employed by the desert Indians of the present day. As soon as death oc- curred, material was collected and a funeral pyre built. Around this the family of the deceased and members of the rancheria gathered, the body was brought forth and placed on the pile and the fire would be lighted by one of the sorcerers. Ail clothing, utensils and other articles used by the deceased was burned with the body. Oftentimes the house where the de- ceased had lived and the domestic animals belonging to him were burned in the same way. The women were especially demonstrative on these occasions, their mournful wails and lamentations, continuing for several days and nights, could be heard a long distance away. The early Indians did not eat the flesh of large game. This came from a superstitious belief that the bodies of the larger animals contained the souls of departed ancestors. This same superstitious belief was held among the Mission Indians even after they had learned to use some of the larger domestic animals for food, and they could seldom be induced to eat pork. If a wild animal devoured a dead body it was believed the soul of the deceased was then compelled to take up its habitation in the body of the animal. This belief was not that of palingenesis as held by ancient races, but rather an idea arising among themselves without theory or rational reas- on to give for the belief. 64 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. XV. THE BUILDING OF SAN BERNARDINO BRANCH MISSION A feeling of tender reverence unconsciously associates it- self with thoughts of the old Missions of California. Imag- ination rehabilitates the ruined walls and recalls from the van- ished past the brown-robed padres — most of them saintly souls — ^who, offering their lives on the altar of their faith, firmly planted the cross of Christianity in the new land. Again the fertile fields are tilled by dark-skinned natives, and as the vesper bells chime softly the evening call to prayer, they flock to the mission to receive the paternal priestly blessing, then the benediction and to sleep and silence — a silence now long unbroken. The hands that laboriously toiled day by day to upbuild the walls, the hearts that beat high with hopes and aspirations for the future, have long been dust. That which they builded in the fulness of their faith outlasted the hands of the builders, but only to fall at last into decay and ruin; and amidst the desolation again may be read the world-old les- son of the mutability of earthly things; the passing of all hu- man hopes, ambitions, loves and fears. Something of this same spirit hovers around the ruins of "Old San Benardino Mission." Its place in mission history is unimportant, yet it is a point of especial interest in the history of San Bernardino Valley. It has been occupied in turn by the padres and Mission Indians; Mexican rancbf;ros; Mormons, and then for many years as a homestead by one of the later American families. Its ancient walls, blessed and made sacred for holy use, first heard the chant of the Gloria in Excelsis and the prayers of priest and penitent. It has HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. 65 been baptized in blood and twice crumbled in the flames set by the hands of infuriated savages, and lastly echoed the gleeful voices and the laughter of happy children. As a habitation it has long been abandoned and used only as a corral for cattle. A portion of the walls are standing, but not sufficient to give any idea of the original building. The ruins are surrounded by beautiful orange groves, watered from the old zanja built by the Indians, under direction of the padres, and which has been used constantly for irrigating pur- poses from the time it was built to the present. This old zanja wag bordered by two rows of cottonwood trees, which, upon the coming of the American colonists, ^ve to the place the name of "Cottonwood Row," by which it was commonly known for many years. After the destruction of the mission station and "capilla" at Politana the missionaries withdrew from the valley and several years elapsed before any special effort was made toward resuming missionary work in the valley. In the meantime, the Indians became accustomed to the presence of white men and through the ministrations of the padres a number of them were converted to Christianity at San Gabriel mission. The Indians of San Bernardino Valley had ever manifest- ed a friendship for the missionaries and gave them very little trouble. On the other hand the Indiana of the desert were of a turbulent, warlike nature, constantly making incursion into the valley, killing the peacefully disposed Indians and dis- turbing the whole country. As the pa.dres were unable from their small garrison of soldiers at San Gabriel to provide pro- tection for the missionaries in outlying districts, they were compelled to await the time when missionaries could be sent among the Indians with some assurance of personal saftty. It was due to this reason and not to any neglect on the part of the missionaries that work in San Bernardino Valley was tem- porarily abandoned at the time of the burning of the atation at Politana. 66 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY , O ^ HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. (i7 In 1819 the Guachama Indians requested the padres to again establish themselves in the valley. The request was fav- orably received and immediate steps were taken by the padres to build another and larger branch mission. They selected a location about eight miles from Politana and in 1820 the new- chapel and mission buildings were ready for occupancy. Again the chapel was dedicated to San Bernardino of Sienna and the buildings occupied by a priest and several neophytes from San Gabriel. A community of Indians settled around the mission, a zanja was built, land brought v.nder cultivation and grain planted. A vineyard and olive trees were planted, and as the valley furnished excellent grazing grounds for cattle and horses, stock was brought from San Gabriel Under tho thrifty management of the padres the mission rancho not only raised sufficient grain for its own use and that of the Indians, but also furnished large quantities to the mother mission. The herds increased rapidly until in 1830 five thousand head or cat- tle were slaughtered in the valley and their hides taken to San Gabriel to be sold from that mission. The same system was employed at this branch mission as at the larger establishments. One of the padres from San Gabriel had general supervision. The first mayordomo at Old San Bernardino Mission was Casius Garcia. He carried out the work in detail and looked after the material welfare of the Indians engaged in agricultural labors and as vaqueros on the rancho. The hours of labor were short, the Indians content- ed, and no serious disturbance occurred until 1831. In that year the old enemies of the valley, the desert Indians, made a raid on the mission. The usual devastation marked their trail. The missionaries were surprised and unable to resist the attack. The buildings were destroyed and the stock scat- tered and driven away. The padres, accustomed to seeing the work of their hands time and again ruthlessly destroyed and time and again renewing their eftorts, immediately set abou*^ 68 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY . i-ebuilding the mission, making it more substantial than be- fore. The new mission was built on a cobble stone foundation. The walls of adobe were three feet thick. The building, in di- mensions, was about 250 feet in length, 12-5 feet in width and 20 feet in height. A corral extending nearly 100 feet beyond the main building and the full width of the building, the outside wall of which was very near the center of the road now pass- ing the ruin. Another rectangular inclosure was surrounded en three sides by the building itself, and inclosed on the north side by a high wall of adobe, through the center of which a huge gateway was cut. The whole inclosure formed a fort well nigh impregnable to attack of desert Indians. Across the south end of the building a porch was built, the roof of which was supported by posts instead of the usual adobe pillars com- mon to mission architecture. Another porch extended along the outer wall on the north side of the building. HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. 69 CHAPTER XVL SECULARIZATION. For over two hundred years Mexico was a colony of Spain. The work of civilization and development of the territory was carried on by the mother country until her destiny, under Di- vme Providenco, was fulfilled. In 1821 Mexico revolted and declared her independence. But the cry "Viva la Indepen- dencia" had scarcely ceased to echo -ere it was followed by "Viva el Emperador," in 1832, and Iturbide set up a mon- archy. In 1824 the Mexicans declared a Republic, without even comprehending what the word Republic signified. Then fol- lowed a succession of "pronunciamentos," revolutions and res- torations, each having its brief day of authority and vanishing to be succeeded by another as ephemeral and unstable. There was a procession of Generals, Dictators and Presidents. As M-exico suffered from this condition of affairs so did California. The government was considered a prize to be used for personal gain, and the territory of California was called upon lo contribut-e her proportion to the spoils. It was an era of almost general maladministration. A stream can- not rise above its source; a government can be no better than the people. Under Mexican rule, California had thirteen gov- ernors of varying degrees of good, bad and indifferent, the latter qualities largely predominating. They began with Pablo Vicente de Sola in 1822 and ended with Pio Pico in 1846. The Missions of California could not escape the universal spoliation. They were known to be rich, and thp fertile im- agination of envious and covetous officials added ten-fold to the amount of possession. For years the missions were 70 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY . threatened with despoilment and escaped only because no po- litical party had been bold enough, or in power long enough, to attack the property of the church in California without warrant for their act In 1833 Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana proclaimed himself Dictator of Mexico. He was an unscrupulous man, devoid of sentiment or principle. He took pride in styling himself "EI Napoleon del Oeste." He knew well the value of the Mission holdings in California and needed no urging to any act tend- ing towards the enrichment of himself or of his followers and favorites. But fearing that the masses were not so wholly deadened to the sense of justice as to permit so unwarranted an outrage as the despoilment of the church without authority of excuse, the Mexican government set about preparing the excuse. The work of th-e missionaries was discredited; they were accused of enslaving the Indians, keeping them in bond- age and maltreating them; and furthermore, — the greatest sin of all — of conspiring against the republic in the interests of Spain. This was sufficient. On the 17th of August, 183^, a decree of secularization was issued bj'' the Mexican Congi-ess against all mission property in California. This was virtu- ally confiscation. It provided that the management of the missions should be taken from the control of the padres, and mission property placed in charge of "Administradores" selec- ted by the government. It was the beginning of the end of the missionary era in California. The downfall of the mis- sions dates from that day. The magnificent structures, rep- Te^senting years of toil, were doomed; orchards and vineyards fell into decay, the Indian neophytes were turned out to pro- vide for themselves as best they could, and in a few short years the work of despoliation was complete. This is the darkest page in the history of California, On one side injustice and insatiable greed; on the other side er- HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. 71 xor committed while suffering from a sense of grievious wrongs. As secularization marked an -epoch in the history of Cali- fornia, so it also marked an epoch in the history of San Ber- nardino Valley. It was the cause of the final abandonment of the branch mission and the distribution of mission lands to individuals, under the Mexican land grant system. In 1833 San Gabriel Mission embraced within its boundar- ies a princely domain. The ranchos belonging to the mission were those of San Bernardino, San Gorgonio, Cucamunga, Yu- caipa, Jurupa, Rincon, Chino, Azusa, Guapa, San Antonio, San Pasqual, San Prancisquito, Santa Anita, Puenta, San Jose, Ybarras, Serranos, Coyotes, Serritos, Rosa Castilla, Las Bol- sas, Alamitos, Jaboneria and Mission Viejo. August 9, 1S34, Jose Figuroa, then governor of California, issued an edict putting into -effect the decree of secularization. He ordered the immediate release of all Indians under control of the padres at the various missions; and also that ten of the missions should be changed into pueblos for the use of the Indians, the latter order to take effect th-e year following. Certain lands were set aside for the use of the Indians resid- ing at the missions. The result of this order was anything but satisfactoiy. The Indians, removed from all restraining influences, rapidly degenerated to their primitive condition. They refused to work, became dissipated, lawless, and abandoned themselves to all kinds of vices and excesses. Their later condition be- came immeasurably worse than that from which they were rescued by the padres. Lack of restraint, and contact with the white race, brought to them nothing but absolute degreda- tion, disease and death. Many of the twenty-one missions eventually became pri- vate property. In later years the Supreme Court of the Uni- ted States declared the transfer of much of the mission prop^ erty illegal and void and ordered its return to the church; but 72 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. the ruin had been wrought and passed beyond remedy. Mieu- tras dure la historia, se recitaran para su eterna verguenza y condenaciou las raaldades de los despotas que sacrilegamente arruinaron las monumentales mlssiones de California; y mien- tras que los nombres de sus fundadores aeran venerados con los immarcibles laureles de la gloria y de la immortal idad. DISPOSAL OF MISSIONS UNDER MEXICAN GOVERNMENT San Diego — Sold to Santiago Arguello, June 8, 1846. Carmelo-M&nterey, — Pueblo. San Antonio. — Abandoned. San Gabriel — Juan Bandini, Comisionado ^ 838-40; sold to Julian Workman and Hugo Ried 1846. San Luis Obispo — Pueblo. San Francisco Dolores — Pueblo. San Juan Capistrano — Pueblo. A portion sold to Mc- Kinley and Foster, 1845. Santa Clara. — 1834-5, Ignacio del Valle, Comisionado ap- pointed to carry out decree of secularization. The property at this mission was valued at $47,000, exclusive of churcb lands. Of this amount $10,000 was distributed among the In- dians of the mission, but where the money went to has ever been a mystery. In 1839, it is related that the Indians of this mission were absolutely destitute, their condition border- ing on starvation. San Buena Ventura — Sold to Joseph Arnaz. Santa Barbara — Leased and then sold to Nicholas Den, June 8, 1846. La Purisima Concepcion. — Sold to John Temple, Decem- ber 6, 1845. In 1856 the U. S. Land Commission restored the buildings to th'3 "inalienable possession of the Catholic tliurch." Santa Cruz. — Abandoned. La Soledad. — Sold January, 1846. San Jose. — Don Jose Jesus Vallejo appointed Comisionado. Whe nhe took charge there were at this mission about 1800 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. 73 When he took charge there were at this mission about 1,800 Christian Indians. There were 8,000 head of cattle, 3,000 hor- ses and 10,000 sheep. San Juan Batista. — Pueblo, San Miguel. — Disposition of this mission uncertain. San Fernando. — Leased to Andreas Pico and sold in 1840 by Pio Pico to Eulogio Cells for $14,000. It is related that this mission was sold to raise funds to prosecute the war with the United States. San Luis Key. — Sold to Antoine Cot and Andreas Pico. 1846. Santa Inez. — Leased to Jose Carillo. San Rafael. — In charge of a padre. San Francisco Solano. In charge of a padre, 74 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. CHAPTER XVH. THE ABANDONMENT OF SAN BERNARDINO MISSION. The enforcement of the decree of secularization com- pleted the downfall of the mission system. For several years prior to the d'.^cree a state of general unrest had prevailed. It was a time of turbulence and excitement. In the nature of things it could scarcely be otherwise. So radical a change could not be made without friction and discord. Many of the padres left the country; others staid on ami contested step by step the infpingement on their unques- tionable rights. It was a hopeless contest for the padres. The missions were doomed and the padres who remained saw with bitterness of spirit, born only of despair, the destruction wrought by the new order; saw the tearing down and ob- literation of all they had toiled, hoped and prayed for during so many years. The process of the destruction of the missions was swift. That of San Gabriel Mission is a fair example. It was, at the date of the decree of secularization, one of the wealthiest of the missions. Beside vast landed property it possessed 100,000 head of cattle. In two years they had all disappeared. The plains for miles were literally covered with decaying an- imal bodies and the whole country threatened with pestilence. Rage, hate, and vengeance held unrestrained sway through- out the land. It was the avowed intent of the government to distribute ihe mission lands among the Indians in an endeavor to make the Indians self-supporting. The plan was a failure from the very beginning. The Indians had been treated as chil- HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. 75 dren by the padres and as childreu they must still be careii for and controlled. To meet this condition the government, through its appointed comisionados, attempted to manage the mission properties. This plan also proved a dismal and dis- heartening failure. The men appointed were so often in- capable and corrupt that under their management the mis- sion properties rapidly dwindled away, .iecreased in value and soon fell into decay. The whole system leaded only t;' individual enrichment. The condition of the Indians became wretched in the extreme. They decreased rapidly in num- bers. They were treated as outcasts, enslaved, beaten, and starved until in sheer desperation many of them ran away into the mountains and, banding together in lawlessness, be- gan a series of raids and depredations which kept the coun- try in a state of terror for many years and retarded its set- tlement and development. The restlessness of the Indians was a constant source of trouble to the occupants of San Bernardino Mission. The rancho afforded grazing ground for a large number of cattle and this attracted predatory Indians to the vicinity and fre- quent raids were made for the purpose of running off the mission stock. However, excepting the loss of cattle, no serious disturbance occurred until October, 1834, when a band of Piute Indians, coming from the desert into the valley, at- tacked San Bernardino Mission. A furious battle was waged in which a number of Indians were killed, both sides sus- taining loss. At last, when further resistance seemed futile, it was decided to attempt an escape from the mission and re- treat to San Gabriel Mission. The Indians defending San Bernardino — under command of a neophyte chief named Per- fecto — advanced upon the hostile Indians and succeeded id driving them back from the mission buildings. The sacred vessels and vestments used in church ceremonies, together with some other valuable property, were collected and load- ed into three carretas and the party started for San Gabriel. 76 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY . The Piutes followed, but so well did the mission Indians cover and guard the retreating party that the hostile Indians aban- doned the pursuit at Cucamunga and returned across the Kjountains from whence they came. Order having been apparently restored, the padres re- turned to San Bernardino, but only to face fresh disaster front another quarter. In the latter part of December of the sam'=^ year an uprising of Indians took place. A war party of two hundred Indians, under the leadership of two chiefs, ex- neophytes of San Gabriel, en route to attack the mission San Gabriel, stopped and laid siege to San Bernardino. After repeated attacks entrance to the mission was gained through the corral. The mission Indians, few in number, unable to continue further resistance, surrendered. This time the mis- sion buildings were sacked and set on fire in several places. The priest in charge. Padre Estenaga, was made captive and carried away to the mountains. He, however, suffered no serious harm at their hands. Believing him to be a power- ful medicine man the Indians feared to put him to death. He was held prisoner for some time until finally the mission In- dians were able to negotiate his ransom and by paynient of a quantity of provisions obtained his release. Padre Tomas Ellu- tario Estenaga was the last priest in charge of the mission of fcan Bernardino. He was a native of Spain, a man of education and refinement. He came to California in 1820, and died at San Gabriel in 1847. The last of the mayordomos of San Bernardino mission was Bpomuceno Alvarado. Tales of buried treasure are associated with every one of the California Missions; and there are people still living who, with all seriousness, relate the story of treasure buried by the padres at San Bernardino at the time ot their hasty flight from the mission. There is no foundation in fact for these stories. San Bernardino was tributary to San Gabriel. Its material wealth was poured into the lap of the mother mis- sion and whatever gain there might have been went to fill the HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. 77 coffers of that mission. But so long as the mind of man re- tains its imaginative faculty so long will fei'tile fancy revel in visions of hoarded treasure, green and moldy with age, deep buried in the bosom of earth, where by some lucky chance it may yet be discovered. This closes the mission history of Sun Bernardino. It was never again occupied bj'^ the missionaries. Owing to the non-inflamable character of materials used ill constructing the last building, the fire set by Indians did very little damage to the main structure; but that which es- caped the hands of vandal Indians was destined to fall prey to the later agent of destruction which outrageously and wan- tonly wrought the partial demolition of many of the missions ot California. They were destroyed for the sake of obtain- ing the building material in them. A portion of the last mission had been roofed with hewn timbers, brought from the mountains, and this was too val- uable to long escape notice. Two well known citizens of Los Angeles, with characteristic American foresight, saw the op- portunity to make some money and did not hesitate to grasp it. Mission property was anybody's property and the chance of getting something for nothing appealed as forcibly to the mind in those days as at present, while the opportunities off- ered were vastly in advance of today. Eleven carretas ot material from San Bernardino mission were taken into Los Angeles and used in the construction of Los Angeles build- ings. But, however slow the mills of the gods grind, it is unfailingly true they in time do measure, to a degree, with ex- actness. The day came when some form of restitution was demanded for many acts of vandalism committed against mission property. The two estimable Los Angelenos eventu- ally paid for that timber at the rate of |3.00 per vara. As for the adobes, no accounting seems to have been made. The native Californian was not particularly energetic, unless in the avoidance of labor, and as mission-made adobes were su- 78 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY perior articles, after the lapse of a few years San Bernardino Mission was nothing but a dismantled, crumbling ruin. "So fleet the works of men back to the earth again. Ancient and holy things fade like a dream." HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. 7« CHAPTER XVIII. EARLY LAND TITLES— MEXICAN LAND GRANTS. The subject of land titles is an interesting one. Their history may be said to show the advancement of races through various periods, patriarchial, feudal, mediaeval and modern; communal, vassal, tenant and owner. They represent the growth of the individual; the development of man from sav- agery to civilization. The history of land titles in California shows the influ- ence of two races, widely divergent in character — the Latin and the Anglo-Saxon. The early Spanish and Mexican inhabitants of California did not look upon the possession of land as did the later oc- cupants. It was a pastoral age and they were a pastoral people. They regarded land as of little value and were su- premely indifferent to certainty of boundaries. Land was used principally for grazing cattle and a description accurate enough to obtain a grant was sufficient for all practical pur- poses. If boundaries overlapped the possessions of a neigh- bor here and there, it did not matter. There was land enough for everyone. All this changed with the coming of the Americans. Af- ter the mad excitement over the discovery of gold had abated somewhat, clear-headed men saw the value of the land for agricultural purposes. The ranchers succeeded the Argo- nauts. A sweeping tide of immigration set in from the older Eastern States and from Europe. They were an alien race and brought with them new manners, new customs and a new language. With the new comers, possession of land amounted 80 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY . almost to a passion. There must be no uncertainty of de- scription. The title to the land must be absolute, and fixed by metes and bounds, must be determined with exactness, and when once determined no encroachment was tolerated. The Americans found nearly all the desirable land claimed under Spanish or Mexican grants. The treaty of Guadalupe- Hidalgo, between the United States and Mexico, provided se- curity for the inhabitants of the ceded territory and that they should "be maintained and protected in the full enjoyment of their liberty and property." This, in itself, was clear and the Americans were bound to respect and abide by it. There- fore title to these lands could only be secured by right of pur- chase. Then came the important question of validity of title under these Spanish and Mexican grants. In order to give a good title to land a valid title must be shown. In many cases this was impossible. In some instances as many as five different grants had been issued to certain lands. The first Spanish land grant in California was made in 1775. The first two large grants of land were made in 1784. These were the ranchos of Santa Gertrudis and San Rafael, in v.hat afterwards became Los Angeles county. After Mexican independence a number of new laws were passed and land grants made, but these were comparatively few in number until after the act of secularization in 1833. Under this act the vast tracts of land held by the missions be- came public domain and were opened to settlement under Mexican colonization laws. To obtain a grant of land, under the laws of Mexico, a pe- tition was drawn up, giving, as near as possible, a descrip- tion of the land desired; and also stating the age, nativity, and occupation of the petitioner. This petition was then forwarded to some local officer who would report upon the matter. If the report was favorable a grant would be issued. Memoranda of such action was sometimes recorded in a book kept for the purpose, but as often as otherwise it was simply HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY . 81 ifiled away. Final proceedings to secure the grant consisted in obtaining the approval of the territorial deputation, and after California had become a department of the territorial assembly, this was not difficult. Upon presentation of the matter to the assembly it would be referred to a committee, and the report of the committee having been made, upon ap- plication to the secretary, a certificate was given to the giantee. No formal record or registration was made outside oJ. the journals of the legislative body. Many of these jour- nals became lost or were mislaid and when wanted could not be found. This carelessness laid the foundation for litiga- tion which later occupied the courts of the country for many years and cost claimants immense sums of money. No regular surveys were made under either the Spanish •-■r Mexican povtrnments. Juridical possession was given the grantee by the nearest alcalda or other magistrate, but the title was considered complete without juridical possession. The description and boundaries were designated by certain landmarks. This was all the law and usage of Spain or Mex- ico required. It made a perfect title to all intents and pur- poses. There were instances where attempt was made to fix boun daries by survey, but nothing like accuracy could be arrived at through the methods employed. In such a case a reata of a)>otit fifty varas would be procured and this was used as a chain. Stakes would be prepared and placed in position and the surveyor, after setting his instruments, would take bear- ings, with some far distant mountain, hill, rock, tree or river as a landmark. He would then give command to his assist- ants who would start in the directions indicated, urging their horses at a rapid pace. Without pausing the stakes would be set in the ground here and there, until the line had been drawn. It was, however, only in exceptional cases that even this crude attempt at survey was made. The maps made would indicate a tree, a mountain, a river, with the number of 82 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. leagues distant from each other. This method of surveying ^as purely Mexican. It was not the system used in Spain. After the departure of the padres from San Bernardino Mission in 1834, the valley was in possession of the Indians who roamed at will over the country. A rancheria of Indians continued to make use of the mission buildings, but many of the Indians formerly living at the mission removed to San Gabriel and the different ranches in the south. There was no attempt made to settle the country. It was impossible. No inducement offered to settlers could overcome the lack of security. No land grants were made in this section of the State until 1838. In that year the Jurupa Rancho was granted to Juan Bandini. This rancho was then in Los Angeles County, afterward in San Bernardino County and now in Riverside County. !<• consisted of 7 (or 14) leagues. It was sold to D. B. Wilson in 1841 for $1,000 per league. The Cajon de Muscupiabe was granted to Juan Bandini in 1839, but his claim to this grant was afterwards rejected by the Land Commission. In 1843, one league of land at the mouth of the Cajon de Muscupiabe was granted to Michael White (Miguel Blanco.) The boundaries of this grant, in later years, became the sub- ject of extensive litigation. Cucamonga, 3 leagues, granted Tiburcio Tapia in 1839. Chino, or Santa Ana del Chino, was granted to Antonio Maria Lugo in 1841. It consisted of 5 and 3 leagues of land. Later it became the property of Colonel Isaac Williams. This rancho received its name from a half-breed Indian vaquero who had charge of the mission cattle at that place in early days. This Indian was named Jose Maria, but by reason of his curly hair was called "el Chino." The place became known by that name and has retained it. In 1841, Don Antonio Maria Lugo, of the Rancho San An- HISTORY OF SAN BE RNARDINO VALLEY . 83 tonio, petitioned the Mexican government for a grant of the Rancho de San Bernardino. The grant was obtained in the mame of his three sons, Jose del Carmen Lugo, Jose Maria Lugo, Vicente Lugo and Diego Sepulveda, a nephew of Don Antonio. Formal grant was made on the 21st day of June, 1842, and signed by Governor Juan B. Alvarado, then Consti- tutional Govc^raor of both Calif ornias. Juridical possession wels given by Manuel Dominguez, Juez de Primera Instancia. The rancho is described as containing nine leagues or 37,000 acres oi; land. "It is bounded on the east by the 'Sierra del Yu- caipe' and on the west by the 'Arroyo del Cajon' and the 'Serrita Solo,' and on the south by the 'Lomerias,' and on the north by the brow of the 'Sierra' (falda de la Sierra.)" This grant included the entire valley of San Bernardino. These Mexican land grants afterwards came within the boundaries of San Bernardino County. They were all mission ranchos, once the property of San Gabriel Mission. 84 HISTORY OF SAN BERNAEDINO VALLEY. CHAPTER XIX. THE EARLY MEJro. Spain, Mexico and California was their world. It is slight wonder that they viewed the approach of the HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY . 85 Ai-nericans with distrust and showed little desire to encourage American trade or American O'.'cupancy of the territory. It M'us an indclnotive fear and, all unconsciously, they followed that immutable law of nature which, if heeded, points the danger-signal to nations and to individuals, and endeavors to s3\ield the weaker from the stronger, ''i'hey acted in the light of what seemed best to them. They were forced, at last, to succumb to the inevitable. The present understands the past as liti.lo as the future will understand the present. These eaily Californians were of a type that has passed away. Let their virtues, and they nad many, be remembered; their faults be forgotten, A name well known in the early history of California is that of Juan Eandini, grantee of the Jurupa rancho. Though tke Jurupa rancho was never, strictly speaking, any part ol San Bernardino Valley, it was once entirely within the boun- daries of San Eernardino county and has a place in the early history of the \ alley. A small portion of the original Jurupa grant still remains within the line of San B'^rnardino county — Agua Mansa. The Jurupa rancho was the first of the Mexi- can land grants in the vicinity of the valley. Of the grantee, J.ian Bandini, Bancroft's Pioneer Register gives the following condensed account: "Bandini (Juan) son of Jose, born at Lima in 1800. The exact day of his arrival in California is not known. It is possible that he came with his father in '19 or '21. His pub- lic life began in '27-8 as member of the diputacion; '28-'32 sub-comisario of revenues at San Diego; suplente congress- man '31-2. In '31 he took a leading part in fomenting the revolution against Gov. Victoria, and in opposing Zamorano's counter-revolt of '32. In '33 he went to Mexico as member o° congress, biic came back in '34 as vice-president of Hi jar an J Padres' g^and colonization and commercial company; SI percargo of the company's vessel, the Natalia, and inspector of customs for California. The disastrous failure of the col- 86 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. ocy scheme, and the refusal of California to recognize his authority as inspector, were regarded by Don Juan as the most serious misfortunes of his whole life and of his adopted country's history, his failure being rendered the more humil- iating by the detection of certain smuggling operations in which he was engaged. In '36-8 Bandini was in several re- spects the leading spirit of the southern opposition to Alvar- ado's government; at each triumph of the arribenos he was lucky to escape arrest, and lost no time in fomenting new re- volts. His position was a most unwise one, productive of great harm to California; his motive was chieiiy personal feeling against Angel Ramirez, whom he regarded as influential in the new administration, for he had been a personal friend of the northern leaders and supporters of their general views; and his record as a politician throughout the sectional troubles was neither dignified, patriotic, nor in any way creditable. Un- der Carillo he was nominally in charge of the San Diego cus- ton-- house. Ho was owner of the Tecate rancho on the fron- tier, which was sacked by the Indians in '37-8, Bandini and his family being reduced to poverty and serious want; but Governor Alvarado made him administrator of San Gabriel laispion '38-40, granting him alt-o in '38 Jurupa, in '39 Rincon ?nd Cajon de Muscupiabe, and land at San Juan Capistrano '41. He was appointed fiscal of the tribunal superior '40-42, was comisionado at the new pueblo of San Juan de Arguello in '41, and sindico at Ij. Angeles '44, taking but slight part i;i the troubles with Gov. Micheltorena. In '45-6 Don Juan was Gov. Pico's secretary, and a zealous siipporter of his ad- ministration, particularly in mission afiiairs and opposition to Castro, being also a member of the assembyl and originator of the projected consejo general. Later, however, he es- poused the U. S. cause, furnished supplies for Stockton's tattalion. was offered the collectorship, and named as mem- ber of the legislative council in '47, and alcade of San Diego in '48. In '49 he declined a judgeship; is said to have im- HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. 87 paired his fortune by erecting a costly building in '50 at San Diego, where he kept a store; and subsequently appears to have gone across the frontier, where the estate of Guadalupe had been granted him in '46, lesuming his Mexican citizen- ship and serving as juez in '52. He still dabbled to some extent in revolutionary politics, and as a supporter of Melen- dres had to quit the country with all his live stock in '55. He died at Los Angeles in 1859. It is evident from the preceding resume of what is for the most part more fully told elsewhere that Juan Bandini must be regarded as one of the most prom- inent men of his time in California. He was a man of fair abilities and education, of generous impulses, of jovial tem- perament, a most interesting man socially, famous for his gentlemanly manners, of good courage in the midst of person- al misfortunes, and always well liked and respected; indeed his record as a citizen was an excellent one. He also per- formed honestly and efficiently the duties of his various offi- cial positions. In his grander attempts as a would-be statesman, Don Juan was less fotunate. His ideas were good enough, never absurd if never brilliant; but when once an idea became fixed in his brain, he never could understand the fail- ure of Californian affairs to revolve around that idea as a center; and in his struggles against fate and the stupidity of Lis compatriots he became absurdly diplomatic and tricky as a politician. He was an eloquent speaker and fluent writer, though always disposed to use a good many long words when a few short ones would serve the better purpose. Bandini'9 first wife was Dolores, daughter of Capt. Jose M. Estudillo, whose children were Arcadia — Mrs. Abel Stearns and later Mrs. Robert S. Baker; Isadora, who married Col. Cave J. Coutts; Josef a, the wife of Pedro C. Carillo; Jose Maria, whose wife was Terese ArgueKo; and Juanito. His second ■vvife was Refugio, daughter of Santiago Arguello, whose chil- dren were Juan de la Cruz, Alfredo, Arturo and two daugh- tcs, who married Charles R. J jhnson and Dr. James B. Wins- 88 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY . ton. Baxidini s daughters were famous lor their beauty; all or most of his children live in Southern California in '85;. some wealthy, all m comfortable circumstances and of respect- able family connections." The name of Lugo, however, properly heads the list of Mexican pioneers of San Bernardino Valley. They were grantees of the rancho de San Bernardino and this rancho practically took in the whole valley. In the time intervening between the passing of the friars and the coming of the Lugos there seems to have been an oc* ci/pant of the rancho de San Bernardino in the person of Jose Bermudas, who, with his family, came from Los Angeles County about 1836 and "squatted" on the property afterwards granted the Lugos. He built the historic "old adobe" dwell- ing, afterwards the site of "the Mormon fort," and now the property of Wozencraft, on C street. Bermudas occupied the property until dispossessed by the grant to the Lugos. It is doubtful if he ever made any regular claim to or applica- tion for this property. At all events, the matter of his re- linquishment was amicably settled and he removed to the Yucaipe, having been promised a grant of land in that local- ity. This promise was never fulfilled. Later, land was prom- ised him in Canade de San Timoteo and he removed from Yucaipe to the property now owned by his son. This son. Miguel Bermudas, was born at San Gabriel, and was a child of five years of age when his father moved into the valley. He claims to be the oldest settler, in point of residence, of San Bernardino Valley. Juan Nepomuceno Alvarado may be said to have been an almost continuous resident of the rancho San Benardino from 1830, when appointed by the padres moyor domo of the mis- sion, until the lands came into possession of the Lugos. He was the last mayordomo, honest, industrious, faithful in the performance of his duties, and implicitly trusted by the padres. After the Lugos came he removed to Cucamonga and after- HISTORY OF SAN BEENAEDINO VALLEY . 89 T\'ards settled on land near North Ontario, naming his place San Antonio. He abandoned this property and removed to Los Angeles, where he died in 1869. Don Antonio Maria Lugo, grantee of the Santa Ana del Chino, or Chino rancho, and father of Jose del Carmen Lugo, Jose Maria Lugo and Vicente Lugo, grantees of the rancho de San Bernardino, was born at the Mission of San Antonio de Fadua, in 1775. He was owner of the San Antonio rancho, one of the earliest and richest of the Alta-California land grants, given him in 1810, while serving as a soldier of Spain. Don Antonio was a picturesque character. He was uneducated, but a man of great energy, decision and strength of mind. He was of commanding figure, fully six feet in height, spare and sinewy. His face was of the purely Spanish type with square-cut features and closely shaven; the naturally stem expression nelieved by an appearance of grim humor. He was a superb horseman and retained his erect carriage to the date of his death, at eighty-five years. This occurred in J8o0. Bancroft's Pioneer Register states that he was "alcalde of Los Angeles in 1816 to 1819; juez del campo 1833-34; a Hiember of the ayuntamiento and took part in the troubles between the north and south." Juez del campo, or judge of the plains, was an important position in the early days. The person holding the office was, in a way, an autocrat. There was no appeal from his decisions. His duties consisted in settling disputes between rancheros relative to the ownership of cattle, etc. H. D. Barrows, of Los Angeles, in one of the annual pub- lications of the Historical Society of Southern California, writes entertainingly of Don Antonio, and as he had the ben- efit of a personal acquaintance is well able to estimate the character of this early pioneer: "Don Antonio Maria Lugo was, in most respects as thor- oughly a Spaniard as if he had been born and reared in Spain. With "Los Yankees," as a race, he, and the old Califomians 90 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. generally, had little sympathy, although individual members of the race whom from long association he came to know in- timately, and who spoke his language, he learned to esteem and respect most highly, as they in turn, learned most highly to esteem and respect him, albeit, his civilization differed in some respects radically from theirs. It is related of him that on seeing for the first time an American mowing-machine in operation, he looked on with astonishment, and holding up one long, bony finger, he ex- claimed: "Los Yankees faltan un dedo de ser el Diablo!" The Yankee only lacks one finger of being the Devil! To rightly estimate the character of Senor Lugo, it is nec- essary for Americans to remember these differences of race and environment. Although he lived under three regimes, to-wit: Spanish, Mexican and Anglo-American, he retained to the last the essential characteristics which he inherited from his Spanish ancestors; and although, as I have intimated, he had as was very natural, no liking for Americans themselves, as a rule, or for their ways, nevertheless, he and ail the better class of native Californians of the older generations did have a genial liking for individual Americans and other foreigners, who, in long and intimate social and business intercourse, proved themselves worthy of their friendship and confidence." Jose del Carmen Lugo, son of Antonio Maria Lugo, ac- cording to Bancroft's Pioneer Register, "was born at Los An- geles 1813; regidor at Los Angeles '38-9; grantee San Bernar- dino 1842; juez del campo 1844; prominent in Chino fight and several Indian expeditions '46-7; alcalde Los Angeles '49. After selling his ranch to the Mormons in 1851 he lived in Los Angeles, in good circumstances until about 1865, when he lost his property. He had a wife and four daughters. "Jose Maria Lugo, son of Antonio Maria Lugo." Ban- croft's Pioneer Register fails to give date of birth, but says: "juez del campo at Los Angeles '36-8; one of the grantees of San Bernardino." HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. 91 "Vincente Lugo; one of the grantees of San Bernardino 1'842; justice at San Gabriel 1850; supervisor Los Angeles County '62-3." "Diego Sepulveda," one of the grantees of San Bernardino 1S42; was somewhat prominent in the Flores revolt at Los Angeles '46-7." Sepulveda appears to have taken part in the battle of the Chino and to have figured in political distur- bances of the time. Of the younger Lugos very little can be said. They came into San Bernardino Valley in 1841 and secured a grant of the San Bernardino rancho in 1842. They lived the life of the average ranchero and, passing on, left very little impress on the history of the valley. The valley, in their time, was simply a vast tract of land, magnificently beautiful, but the future possibilities, all undreamed of, waited the coming of another race. Jose del Carmen Lugo occupied the old adobe house, built by Jose Bermudas. He afterwards removed to the old mis- sion. Jose Maria Lugo built for himself a house at Homoa. about four and one-half miles south of the present city of San Bernardino. It was at the base of the foot-hills, then, and tor many years after, the site of an Indian rancherla. Vi- cente Lugo lived at the rancherla of Politana and Diego Sep- ulveda at Yucaipe. A large number of cattle were brought from the Lugo rancho San Antonio to San Bernardino. Stock-raising was conducted on an extensive scale. The animals increased rap- idly in number and it is said the Lugos never knew how many head of cattle they owned. The work of caring for them was, at first, principally performed by Indian vaqueros. Throughout the whole period of the Lugo occupancy they suffered much from Indian depredations which, however, were confined to running off the stock. Horse and cattle stealing was a recognized industry in those days and it was not until after the advent of the Americans that it received a set-back. 92 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. CHAPTER XX. MEXICAN PIONEERS— ISAAC WILLAMS— BATTLE AT CHINO. The Americans who came into California in the early day^ were not ordinary men. As a rule they were men endowed with unusual characteristics. It was not love of gold that, led them to face the perils of a journey across mountain, des- ert, plain or ocean, for gold had not yet been discovered in California. It was rather a restlessness of spirit that could not brook the restraints of an older civilization and found in *he freer life of the frontier that which appealed strongest to their adventure-loving natures. Such men have ever been of the vanguard in the progress of civilization. From out of the old lands of a weary old world they crossed the stormy Atlantic to the new lands of a newer world; then, step by step across a continent until the calm, smiling waters of the Pa- cific seemed to set a boundary beyond which they could not further go. But the wheels of Progress will not stay their resistless course and men must advance, always to some far- off ideal the end of which is beyond vision. So these Amer- icans came to California and found here what appeared to Ihem limitless possibilities — wealth without labor, life without toil. These big, strong, virile American men were favored by the dark-eyed senoritas of the sunny land and with their love went dower of rich lands and herds of fat cattle. Thoso that came in search of adventure stayed. Here was wealth, beauty, pleasure, love, and the spell of it all soon bound them in a thrall they did not care to break. It was lotus-land and the cooler northern blood was not proof against the languor' HISTORY OF S.iN BERNARDINO VALLEY. 93 ot the southern sun, and the desire to bask forever in llie soft, warm rays grew upon them until the wild spirit of ad- venture which had thrilled their pulses and led them fruui afar slumbered under the spell and no longer beckoned. Then they took to themselves wives, the beautiful daughters of the best families in the land . All that was required of them was some slight formality in the way of change of faith — and their leligious prejudices were not strong — and an allegiance to an- other government than their own. This did not weigh heav- ily upon them, so they embraced the new faith and tlie new- customs — and yet they became not so much a part of the latter, for in return they infused into the new life that which '..he native Californians lacked — a spirit of enterprise and tho energy of the colder-blooded race. Isaac Williams of the Rancho del Chino, was a typical American pioneer of that period. He was the first American fo settle in this section of the State. His was a spirit born t> command. Whole-souled, generous, hospitable, he kept open house for every American passing his door. A hearty greet- ing awaited every comer; the best the rancho afforded was at their disposal and they were invited to regard it as their own, and when at last the time came for departure, it was with sincere expressions of regret that the genial owner of the place bade them God-speed. Many a party of exhausted emi- grants halted at the Chino rancho, and m«,ny a weary, foot- sore wanderer found here a resting place. Not one among his countrymen, if in need, left the home of Isaac William^s empty handed . Indeed, it is stated that Colonel Williams, in his desire to aid his countrymen, sometimes came very near to embarrassing himself. However, if he erred at all in this respect it was on the right side, and if the blessings and rem- embrance of the weary, home-sick, heart-sick travelers in a strange land may count to his credit. Colonel Williams needs no other monument. Isaac Williams, generally known in California as Julian 94 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY . Williams, was born In "Wyoming Valley, Penn., Sept. 19, 1709 He came to Los Angeles in 1832 with Ewiyg Young's party of thirty men who had been engaged in hunting and trapping on the Gila River, in New Mexico. With this party also carac Moses Carson, a brother of the celebrated Kit Carson. Mr. Williams appears to have become prominent in local affa'r? very soon atfer his arrival, as his name is mentioned in con- nection with several matters. He was a member of the vig- ilance committee in 1835, In 1839 he took the oath of al- legiance and became 'a naturalized citizen of Mexico. 'im- mediately following he married Senorita Maria de Jesus Lugo, (laughter of Don Antonio Maria Lugo, and in 1841 became owner of the Chino rancho, of which Don Antonio was Lhc original grantee. In 1843 he obtained an additional grant of land adjoining his Chino property and settled down as a lancher and stock breeder, devoting himself to the manage- ment of his large estate. In 1846 he proposed to build a fort at the Cajon, on condition that he be allowed to bring goods '■o the value of $25,000 into California, free of import duty, as at that time there was a tax of $600 on every vessel. At the time of the American invasion of California the Americans living in the territory were looked upon by the Californians with more or less suspicion. While nominally citizens of Mexico, the Americans saw the advantage which would accrue to California if brought under the government of the United States, and many of them were pronounced in advocating the change. This, naturally, was not pleasing to the native Californians who were Mexican in their sympathies, and more or less coldness and friction resulted in consequence. Open hostilities between the Californians and the Ameri- cans began at Los Angeles, September, 1846, when Cervol Vu rela attacked the Americans under A. H. Gillespie, a Lieuten- ant of Marines, left in charge as Military Commandant at Los Angeles, by Commodore Stockton. D. B. Wilson, owner of the Jurupa rancho, was then in command of a force of twenty HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. 95 men stationed at Jurupa for the purpose of protecting the in- Jiabitants and property on the San Bernardino frontier from fndian raids. Wilson, ordered by Gillespie to come to hi? aid, was en route to Los Angeles and stopped at the Chino rancho, the property of Colonel Williams . The party waa nearly out of powder and found Williams in the same condi- tion. In the afternoon of the day of their arrival, while de- l/berating as to future movements, Isaac Callaghan, a scout sent out to reconnoitre, returned to the house with a bullet, in his arm and reported the approach of a party of Califor- nians. After consultation it was decided that, taking all things into consideration, the Americans were more than equal to the Californians and they decided, notwithstanding their lack of ammunition to withstand a siege. The Californians under Varela, Diego Sepulveda and Ftamon Carillo, with fifty men, made up the attacking party. They were later reinforced with twenty men from San Ber- nardino rancho under command of Jose del Carmen Lugo. The Californians were also short of weapons and ammunition. The Chino ranch house was an adobe building fashioned iu the usual California manner, surrounding a courtyard. The roof was of asphaltum. There were few doors and windows, hut the walls were plentifully supplied with loop-holes. The entire building was surrounded with an adobe wall and a ditch. Early in the morning of the 27th of September, an attack was made on the rancho. The Californians, on horseback, made a fierce onslaught firing as they approached the house, to which the Americans responded. The horses of the Cali- fornians became frightened and in attempting to leap the ditch threw several of their riders who received injuries, and ore man, Carlos Ballestros, was killed. Three men inside the ranch house were wounded. The attacking party succeeded in reaching a secure position under the shelter of the walls and from there set fire to the roof of the building. The 96 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. Americans finding themselves trapped and in danger of a scorcliing concluded to surrender, and in order to make as good terms as possible induced Col. Williams, whose brother- in-law was one of the captains in command of the assailants, to take his children and presenting himself outside, make an appeal to Lugo. The x\mericans surrendered. The Califor- mans then set about extinguishing the flames and afterwards Ficceeded to loot the building. Enraged at the death of Eallestros, who was a general favorite among them, the in^ turiated men insisted on putting the prisoners to death, bu: milder counsel prevailed and they were taken to Los Angel"^^, If lier<' the more promiuf nt ni them were held by Plores until January, 1847. It is related that these men were promised their liberty on condition that they agreed not to bear arms or use their influence in favor of the United States, but to their cred- it they refused to secure freedom on such terms. Among those captured at the battle of Chino were D. B. Wilson, Isaac Wil- liams, David W. Alexander, John Rowland, Louis Robidoux, Joseph Perdue, William Skene, Isaac Callaghan, Evan Calla- ghan, Michael White, Matt Harbin, George Walters. Colonel Williams returned to the Chino rancho where he resided until his death, Sept. 13, 1856. He sleeps in the ola cemetery at Los Angeles. He left two daughters, Maria Mer- ced, wife of John Rains, and Francesca, wife of Robert Car lisle. Don Tiburcio Tapia, of Cucamonga rancho was a man of considerable importance in his day and time. His name ap- pears frequently in the history of the city of Los Angeles. He is credited with being a man of "good sense, good char- acter and some wealth." It is a very desirable combination though possibly a trifle rare. Tiburcio Tapia was born at San Luis Obispo in 1789. He served his country as a soldier and was a corporal at the Presidio of Santa Barbara. He was a member of the Puris- HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY . 97 ima Guards in 1824, and a member of the diputaciou from 1827 to 1833. After Mexico had adopted the centralized form of government the seat of Prefecture for the Southern Dis- trict of California was established at Los Angeles, and Tibur- cio Tapia was first Prefect, holding the office from 1839 to 1841. He received a grant of the Cucumonga rancho in 1839. Stories of buried treasure become slightly wearisome in the history of California. San Bernardino valley has its share and Cucamunga is one of the hiding places of money. It is reported that a small portion of this treasure was discov- ered a few years ago, but the larger portion still remains within the bosom of earth. Men have resorted to all sorts of methods to unearth the old Don's treasure. Magic wands and electrical "gold finders" have been brought into use; and not content with the inventions of mere mortal men, the hab- itants of the realms of space in the upper and nether worlds have been called to assist in the search for treasure. But still the treasure eludes the hand of the seeker, and the seek- ers still hope to find the treasure. As the story runs, Don Tapia was believed to possess fab- ulous wealth. In those turbulent days when government was on the move and continually shifting from one side to the other, with undreamed of possibilities in the way of change, a man's best and safest place for the deposit of money was not far removed from his hand. Don Tapia shared the gen- eral distrust. He had money and he wanted to keep it. At first some adobes were removed from the walls of his house and the money hidden within a cavity prepared for it. Time passed until in 1846 the Americans, under General Fremont, were dangerously near, too close to be interesting. The old Don was in deep distress and at a loss to know exactly what to do with his money. Night after night he tossed restlessly on his bed and his sleep, when it came, was disturbed by 98 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY . frightful dreams in which he saw the invaders ferreting out the hiding place of his treasure. At last he conceived the idea of burying it in some spot far enough removed from the house to be secure from suspicion. One night, taking with him two Indian servants, he loaded the treasure in a cart and set out for the place selected. The distance from the house can only be surmised. The treasure was buried and as the morning light dawned the Don and his servants returned to the rancho. In some way the Don was able to work upon the superstitious fears of the Indians sufficiently to insure their silence, for, though Don Tapia passed away with the secret untold, no amount of persuasion could induce the In- dians to divulge the hiding place. They were afraid to do so. It is said the old Don's restless spirit still guards the treasure and for many years the house was pointed out as a "haunted house," the place of strange sights and mysterious sounds. After the death of Don Tapia the property passed into the possession of his daughter, the wife of Leon V. Prudhomme. Michael White,known also as Miguel Blanco, was one of the first English-speaking settlers of Los Angeles. He was a native of England, born February 10, 1801. At the age of fourteen he shipped on a whaler and came out to the Pacific ocean. He came to California in 1817. He landed at Cape St. Lucas, in Lower California, and for a number of years was engaged as seaman on vessels along the Mexican coast. In 1828 he was Captain of his own vessel, the "Dolly," engaged in the coasting trade between San Francisco, Monterey, Santa Barbara, San Pedro, and San Diego. Some people are unkind enough to intimate that his marine operations were in the line of smuggling. If so, it was not considered much of a crime in those days. Miguel Blanco received a grant of the Cajon de Muscu- HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. 99 piabe rancho in 1843. He obtained this grant on condition that he reside on the land and endeavor to keep the Indian raiders out of the valley. The grant originally consisted of one league of land, but it must have been of an expanding nature, for it "grew and it grew" until it covered some eleven leagues and caused considerable trouble. In 1831 Miguel Blanco married Maria del Rosario Guillen. She was a daughter of Eulalia Perez, who was famous as be- ing a woman of advanced years, "the oldest woman in the world," supposed to be many years over one hundred years of age at date of death. Mr. White owned considerable property near San Gabriel mission, where he resided during the latter years of his life, but finally losing his property, removed to Los Angeles, where he died February 28, 1855. He left a large family of children and grandchildren. 100 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY , CHAPTER XXI. THE NEW MEXICAN PIONEERS— LA PLACITA DE LOS TRUJILLOS— AGUA MANS A. Foreigners visited California prior to 1825, but tlie high- way over which they journeyed was the Pacific Ocean, and whether from norm, south, east or west it was always the same. The mountains and desert appeared to put an impassable inland barrier between California and the terri- tory on the east, and the land beyond the Sierras was terra incognita which the feet of white men had not trodden. Jedediah S. Smith of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company was the first white man to enter California overland. He started from the Yellowstone River, August, 1826, with a par- ty of fifteen men, intent on a hunting and exploring expedi- tion. Their course was down the Colorado River to the Mo- Jave villages, where they found two wandering neophyte In- dians, who guided them across the desert to San Gabriel Mission. They were not welcome visitors, and though the Californians furnished them with supplies, of which the Smith party were sorely in need, they were not invited to remain. Smith appears to have camped in the vicinity of San Bernardino, for from this place he sent a letter to Padre Sanchez, of San Gabriel, begging for relief as they were in a destitute condition. As they were supposed to have left the country this fact aroused suspicion in the minds of the Californians and orders were issued for the detention of the whole party, but before the orders could be carried out Smith had left San Bernardino and was moving northward. In this party were a number of New Mexican hunters and HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY . 101 trappers and through these men reports of California were carried into New Mexico. In 1830 a trapping party was organized at Taos, under William Wolfskill and Ewing Young, to come into California and hunt the waters of the San Joaquin and Sacramento Val- leys. The party failed to cross the mountains between Vir- gin River and the rivers diverging into the Bay of San Fran- cisco, and the men becoming discouraged, through their suff- erings with the cold, the line of travel was changed and the party went to Los Angeles, where they arrived February, 1831. They had brought with them a quantity of "serapes" and "frasadas" (woolen blankets) for the purpose of trading with fhe Indians, planning to exchange them for beaver skins. They disposed of these blankets to the California rancheros, exchanging for mules, and with them returned to New Mex- ico. The mules were fine, large animals, superior to those of Ne-?^ Mexico, and when their destination was reached, caused much favorable comment. From this began a trade between the two sections of country which flourished for ten or twelve years. Caravans crossed the desert yearly bringing woolen goods from New Mexico and exchanging them fo^ mules, silks and Chinese goods obtained in California. Los Angeles was the central point for this New Mexican trade. It came by the way of the Green and Virgin River routes, through the Cajon Pass to Los Angeles. From there it distributed over the country from San Diego to San Jose and across the bay to Sonoma and San Rafael. After dis- posing of the goods brought, the traders made purchase of what they wished to carry back and what mules they could drive, and again concentrated at Los Angeles for their yearly return. Between 1831 and 1844 a number of native New Mexicans, and some foreigners, came through with these trading parties 102 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY . In search of homes in this country. It was at a time when owners of the large rauchos were experiencing much trouble from the depredations of Indians and they were very glad to make allotments of lands to colonists, asking only in return the help of settlers in protecting the stock on the rancnes from the Indians. In 1842 Don Lorenzo Trujillo brought the first colony of settlers from New Mexico to this section of the country. The Lugos made them a donation of land about one-half mile south of the Indian village of La Politana. Among these colonists were William Walker, Julian Rowland and Benito Wilson. Walker and Rowland had married Mexican women; and later, Wilson married a daughter of Don Bernardo Yorba. Wilson was at one time half owner of the rancho belonging to M. Louis Rubidoux, on which the city of Riverside is now located. Walker and Rowland removed to Los Angeles and afterwards owned La Puente rancho. After remaining about two years on the Lugo donation, Don Lorenzo, and four other families of colonists were in- duced to remove to a donation of land made them by Don Juan Bandini of the Jurupa rancTio. This donation consist- ed of a large tract of land extending along the Santa Ana river bottoms for a considerable distance and which was fer- tile and well watered. Here they founded the early settle- ment known as "La Placita de los Trujillos," — the Little Town of the Trujillos. The original settlers of the Placita were: Don Lorenzo Trujillo; Jose Antonio Martinez; Juan Jnrarriillo ; Hipolito Espinosa and Dona Feliciana Valdez de Jaiamillo. The Placita was located on the west corner of Loma district in San Bernardino county. The Placita was built in a semi-circle around a small plaza. As soon as the Houses were completed a church was built in the center of the plaza. It was a rude structure with neither doors .windows or benches. An altar was HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. 103 erected and services conducted by Padre Francisco Sanchez, a priest from San Gabriel. Don Lorenzo Trujillo was appoint- ed, by Don Bandini, commissioner to distribute tlie lands. Miguel Ochoa taught the children of La Placita for many years, and has the honor of being the first school teacher in San Bernardino county. In 1843 a second party of colonists, commanded by Don Jose Tomas Salazar, arrived at La Politana. In 1845 these colonists removed one mile northeast of La Placita and there founded the village known as Agua Mansa. The name Agua Mansa, meaning gentle water, was descriptive of the smooth- ly flowing, limpid waters of the Santa Ana river, along the banks of which the settlement was located. Among the settlers of this second colony were Louis Rubidoux and Chris- tobal Slover. Both had married Mexican women. Rubidoux afterwards removed to the Jurupa rancho, and Slover lived in the neighborhood of the mountain bearing his name, near Colton, and there continued to reside until on a hunting trip, he met his death from the claws of a bear. Slover Mountain was originally known by the Indain name of Tahualtapa — meaning Raven Hill ,and which in the early days was nesting place for large flocks of ravens. Ignacio Moya was appointed first Alcalde of Agua Mansa, but he resigned and the people appointed Don Louis Rubi- doux to succeed him. His jurisdiction was La Placita and Agua Mansa. The colonists were employed not only as vaqueros on the ranches, but also acted in the capacity of soldiers. The famous Ute Indian chief Cuaka--best known as Walker — was very active about this time and his repeated depredations on the stock of the settlers were very annoying. It was Walker's boast that the rancheros were only allowed to remain in the valley as stock raisers for his especial benefit. Nearly every full moon he came down from the mountains with his band 104 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. of Indians and these incursions generally resulted in loss to the settlers. The Indians were in the habit of running the stock into the canyons, and there departing from the trails, drive them up over the mountain and down the other side of the range into tne desert. When they had accumulated a sufficient number of horses they were taken across the desert and they found no difficulty in disposing of the animals at Salt Lake City, which was their usual destination. The set- tlers were armed with rifles and were expert in their use. In protecting the Bandini stock they had many fierce battles with the Indians. They usually fought on horseback, but sometimes it was necessary to follow the Indians into the mountains and there dismounting, continue the pusuit on foot until the Indians were overtaken and the stock recovered; but they were not always successful in recovering the stock. One of their fights took place in the mountains southeast of where the town of Highgrove is now situated. The Indians, after capturing sixty head of horses, escaped through a path between the mountains. In this battle Doroteo Trujillo was shot in the back with an arrow; Esquipula Trujillo was shot through the nose, and Teodoro Trujillo was shot in the right foot. They succeeded in recapturing the stock. The church of La Placita, being only a temporary affair, did not long withstand the action of the elements, and the people, recognizing the necessity of a more substantial build- ing, were called together in a public meeting to take steps for building a new church. It was a community affair and the settlers of La Placita and Agua Mansa responded to the call. They chose as commissioners, for the purpose of rais- ing funds and selecting a site: Don Ignacio Palomares, Don Ricardo Bejar and Ramon Ybarra. After going up and down the river the commissioners decided to build the new church at Agua Mansa. As money was not plentiful, all the settlers HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. 105 turned out and assisted in the work of building. Some made adobes, others prepared cement, and others hauled timbers and lumber from the mountains. Joaquin Moya owned twelve or fourteen yoke of oxen and hauled most of the lumber from Aliso's mill; Pablo Velarde, a mason ,laid the adobes; Mig- uel Bustamente roofed the building. They began the building in 1851 and completed it in 1852. When finished ,the church was dedicated to San Salvador, but it became better known as the "Little Church of Agua Mansa." Padre Amablo -nrs first to officiate, and from that date to the present an unbrok- en record of the marriages, births, and deaths of the parish has been preserved. These records are now in keeping of the church at San Bernardino. The year 1862 was a year to be remembered by the set- tlers of San Bernardino valley. This was the year of the great flood, which culminated on the night of January 22, and wrought great destruction and desolation. It rained contin- uously for fifteen days and nights. The gentle Santa Ana river became a raging torrent, which rushing, swirling and seething, swept everything from its path. The settlers awoke ir" al^rm. The inhabitants of La Placita rushed to the Cerro de Harpero— the hill west of Loma district; those of Agua Mansa took refuge in the little church which seemed to offer a place of safety. The church and the house of Cornelius Jensen, opposite the church, were the only buildings on high ground and the only ones that escaped destruction in the flood. When the morning dawned it showed a scene of desola- tion. The village of Agua Mansa was completely washed away, and where flowers bloomed and trees had been planted, a waste or muddy, turbulent water met the gaze. Nothing re- mained of the little village but the church, which stood upon higher ground, some distance from the river. The settlers were left entirely destitute and some assistance was sent 106 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY , them from Los Angeles to enable them to build their homes upon higher ground far enough from the river to escape future danger from its overflow. The settlement again flourished, but never did the people trust the river which had twice treacherously deceived them and wrought destruction to the work of their hands. A local poet, Don Antonio Prieto, wrote of this flood as: El veinte y dos de Enero Que desgracia tan atroz Bajo una grande corriente, Por la voluntad de dios. The Little Church of Agua Mansa remained standing for many years, but at last, yielding to the ruthless hand of time, 't too passed away. Barely a trace of it remains. The bell, cist in the sands of the hillside near Agua Mansa, was dedi- cated to "Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe" — Our Lady of Guada- lupe — stood for a long time outside of the church of the Holy Rosary at Colton, but was at last elevated to the little church belfry, where, old, cracked, and badly defaced, it still calls the people to worship. ^^it'^ i-v,. HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. 107 CHAPTER XXII. MEXICAN PIONEERS— RELIGIOUS, SOCIAL AND DO- MESTIC CUSTOMS. The law of life is change. Impermanency marks the pathway of progress. Inanition is stagnation and stagnation is death. So it is found in the customs of a people. Every new influence, however slight, leaves an impress and all tend toward the fulfillment of the immutable law. The social and domestic customs of the early Mexican pioneers of California were those of Spain, and yet not en- tirely Spanish, To conform with life in the newer world and to meet new surroundings and conditions, innovations were necessary, and these, becoming engrafted upon older cus- toms, individualized themselves and became a part of Mexi can life, with usages distinctly foreign to those of the people from which they sprang. These customs in turn were sup- planted by others and have in their turn passed away, until, becoming traditional, they remain only in the memory of a few surviving Mexican pioneers ,of whose life they were once a part. This chapter on the religious, social and do- mestic customs of the early Mexican pioneers is compiled from manuscript furnished by Mr. M. M. Alvarado, a de- scendant of one of the early Mexican pioneer families, and F. V. Archuleta, whose kindness and genuine courtesy is here by gratefully acknowledged. There is much error prevailing with regard to the num- ber of Mexican families in California in the early days. When compared to the Americans, and other foreigners 108 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY . they, cf course, outnumbered them, but not to the extent generally imagined. At the coming of the Americans into the country there were in San Bernardino valley four Lugo families: Diego Sepulveda in Yucaipa; the Bermudas family in La Canada de San Timeteo, and some twenty-five families of new Mexi- cans on the Santa Ana river, from near Slover mountain to about three miles below. There were a few families at San Jose (Pomona and Spadra), San Gabriel, La Mission Vieja, Los Nietos, and quite a town at Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Monterey; the other hamlets consisted of from one to three dozen families, and such communities did not reaca twenty in number. Another fact, which will give some idea of the Mexican population, is that at the outbreak of the war between the United States and Mexico, the whole number of men that could possibly be pressed into service did not reach six hundred. It was quite natural that the Mexican families should be intimately acquainted with each other. They were almost entirely dependent upon themselves and their intercourse with one another extended from San Diego to Santa Barbara and from Sanfa Barbara to Vallejo. K family would decide to make a visit to some relative, or to attend a fiesta, at one of the mentioned places. When preparations for the journey were completed the inevitaFIe carreta, drawn by oxen, was made ready for the women. The men always traveled on horseback. The carreta was a rude conveyance, but the only kind of wheeled vehicle in the country. It was constructed entirely of wood and consisted of two wooden wheels, a wooden axle and a wooden rack. It was manufactured mainly with an axe, an adze and coyundas (hide straps). Travel in this conveyance was necessarily slow; but on the other hand it had its advantages in the benefit derived from the pure air and magnificent scenery spread out before the HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY . 109 travelers like a panorama. The virgin land blossomed -with a profusion of brilliant hued flowers and luxuriant grasses, varied here and there with wood-bordered rivers, barren mesas, and deep arroyas. Large herds of cattle grazed amidst the vegetation and for diversion to relieve the monot- ony of the journey the men of the party occasionally engag- ed in a dart on a coleada of cows or steers. A coleada con- sisted in running at full speed, grasping a cow by its tail and throwing her head-over-heels. It was considered great sport and the participants enjoyed it immensely. When ev- ening came the party would stop at some house where they were acquainted and remain for the night. They were al- ways heartily welcomed and hospitably entertained. All ate at the same table and slept beneath one roof. Sometimes, when circumstances favored, the evening was made merry with music, dancing and singing. Care and attention v.^ere lavished on the guests in unstinted measure, and the whole effort of the host was to make the visitors feel at home. To offer to pay for accommodation of this kind was considered by the host as an insult. While intercourse between families, whether near neigh- bors or not, was much the same all over the country, it was the invariable custom to keep the young people of both sex- es separate. In mixed company and at social and religious gatherings the young ladies were seated by themselves, and the young men were instructed that it was ungentlemanly to approach the young ladies except when social right and privilege warranted. Opinion will always differ as to the wisdom of this custom of restriction, but by avoiding un- necessary freedom it certainly avoided immorality. In those days young people arrived at manhood and womanhood with all the pure, unsullied innocence of childhood coupled with the vigor of ripening maturity. Notwithstanding the restrictions surrounding the young 110 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY . men and women, love found its way much in the same man- ner as it does today. A young man wishing to get married would notify his parents of his choice, and if they were fav- orable to the match they would give their consent. If they considered his choice unsuitable they endeavored to dis- suade him from the match. Similar proceedings were taken in the case of a young girl and an unworthy suitor, and so well were children trained to obedience that they submitted to the decisiion of the parents and the affair ended. Excep- tions to this course were of rare occurrence. In case no ob- jection existed on either side, the parents of the young man would write a courteous letter to the parents ot the young lady requesting the hand of their daughter in marriage for their son. The father of the young man would then take this letter personally to the father of the young lady. After waiting eight days the father of the young lady would bring a written reply. After this, as soon as consistent with good manners, the whole family of the young man's father would visit the family of the young lady, taking with them the "donas" — gifts, consisting of jewelry and money, which were given to the parents of the bride-elect. After a sump- tuous repast all the details of the marriage would be arrang- ed by the contracting parties. Relatives and friends from far and near were invited to the wedding fiesta which was given. On the day of the marriage a large crowd was on hacd, some of the people coming from a distance of fifty, one hundred and more miles. The marriage would sometimes take place at the church, sometimes at the house of the bride or the groom. As soon as the ceremony was completed the guests manifested their joy and congratulations by firing guns and by music prepared for the occasion. The newly married couple would next repair to their parents and, kneel- ing, ask the parental blessings. The wedding fiesta lasted from three to eight days and during that time the guests HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. Ill gave themselves up to pleasure and enjoyment. The fiesta entertainment consisted in singing, music, dancing and oc- casionally a horse race, bull fight or a toreada, and plenty to eat all the time. Three religious holidays were especially observed by the early Mexican pioneers of this vicinity — Corpus Christi, San Juan and Noche Buena. Corpus Christi, according to the established rules of the church, comes on Thursday, sometimes in the month of May and sometimes in June. Several altars were erected, a short distance from the church, and in commencing the religioiis ceremony the priest, robed in vestments proper for this cele- bration, would form a procession, which he headed ,carrying a reliquary, or the Blessed Sacrament, and assisted by tvv'o bays with the incensory, and other articles used in the cere- mony, and these were followed by a number of girls, dressed in white. After them came the people of the church con- gregation. The Reliquary or Blessed Sacrament was placed on each altar in succession, prayers were said, accompanied by singing and the procession ended at the church where a high mass was said. This ceremony was simple but most beautiful and full of meaning, as are all the ceremonies of the Roman Catholic church. San Juan day was celebrated on the 24th of June each year. After high mass the day was devoted to sports of some kind. Noche Buena, or Christmas, was especially important. Three masses, with appropriate ceremonies, were held during the first twelve hours of the day; the first at 1 a. m., another at 6 a. m., and the last, a high mass, at 10 a. m. The people were possessed of a deep religious feeling and veneration for things holy. They had many religious ob- servances aside from these mentioned. Each Friday during Lent the people met, either at some house or at the church, 112 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. where the prayers of the Via Crucis (Way of tue Cross) were recited. From Wednesday to Friday night of Holy Week spe- cial religious services and ceremonies were observed. The early Spanish and Mexican pioneers were a sociable people and indulged in several characteristic sports. Pelia de gallos, or cock fights, were very popular. Some person in nearly every hamlet or rancho was possessor of fighting cocks. When two roosters were to meet in combat the owners pre- pared them by special training. The traicers were men who understood the business — which was in itself as much of a science as horse racing, and required of the trainer knowl- edge, tact and judgment. A person without experience could not hope for success. Much care was taken, especially in tying the deadly "navaja" (a blade) just above the spur of the rooster. This blade was four or five inches long, pointed and sharp as a razor. When everything was in readiness those who had the roosters in charge would take them in their arms, pique them against each other, and finally place them on the ground two or three feet apart. In the fight which followed one of the roosters, perhaps slightly wounded, might run away, while at other times both roosters would be killed on the spot. It is needless to say that bets of more or less value were staked as a result of such fights. "Corrida de gallos" was another popular sport. On the afternoon of San Juan's day a large crowd would assemble in some place where the ground was level and suitable for run- ning at full speed. One or more roosters would be furnished by some person with the given name of Juan or Juana. The fowl v/as buried alive leaving only the head above the ground. Men riding at full speed on horseback, as they approached the rooster would lower themselves by the side of the horse and make an attempt to pull the rooster out of the ground by grasping its head. This was not an easy task and required skill and daring horsemanship, for the cock would dodge its HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY . 113 head whenever any one tried to grasp it. Whoever succeed- ed in pulling it out of the ground would start on a full run, followed by all the others who had taken part in the coursing. If overtaken by one or more of the party, he had to look out for himself as the competitor would, either by force or strat- egy, take the rooster away. In retaining possession of the rooster and defending himself from attack the captor was con- sidered justified in striking his opponents right and left with the yet living rooster. The cock being taken away from the first man ,the scene was repeated, until the fowl being dead, was severed into pieces in the affray. Then another cock would be furnished, and yet another, if they wanted it, until wearied of the sport all were ready to quit. Sometimes a purse was buried in the ground with the rooster and the* money went to the man who pulled il out. If anyone showed anger during the course of the sport he was considered dis- graced. It was understood that those taking part in the sport should not give way to exhibition of temper, A bull fight and a toreada or capateada were two different sports. A bull fight was an encounter between a bull and a bear. Don Jose del Carmen I^ugo, when living at Old San Tiornardino, had a plaza de toros (an amphitheatre for bulT figlits) where they engaged in that kind of sport on the 15th of August for some years. That amphitheatre was simply a I'lace walled in by large adobes with seats built on the top of the wall. Bears were numerous, and when they were wanted they were usually procured in the neighborhood where the li.sane Asylum now stands at Highland. The bear would be lassoed by some daring horseman and brought to the place of the fight a few days previous to the day of the event. As ferocious g bull as could be found would be brought in the same way. tnd when the hour of the fight arrived both beasts were turned loose together in the amphitheatre. It did not take long for a genuine and terrible fight to Begin in which 114 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY . the bull was always killed, but the bear was also left in a de- plorable condfition, gored almost to death. In the sport called "torear," or "toreada," no bull was killed, A wild bull would be turned loose in the corral, or plaza de toros, and a daring vaquero on a well-trained horse would ride in and tantalize the bull, until, goaded to despera- tion ,the bull would attack them. The men being expert, and on well trained horses, would easily evade the horns of the bull, and though horses were sometimes gored it was seldom fatally. Torear was a sport indulged in, not only in inclosed places, but anywhere. Horse races were the most common and the most popu- lar of all the Mexican sports. Large sums of money were staked on these races and numbers of stock were bet, and men frequently traveled hundreds of miles to see or to make a race. A place in open, level country wa-s chosen, and the race track laid out and prepared in straight lines. When the day for the race arrived, men, women and children came, all attired in their iinest clothing and riding their gayest horses bedecked with silver mounted bridles and saddles. If the race was one on which large sums of money had been staked nearly all the people in the neighborhood attended and it was considered no disgrace to bet with friends or neighbors. Peo- ple won or lost without permitting it to make any difference in regard to their friendly and social relations. After the races passed, all things went on as smoothly as before. It was the only sport that brought on a shade of rivalry, but in that, only so far as to stimulate a desire of raising or owning the swiftest horse. Races in those days were not as detri- mental to the morals of the people as they seem to be today. The money staked was usually deposited with some disinter- ested person who had made no bet on the result of the races. If horses were slaked in the race they woulfl be tied together in couples. Other stock might have been bet in advance. HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. 115 but as stated, some disinterested person always acted as stakeholder. There were two ways of starting the horses in a race. One called Santiago parado and the other Santiago andando. By the first method both horses would be standing side by side; by the second method both horses would be on a wane, or a short trot, and at the word "Santiago" would have to go. i. at the given word, one of the horses failed to start, no excuse was accepted, the race was lost. Men who made a business of caring for race horses were called "magnates" and indeeo they were magnates in their line of work, for it took brains, patience and a certain knowledge to take care of and prop- erly train a race horse. The rodeo, or round-up, was a regular and needed insti- tution of the country. There were many wealthy men who owned cattle by the thousands, others had a few hundred, and still ethers only a few head. As there were no large pas- tures fenced in the stock roamed at large all over the country and the cattle of different owners became mixed. When branding, marking and gelding time approached, after the calving season, the rodeos would be in order. For example, if one was decided upon near Slover mountain on a certain day, all the rancheros and their vaqueros of the surrounding country were notified of the fact by the Juez de Campo. On that day, early in the morning, all the men, in small squads, from all around the objective point, would drive the cattle to the rodeo where it would all be centered by nine or ten o'clock in the morning. If there were any cattle belonging to other than the owner of the ranch where the rodeo was held, it was separated from the balance and driven home by its owner until ready to brand. If there were only a few head this branding was occasionally done at the rodeo. Usually though, the process of branding, marking, and gelding followed the ro- 116 HISTORY OF SAIJ BERNARDINO VALLEY. deo. The stock was driven to the corral where a few expert "lazadores" (men who throw the riata) would lasso the cows, steers or calves by their feet, throw them down; another man would come with the hot fierro (branding-iron) and apply it to the left hip of the fallen animal, and after that would cut off a small piece, in some particular shape, or split the ear, and finally geld it. There were men so expert in this kind of work that it was not uncommon for one man to do it all, with no assistance but his horse. There was a great deal of work attached to cattle raising through all its different stages, but no intricacies, acd most any common horseman or vaquero could attend to all branches. Rodeps were held at all the large ranches on different dates, and men attending always found their missing cattle. This was Eot a farming community, but the people raised nearly everything they used to eat. It was necessary to raise grain and other fcood products. Corn, wheat, barley, pota- toes, lentils, chic peas, sweet peas, a very large bean called haba, vegetables and garden products for seasoning were cul- tivated. Among the last mentioned the principal were the traditional chile verde (green pepper) onions, garlic, tomatoes, coriander, majoram and saffron. Wheat and barley were cut with sickles and made into small sheaves. Beans and peas were pulled out and bunched and taken to the "era." The era was a place cleaned out and irrigated, and then sheep and ether stock driven over it to harden the surface, and which was finally inclosed with a strong fence. The grain, peas or beans once in the era, a large band of horses were driven In and around until it was threshed. The time taken to thresh would depend on the size of the pile of grain. After threshing, when the wind began to blow, the men would take their forks and toss the straw up into the air and the wind would carry the straw away leaving the grain. This work HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. 117 was continued until very little straw remained, when the "pala" was used to finish up. The pala was a piece of board a foot and a half long by a foot wide attached to a long handle. The time used for threshing and cleaning in this way was sev- eral days and a few weeks of it amounted to a great deal and required the use of several eras. Corn was piled up in the ear and beaten with a heavy stick having the effect of shelling most of it. This was slow work, but it was the only way it could be done in those days. Mission grapes were abundant; the making of wine was common and understood by many. The grapes were picked and spread out in the sun about long enough to wither them. After this they were placed in tinas and trod thoroughly by foot. The tinas were made from hides cleansed and pre- pared specially for the purpose, and hung and arranged be- tween four posts so as to hold the grapes and juice without spilling. To crush the grapes at times a "trapiche" was used. The trapiche was a simple contrivance of a roller with a han- dle and worked by hand. When fermentation began the juice was strained, placed in barrels and left for a certain length of time. It was examined now and then and cared for to pre- vent turning into vinegar. At the end of a few months the wine was ready to use, but the longer it was kept the better it grew with age. It has been said that the Mexicans did not know how to cook. Such assertions were made By people who did not know them and had never associated with them. While they do not cook the so-called fancy dishes, their food, especially in days past, was nourishing, wholesome and digestible. Indigestion, dyspepsia and kindred ailments were unknown, while today they are as subject to these diseases as are other people. There were no stoves in the early days, but in their stead fireplaces of mud and stones. They were built in a semi- 118 HISTORY OF SMf BERNARDINO VALLEY . circular form, varying from a foot and a half to three feet long ,and from one to two feet wide, and about one foot high, with bars across the top to hold the pots. To bake bread "homos" (ovens) were built of bricks and mud, on the same principle as bakers' ovens are built at present. Tortillas were oaked on large pieces of iron called "comales." Everyone is familiar with the making of tortillas, tamales and enchilades, but there were other foo^s prepared which are not so well known, namely, puchero, estofado, albondigas and colache. To make puchero select pieces of meat were placed to boil until it made froth, when that was thrown out. Then to the meat and broth were added green corn, string beans, garlic, onions, cabbage, squash, carrots and a few of the spicy weeds, and all boiled until the vegetables were well cooked. To prepare estofado, some pieces of meat with lard were placed on the fire, and after a short time dry grapes were add- ed and left until well cooked. Then slices of bread, sugar and some spice were added and again placed on the fire for a short while. Albondigas were made from the sirloin of the beef. The meat was well ground on a metate, or otherwise; to it were added onions, black pepper, coriander and yerba buena (a species of mint). All these were made into a dough or paste, and from this little balls were shaped and cooked in boiling water. Colache was a common dish, wholesome and easily cooked. Some lard was thoroughly heated, and in that squash cut up fine, green corn, also cut up, some cheese and meat, all being cooked together. The dress of the men was very much the same as shown in the pictured representations. California was a stock coun- try, and as nearly all were engaged in the occupation of stock raising they wore what was called "botas de haya." These were large pieces of leather, some of common and some of HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY. 119 fancy workmanship, wrapped and secured around the legs be- low the knee. They were worn by men when chasing cattle, to protect their limbs from trees or chaparral. The dress of the women was not vastly different from that worn at present, except in the articles of apparel known as euaguas or tunicos, rebosos and tapalos. It was a common thing, before the coming of the Americans, for the women to wear enaguas or tunicos (gowns) of pure silk, which, of course, differed in color and pattern. The material from v/hich such garments were made was brought from Spain di- rectly to Mexico; thence to New Mexico, California and other places. Such garments were high priced and frequently handed down as heirlooms from one generation to another. Tlie reboso was a long shawl of different colors with fringes at the borders; some of pure silk and some mixed with other ma- terial. The tapalo was also a shawl, but a square one with fringes on its four sides and plenty of fancy embroidery all o\ er it. These were of pure silk, very costly and only a few women could afford them. The rebosos and tapalos were gracefully used by women so as to cover the head and then thrown over or around the shoulders and chest. A beautiful woman wearing one of these fancy tapalos presented a most cb arming and elegant picture. The early Mexicans had so mucb respect for their word that it was not lightly given and when once given it was sa- credly kept. In business affairs of all kinds, in social inter- course or particular doings a man's word once pledged was held binding. Written documents were not considered neces- sary. Sometimes writing was used, but not generally. If a contract between two or more parties was entered into it was done by verbal agreement, observed and adhered to strictly. A person might make a deal, trade or purchase from another about stock, land, money or any other matter, and their word was their document, binding and kept sacred until death. 120 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY . These methods no doubt seem lax and unbusinesslike, viewed in the light of today; and yet such was the native virtue of these people that pecuniary loss was welcomed sooner than soil or tarnish their honor. As an example it is worthy of emulation and practice. Unfortunately a change came, and that change, under such circumstances, was ruinous to their welfare. Take for example holders of land. There were large numbers of fami- lies who could not present a better title to ownership than possession and the word of another, perhaps dead, or bought out. Such facts could not avail or help them against estab- lished or newly enacted laws which clearly defined matters regarding ownership or acquisition of land. It was not strange then to see individuals or corporations take advan- tage of such state of affairs in order to acquire either small or large tracts of land, frequently lawfully, but many times un- justly. These doings gave rise to endless litigation and de- spoiled many Mexican families of their land all over the State. Much could be written illustrative of their filial love and courage. Children, whether grown or not, for the sake of their love to their parents, would make any sacrifice, how- ever great, if it would save them from a tear or sorrow. Young men, on the point of leaving home for a short or pro- longed absence, on their knees would ask for the parental blessing; they would depart carrying engraved in their mem- ory, always Bearing in their heart, the advice and undying love of the dear ones left behind. Two short anecdotes will be suflicient to illustrate their courage. On one occasion, Don Antonio Maria Lugo and his son Jose Maria, when on one of their rounds after cattle, las- soed a bear. The old gentleman handed his son a machete (a short sword) and told him to get down and kill the beast, which the young man did without hesitation. Francisco Alva- HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY . 121 rado, son of the Mayor-domo at San Bernardino, Viejo, once lassoed a half grown bear, tied him to a juniper tree from one end of the riata, then cut a stick of wood about a yard long and approached the animal as though he would allow himself to get hugged. The bear would rise on his hind legs and reaching out with his fore feet would try to reach Alvarado. Quick as lightening Alvarado would give him a blow on his paws, when the brute would draw them back and howl. Again the act would be repeated, until Alvarado, tired of the fun, killed the bear with his knife, taking the skin home as & trophy. This is a brief description of a few of the religious, so- cial and domestic customs of the early Mexican pioneers. In honor, honesty and true manliness the men of that day will stand comparison with the men of any nation; the women were marvels of love, purity and devotion unsurpassed by those of any nation or clime. The time was one of primitive simplicity and social equality. The people as a whole were happy and contented. The passing years have wrought many changes to the people and to the State. Most of the old pioneer settlers hav* passed away. Their descendants are scattered, some of them having fallen on evil days, are the victims of distressing pov- erty; but many of them. In spite of the disadvantages unde> which they labor, still maintain the traditional virtues of their fathers. Those now residing near the old La Placita, which they founded, are: Antonio Atencio, bom In 1838; Esquipula Gar- cia, born 1818; Tomas Archuleta, born 1834; Jose Antonio Martinez, bom 1842; Mrs. Teodoro Trujillo (Miss Peregrine Gonzalez), bom 1828; Mrs. Jose Antonio Martinez (Miss Flor- entine Garcia), bom 1828; Mrs. Miguel Alvarado (Miss Ascen- cion Martinez), who was born at La Politana a few months before her parents removed to La Placita. In the county remain three other Mexican pioneers who 122 HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY . should receive mention in these pages. Miguel Bermudaz of San Timeteo canyon, who, despite his years, is active in mina and Body, is doubtless the oldest settler in the valley. Igna- cio Reyes of Reche canyon, born at Los Angeles in 1816, is a marvel of physical activity and considers it as little of a hard- ship to mount his horse for a ride to Los Angeles as he did in the years before steam had lessened the distance between the Rancho San Bernardino, and ere the city bearing that name had been founded. His wife was Francisco Lugo, a granddaughter of Don Antonio Maria Lugo. Reyes had charge of the vaqueros in the removal of cattle from the rancho after its purchase by the Americans. They drove 11,000 head of cattle from the valley at one time; then returned and drove a herd of 500 bulls and a large number of horses to the San An- tonio rancho of Don Antonio. He is a remarkable type of the old-time Mexican, and sits on Eis horse with the grace and vigor of the days when men and horses were inseparable com- panions and fighting wild Indians or wild animals their daily task. Miguel Bustamente came to California in 1849 and settled in Agua Mansa in 1852, taking a prominent part in the affairs of the colony until, mindful of advancing years, he declined further honors. For thirteen years, from 1867, he served as Justice of the Peace of San Salvador township. He was first Postmaster of Agua Mansa and a school trustee and road su- pervisor for many years. Though physically infirm his men- tality is unimpaired and as keen and bright as in the days of his active life. These pioneers serve to link the past with the present; they are still a part of the one and had their share in making possible the other; for as tomorrow is dependent on today, so today is dependent on yesterday. Each generation has its part in the sum of the whole; each must bear its proportion in the making of history; for nations, like individuals, are de- pendent upon each other. HISTORY OF SAN BERNARDINO VALLEY . 123 CHAPTER XXIII. AMERICAN COLONIZATION— THE MORMON PIONEERS. The presence of gold in California was known to the pa dres long years before the Americans came into the country. It was on land belonging to the Mission San Fernando, in the Sierras north of the mission, that gold was first discovere