Los Angeles herald., 1893-01-01

overland up the peninsula to the mis-
sion of San Gabriel. One family de-
serted on the way. The smallpox had
broken out among them, and on their
arrival at San Gabriel they were placed
in quarantine for about week.
When all things were ready Governor
de Neve on the Goth of August, 1881,
issued proclamation for the founding
OF the pueblo, and on the 4th day OF
September, 1881, o. S., procession left
the mission of San Gabriel and, coming
nine miles westward to the Porciuncula,
proceeded with due pomp and ceremony
to establish new town.
According to the official plans of all
regular Spanish towns, it was to have
plaza or central square. Around the
plaza were the eolares or residence lots,
and further out the suertes or planting
plots, and still further out the ejidos or
commons, all including about four
square leagues.
The site selected for the town was an
admirable one, on cosy little mesa or
table land, sheltered by the hills on the
north, west and south, and open on the
eaet, looking toward the heights of the
Sierra Madre. Then, as now, the river
flowed by this mesa, often changing its
channel, sometimes running down what
is now Alameda street, as indicated by
the bluff which extends from the north
end of upper Main street southerly to
near the southern junction OF Main and
Spring streets. BY the laws of Spain
the water of the river belongs absolutely
to the pueblo for irrigation and domestic
purposes. These rights were continued
under Mexican rule, and recognized and
now exist by virtue of the treaty of
| Queretaro and our state constitution
and laws.
The plaza was marked out 100 varas
"a vara is about 3315 inches) by 75varas.
Its present lines are the east side of Up
per Main, 100 varas; the northern side
of Marchessault street, rs varas; the
eastern side of New High street, 100
varas.
Around this plaza marches the pro-
cession in solemn step. The priests
chanting their sacred songs, the COVER
nor with his suite, the soldiers and the
1l,families of the colonists. Mass was
said, the proclamationlread, and the GER
emony of founding the new pueblo OF
Los angeles was performed. The gov
ernor, soldiers and priests then with
drew to San Gabriel and the coloniste
were left to "work out their own saliva
tion."
1t will here be interesting to note the
descriptions of the colonists and their
families. They were:
l. Jose de Lara, Spaniard, so years
old, had an Indian wife and three
children.
2. Jose Antonio Navarro, mestizo,
AZ years old, had mulatto wife and
three children.
5. Basilio Rosas, an Indian, 68 years
old, had mulatto wife and six children.
4. Antonio Mesa, a negro, 80 years
old, had a mulatto wife and two chill
dren.
5. Antonio Felix Villayicencio, q
Spaniard, 80 years old. had an Indian
wife and one child.
6. Jose Vanegas, an Indian, % years
old, had an Indian wife and one child.
Z. Alexandra Rosas, an Indian, 19
years old, had an Indian wife.
s. Pablo Rodriguez, an Indian, %
years old, had an Indian wife and one
child. q
8. Manuel Camera, mulatto, &c
years old, had mulatto wife.
10. Luis Quintero, a negro, 55 years
old, had mulatto wife and five chill
dren.
IL. Jose Moreno, a mulatto, % years
old, had mulatto wife.
Not counting the children, there were
two Spaniards, nine Indians, one mes
tizo, eight mulattos and two negroes.
Truly. ga mixtie, maxtie, motley
squad" as Burns would say. Not one
of them could read or write. Only one
had a trade; that was Navarro, and he
was tailor. They were an impecuni-
Gus set, as they had hired themselves
as colonists $40 per monsh for
a term of three years, and ra,
tions at the rate of 121a cents per day.
Poor in purse, poor in learning and
poor in blood, the hired founders OF Los
Angeles were certainly from the scum
of Mexico. This was fully apparent the
next year, when Lara, Mesa and Quin-
tero were sent away as useless to the
town and to themselves"
Nevertheless these poor people, al
though they were employed to do it,
we're the founders of that little pueblo
which afterwards became the capital Of
California. and is now the metropolis o
Southern California, and as such are en-,
titled to honor, though not in such 9
degree of brilliancy as those who, desir
ing freedom, founded lr American cities
east of the Rockies.
1t may be that among the Mexicant
here can be found descendants of the
founders of Los Angeles. If 30, theil
genealogies can possibly be verified by
the registers of San Gabriel mission anc
the Los Angeles chapel. Here is a
worthy piece of work for some local his
torian. If any of these descendants
should be discovered, they ought 10 be
honored in future celebrations of the
; city's birth.
The government OF the pueblo was in
! trusted to Corporal Vicente Felix, as
sisted by four private soldiers. He re
, ported to the commandant of the fort al
Santa Barbara.
The colo lists at once went to worl
and erected rude huts and commenced
the digging of an irrigating ditch, run
ming along about the same line al
| that of the Zanja Madre. A,
the end of three years their hutl
, were replaced by neat houses, built OF
the adobe, or black clay soil. These
: houses all faced on the old plaza, and
we're rooted and foored with asphaltun
found near Westlake park.
The rich bottom lands of the rivel
yielded bountiful haryests, and the
live stock increased rapidly. The col
/ onists soon had plenty of credit in the
: royal treasury. Still their numbers die
i not increase by additions from abroad
+ while at least three of their numbel
I were forcibly deported. They had q
| ,,,1 <.f I4o o~I III J.....