 The Romance of the Ranchos San Pedro 1800 Smugglers captured in attempt to land in harbour San Pedro 1846 Americans killed in battle of Dominguez ranch San Pedro 1940 18 million tons of shipping passed through Los Angeles harbour The title insurance and trust company of Los Angeles presents The Romance of the Ranchos Recreating for you the vividly colourful yesterdays in the history of Southern California Each week our wandering vaquero Frank Graham takes us back to the days of the dawns to reveal another fascinating story The title insurance and trust company of Los Angeles believes that some knowledge of the historical background of the land we live in of the hardships and heroism of the pioneers whose efforts have given us our great heritage not only will make of us better citizens but will also add to our appreciation and enjoyment of the advantages of living where we do The records of the title insurance and trust company contain verification of the historical facts that provide the framework for our story tonight But to most of us facts and dates that are buried in files or history books are dull It is to make those dry records live and breathe to recreate for you the true interest adventure, excitement and romance that actually attended the events themselves that these programs are presented And here with tonight's story is our wandering vaquero Frank Graham Our story tonight is concerned with one of the first and perhaps greatest of the early California Ranchos the Rancho San Pedro and two, it deals with the beautiful Rancho Palos Verdes and the prolonged dispute over it which split two distinguished families Let's go back through the years and relive the romance of the Ranchos It was in 1784 that Juan José Dominguez soldier of Spain received permission from his bluff old commander Governor Pedro Fajés to settle with his stock on a piece of land overlooking San Pedro Bay first called the Bay of Smokes by Cabrillo in 1542 And so one day the soldiers of the Presidio gathered to watch a strange procession Come vaqueros keep them moving we have a long journey ahead of us there is no time to waste One, this isn't a job for a soldier this is when you've been a tender of cars D1, is this what you have come to? You are just jealous Jealous? Jealous he says Tending cars is a job for those timid ones We have no stomach for a man's work fighting Where would Spain be today if she did not have builders as well as soldiers? Eh, so you are building something now See, I'm a pioneer I'm going to help build a great new land for our king He shall be pleased to hear it I'm sure This is no joking matter You do not seem to realize that now I'm a man of importance Ah, see But you have always been a man of importance I don't know why I bother with you Adios, senor Wait, one minute We were just having a joke Bad joke, senor But you forgive us, no? Well... See, of course We are really proud of you Oh, no, I do not own this land I've just been given permission by Don Pedro to settle it Ah, but you will own it and have a great rancho Senor, you must come and visit me Isn't that wilderness? God forbid that we are ever sent there Senoris is no wilderness He's good for the land There is the Pueblo of Los Angeles Yeah, wilderness nevertheless But perhaps we shall visit you after all when you have built a new country for our king You are impossible You keep me from my journey with such nonsense I must go, senoris, and drive my cattle to the river San Gabriel And some day you shall find that I'm the one who's at the last lar Goodbye, senoris Goodbye, my friend Goodbye, my friend Goodbye And Don Juan Jose Dominguez was a pioneer At the age of 65 the old soldier retired to the rancho called San Pedro bounded by the old course of the San Gabriel river on the east by the ocean on the west and south For 20 years he tended the busy routine of running his peaceful domain But there were occasional brief moments of excitement on the Dominguez property For many years Spain had a law forbidding trading with any foreigners But it didn't stop some citizens of Los Angeles from engaging in unlawful commerce and so once in a while in the dead of night I even feel better when we are safely incurred These are buries full of sandbar We are almost in far enough I can see the outline of the land Both are good at that light We do not want to be seen by the watch That is enough Drop Baker Are the boats ready? The goods are loaded I will stay aboard this year You take charge of the landing party Lower away men They hang smugglers in these parts What hour is it Pedro? I cannot say The moon is hidden There are two hours to dawn Such a life I should be glad to get back to the barracks Ramon, is that the ship in the harbor? Where? I can just make out the odd lines through the miss It is a ship, all right Can you make out what kind? By her lines I can tell what ship it is except that it is not Spanish Smugglers? Look, three small boats nearing the shore Hurry Pedro, warn the guard, run The signal Put him at the small landing Quiet now men, we are right under the noses of the guards You are here at last For last week? We had done favorable winds Has anyone seen us? There has been no alarm You have the goods Three boatloads, silks, shawls, shoes Are your skins ready? Seizing your pile veil on the shore Good, I shall inspect them any moment All right men, start unloading Shawls, shawls, shawls, shawls, shawls, shawls Shawls, shawls, shawls, shawls, shawls, shawls, shawls All right men, start unloading Shawls, shawls, shawls, shawls, shawls One hundred cattle hides were the usual cargo But life on Rancho San Pedro Was largely serene and peaceful Until in 1805 Misfortune came to Don Juan José Dominguez One day He called his friend Manuel Gutierrez to it Where's Don Juan? You wish to see me? One of Diaz Manuel C, I want you to see this please A document? C, really? For his friendship and faithful service I want José Dominguez Gutierrez, a life estate in Rancho San Pedro As long as he shall Signor One, what can I say? How can I thank you? Never mind that Manuel, Rancho is in good hands I know that you will keep it well for my nephew Cristobal, who is to be my heir Keep it well, but senor You are the one who manages Rancho San Pedro No more, mi amigo Tomorrow I leave for San Juan Capistrano To spend the rest of my days with Cristobal He's stationed there now I do not understand Don Juan I'm an old man, Manuel I cannot offer much more time Nonsense No, mi amigo, I wish it were Besides Manuel Where is my tobacco? Your tobacco? I left it in front of you on the table I cannot seem to Will you please hand it to me? I don't want it, it is right here under your nose Here it is Thank you, mi amigo But don't want No, mi amigo I can't see I'm blind Juan Jose Dominguez, blind and aged Retired to spend his last days Quietly at the mission San Juan Capistrano In 1809 The old soldier died Leaving Rancho San Pedro to his nephew Cristobal Who was to share possession With Manuel Gutierrez As long as Juan's friend lived For a time, all went well Then, in 1821 Mexico gained her independence And a young lieutenant was sent north From San Diego to command the troops At the Pueblo de Los Angeles One day, the soldier approached Manuel Gutierrez Oh, Juan de Lloris del Pueblo You're the new commander at Los Angeles See, Don Manuel And you're going to stay I hope so, I like this land I would like to settle here You brought your horses in cattle I must find some place to keep them I thought perhaps you might help See, of course, I know just the place Part of our land is not used, you can keep them there Where is this land? Above Lacanada de Palas Verdes The hills above the bay Ah, that is wonderful land The hills overlooking the sea Perhaps not as fertile as the rest of Rancho San Pedro That is why we have not used it But find pasture land nevertheless And I have your permission to move my cattle in? See, of course Right away So Juan de Lloris de Pueblo Settled his 800 head of cattle In Rancho Palos Verdes And thereby started the dispute Which was to continue for a quarter of a century Very quickly, Cristobal Dominguez protested Hey, Jose Pueblo See, Don Cristobal Dominguez, is it not? Yes I regret that he not come here for a social call, senor I come to make a protest A protest? About my using the land of Palos Verdes? Yes, senor There ought to be but two branding irons For the cattle of this Rancho Yours and senor Gutierrez, huh? Exactly, senor Therefore I ask you to withdraw your herds from my land But senor, I have been looking into this question Is it your land? Of course, this is the Rancho San Pedro Is it? Many years ago The governor gave you permission to live on Rancho San Pedro But nothing was said of these hills The river San Gabriel was mentioned The ocean, sea But it would seem to me that these hills Are outside of the boundaries of what was given to you Senor, in all these years No one has ever questioned the Dominguez family's rights To these lands It's well known that they are ours On the contrary, I believe in this high time Somebody did question your rights Where are your title papers? Show me the title papers to the hills of Palos Verdes I do not need title papers But you do I shall see that you do You do not and you never have used this land You have plenty elsewhere It does not matter. I demand that you remove your holds from my land And I will not Even if it is your land Don Manuel has given me permission to stay Senor, I shall petition the governor to run you off I too can petition the governor And I shall ask him to grant me title to this land The hills of Palos Verdes Both Dominguez and Sepulveda kept their promises The governor did nothing about Cristobal's plea to remove Sepulveda And the dispute flared on Sepulveda, in an effort to speed action on his claim Journeyed to the capital at Monterey To talk with the governor On the return trip, a tragic destiny Took him to the mission de la Prisima Concepción Where he planned to stop for a rest This is very strange There's nothing soul inside Perhaps some service is going on inside the mission And all the Indians are there Perhaps, see Perhaps there is something wrong Perhaps we should not go in Nonsense Don Juan, what could be wrong? I would not think of going on We need rest, the horses need water Come, we're almost to the gate Once inside you should see that nothing is wrong Perhaps, but I somehow have a feeling I do not like this Life on that lonely ranch Your views has made you jumpy Whoa Senor Look at those people lying on the ground And the blood Indians Indians are the warmen Turn, roll for it, they are coming at us Look out Senor, Senor You killed him, you heathen, you killed once Sepulveda, you Don Juan Dolores Sepulveda Had the misfortune to start At the mission de la Prisima Concepción The day in 1824 on which the Neo-Fights Were in revolt, and he was one of those Who lost their lives in a massacre He left five children to continue the fight For the Rancho Palos Verdes Juan, Ignacio, Diego, José And Maria Teresa Death came a year later to Cristobal Dominguez, too And his sons, Manuel and Nazario Carried on the Dominguez side of the quarrel It was Manuel who received a messenger One day in 1847 Is some gun war on Sepulveda? Sepulveda, what could you wish to tell me? That he has received war with Monterey From Governor H1D And it's a pity that he's not here No, no, sir Governor has given Sepulveda's provisional grant To Rancho Los Palos Verdes According to a hand-drawn map Dated some 32 years later, 1859 When this first provisional grant Was confirmed to José Loretto Sepulveda Final surveys Set the area of Rancho Los Palos Verdes At 31,629 And 4,300 Acres The eastern boundary was approximately the line Of the present Figueroa street From the ocean between San Pedro and Wilmington To the intersection of Figueroa and Sepulveda Boulevard, where the map shows a dry lake To have existed From there the boundary, following such markings As four rocks, three rocks A pile of stones Ran roughly westward to strike the ocean A few miles south of the present city Of Redondo Beach Rancho Los Palos Verdes Was completely surrounded on both north and east By Rancho San Pedro, granted by Manuel Dominguez Early day maps Of both ranchos are in the files Of title insurance and trust company Together with volumes of data and title records Extending right up to the close Of business today These records enable title insurance and trust company To issue policies of title insurance For your protection It is such protection that makes real estate So readily marketable And so acceptable as security for loans Governor H. N. Diaz Provisional Grant Did not settle the quarrel between the Dominguez And Sepulveda families Even after Governor Figueroa in 1834 Settled the matter by arbitration And fully granted Palos Verdes to the Sepulvidas There was bitter feeling still But life went on And San Pedro began to gain its reputation As a great seaport Tall-masted sailing ships from Boston and New York Sailed around the horn to drop their cargoes And to fill their holds with great stacks of hides And heavy barrels of tallow Sailors called it The hell of California Because in loading and unloading their cargoes How much farther is it? Another hundred yards Straight up I can't make it I tell you I can't make it Rest a minute Rest and we'll try it again Where are we taking this See that little doby warehouse On top of the cliff That's it How can they expect any human being To carry these heavy boxes Straight up the face of a cliff I don't know It's not the steepness, I mind It's a slippery rocks It's a hundred feet straight down What do you think you're doing? Having a tea party? Come on and get that box up Hurry up or you'll be asking for the last Aye aye sir, right away We'll make it this time I can't do it My hands are bleeding out It's better than a lash Remember that I'll try it Watch your step These rocks are slippery I'm slipping it I can't get my balance The sharp cliffs of San Pedro Took their tall and sailors But the port continued to grow And the hills of the ranch Were of great importance And because the boundaries had not been measured off And formal possession given by the authorities Many regarded Sepulveda's grant As little more than a scrap of paper Some of them, eyeing the valuable property Began an attempt to move in on it And so Juan and Jose Sepulveda Again sent a petition to the capital One day in May 1846 A rider raced into the ranch To Los Palos Verdes Ho, ho, señor I bring news from Ipueblo A sea, a letter from Don Juan Sepulveda Pedro, bring Don Juan And tell Don Jose to come too She'll both want to see this News from Governor Pio Fico Señor, have you heard any other news? Any other news? Oh, sea What is it? Nothing very much The governor had a ball Oh, sea, there was something else I almost forget The Americanos have declared war on Mexico When was this? Last month I think they were But I don't suppose that will be much to us We appear Here comes the one now, I will give him the letter I must be on my way, señor Adios! Adios! Ramón, the letter, it is from the governor Si, Don Juan, here it is Last, have you called Don Jose? I told Pedro to call him Señor, is it good news? Si, Ramón, very good news Pio Fico has confirmed our grant To the ranch of Los Palos Verdes A few days later, Mayor Cota Conte Los Angeles Conducted a colorful ceremony at the ranch Ending with Don Jose and Don Juan Stepping across the imaginary line Which marked their precious land Each picked up a branch from a shrub And broke it Don Juan, Señor Don Manuel Dominguez, you hear Si, Don Juan, and not for any reason You might think Governor Pico Has confirmed your grant to this land And so our quarrel is finished Is not right that our two families should be enemies It has lasted too long already You are right, Don Manuel I harbor no ill will for you Nor I, nor I for you Let us forget the past Si, there is no reason why we should not From now on live feasibly together As neighbors More than that, as friends And here is my hand on it Señor, this makes me very happy No more than I, mi amigo The dispute was forgotten at last Now the Sepulveda and the Dominguez families Were destined to live peacefully together To work together And to fight together For the war with the Americanos Was not the isolated quarrel many Californians imagined It came home to them When the forces of Stockton and Fremont Began the occupation of their province They fought a losing battle But they fought hard Manuel Dominguez was one of those who stood On Rancho San Pedro to confront The American Captain Gillespie's troops Treated from Los Angeles Señor, this brown dog We are around to cover the road Here she is, the old woman She'll stop the Americanos All good, ready, fire That's the old woman Maybe you don't like her so much Many Americanos were mowed down By the browns four pounder called the old woman In the Battle of the Dominguez Ranch And later, some were buried on Deadman's Island In the San Pedro Harbor But the Americanos eventually conquered And once more, California was a land Of peace and industry Both Sepulveda's and Dominguez land grants Were confirmed by the United States Board of Land Commissioners Both families prospered with the growing Prosperity of Los Angeles Sepulveda's stage has carried passengers From the harbor to the growing metropolis Do they always drive like this? Sure, most always have a race To the Pueblo Come on boys, I got ten dollars That on our stage, let her rip And Manuel Dominguez rose In public affairs to become a member Of Los Angeles Ayuntamiento First star Calde and judge Territorial representative And captain of a military company And part of the Rancho San Pedro He sold, a part which quickly Became San Pedro New Town And later, Wilmington Why, sure, this town's gonna grow This is gonna be the new sea port for Los Angeles We cut six miles off the stage lines From San Pedro, and with this New breakwater from Rattlesnake Island To Deadman's Island, we'll have a real harbor The rivalry between San Pedro And Wilmington continued for a time Until Civil War trade Sent the new port speeding far ahead Of the older town Camp Drum was established there And all supplies for the troops Stated there went through Wilmington Prosperity brought rising prices on the waterfront I'm gonna have to go out into the harbor To my boat fire, that's ridiculous Alright then, mister, maybe you'd rather swim Many famous, in early California Andals, were to be found Among the pioneers of a new port J.G. Downey, W.T.B. Sanford B.D. Wilson, and Phineas Banning Whose hometown of Wilmington, Delaware Furnished the new name for the new San Pedro town With their help, the port grew steadily Until in 1869 There she is The first steam train into Wilmington From Los Angeles Boy, we got a real city here now When the railroad was extended To San Pedro, it was the older towns Turned to grow In 1882, the present city was laid out And in 1888, it was incorporated For the next 20 years The two towns grew with the steadily Progressing metropolis of Los Anglos And then, in 1909 A group of Los Anglos men stood On the bluff, overlooking the harbor Gentlemen, this is the harbor Of Los Angeles, whether we own it or not This is where our shipping must come Well, we couldn't ask for a better one Ah, couldn't we? Now look down there, gentlemen Does that look like the harbor Of one of the nation's greatest cities? Will those docks and warehouses Be able to accommodate the goods That this country of ours is going to produce? Will that harbor hold the ships of the world That'll be coming here? That's right. We're going to grow, gentlemen The harbor grows with us In my mind, I see miles of docks With facilities for the biggest ships The world can build And by Jupiter, I'm going to do my best To see that they're put there Well, that's right A few men of vision saw the Los Anglos harbor That could be, and largely through their efforts It has come into its full realization The first step was the incorporation Of San Pedro and Wilmington into Los Anglos Then, funds were appropriated For harbor development, channels were dredged Breakwaters constructed Docks and warehouses were built on rattlesnake island Now called terminal island And historic dead man's island Was leveled beneath the waves Rancho San Pedro become the thriving cities Of Wilmington, Lomita, Torrance Gardena and Compton Rancho Los Palos Verdes Became San Pedro and the beautiful Palos Verdes Estates And high on the hills That caused the dispute between the Sepulveda And Dominguez families You may today look out over one of the greatest harbors In the western hemisphere Such is the story of progress And such is the romance of the ranchos In just a moment Frank Graham Will tell us about next week's story Between 1900 and 1940 The number of separate assessed parcels Of real estate in Los Anglos County Increased from 91,000 to 1,512,000 This is an increase of 1,421,000 In the number of land ownership The title insurance and trust company Must keep track of daily The company has taken this never ending Expansion of work into account Its policy through nearly 50 years of service Has been to maintain an organization system Of records at all times adequate To offer complete title service And genuine title protection To anyone who buys, sells, lends Or borrows on real estate This is the story it serves And now Frank, what's the story for next week? The land on which stands the present city of Lidia Was once called the Rancho Parcel de Bartola And it was the home of a famous governor of California Don Pio Pico His story, and that of the happenings on this land Form an exciting chapter in the romance of the ranchos So until next week then This is your Wondering Barcaro Frank Graham Saying Hasta la vista senora si senora The romance of the ranchos A presentation of the title insurance And trust company of Los Angeles Featuring Frank Graham as the Wondering Barcaro Comes to you each Wednesday at this same time Bob Lamont speaking This is the Columbia Broadcasting System