Rancho Dominguez - And a Giveaway

Rancho Dominguez

Alta CA cavalry 1822

In early California history, Spain granted several land grants, large portions of California land. One of the largest of those was the Dominguez Rancho. In 1784, Juan Jose Dominguez, a retired soldier who had traveled to Alto Californio, was granted a huge land mass for his rancho. King Carlos III of bequeathed Juan Jose 75,000 acres of land, including all of the Los Angeles harbor.

Juan Jose lived until 1809, but had no children of his own. His land holdings passed on to his nephew, Cristobal Dominguez,

Cattle brand - Lemon brand

who was also a Spanish soldier. Cristobal, a father of eight, dealt with the muddle left to him when his uncle didn’t declare a clear inheritor to the Rancho. In 1817, Cristobal petitioned for a re-issuing of the land grant in his name in the hope of clearing up the mess. Thus began a survey that would take several years to complete.

Bread mixing bowl for 2 people to mix.

In 1823, Cristobal became the sole owner of Rancho Dominguez. Upon his death in 1825, he left the Rancho to his wife and children, six of whom were still living. His oldest son, Manuel, took over the land and began to build homes for his family. Up to this point he and his father had not lived on the land. Manuel completed the large home that stands on the land today.

When Mexico won independence from Spain, the land owners were required to

Spinning wheel and chair

prove ownership of the land granted to them. In a time when many lost their lands due to poor records and disorganization, Manuel had the documentation needed. The Mexican government honored the re-granting of the land to Cristobal and his heirs.

Original traveling case from 1800's

Manuel proved to be very savvy at trade. He spoke both Spanish and English, and was able to trade with American traders who came to the Los Angeles harbor with goods. He became well known in Los Angeles and in was elected to the city council, became mayor of Los Angeles, and then went on to hold other prestigious positions.

During the Mexican-American war, one of the battles fought near Los Angeles

Desk and
carved chair.

was the Battle of Dominguez hill. Using strategy of hidden guns, including a four pound cannon that had been secreted in the garden, and the knowledge of the land, the soldiers at the Dominguez rancho routed the Americans.

Ornate carved furniture

When the Americans won the war, Manuel began the process of petitioning the United States government to recognize his land grant. The process took eight years from the end of the war, and the Rancho ended up being only a portion of the original, now 25, 000 acres.

One of the great innovative visions of Manuel was the donation of land for the railroad. He already had many cattle, but when the railroad came through his rancho in 1869, he was able to market his cattle much faster. People were able to visit more often since he also requested a station near his house. Parties at the Rancho Dominguez were prized events.

Chapel in Dominguez home.

Music from chapel

When Manuel died in 1882, his lands were divided among his six children. One of the most notable changes occurred in 1922. The Dominguez family had always been deeply religious, but two of his daughters deeded land directly across from their home to the Claretian missionaries. The Claretians built a home for the missionaries, which later became a seminary. Today, the large building still stands and is used as a retirement home.

Dominguez china

The Dominguez Rancho is now a museum with many of the original furnishings there for people to view. The Dominguez family had many beautiful dishes and other trappings, with their initial ‘D’ to show ownership. Some of the china was so lovely and fragile. They had a love of music and had many musical instruments throughout their home. There are very informative tours and beautiful gardens around the home. This is a place worth the time to visit. The pictures in my blog today were taken at the Dominguez home with my daughters and I visited.









Can you imagine a land holding that covers 75,000 acres? Have you ever visited any of the heritage museums like the Dominguez Rancho? There were so many

more fascinating bit about this family that I didn't have time or room to share. Have you heard of them? Please leave a comment on my blog post to be entered in a giveaway for one of my new release books, Brides of Arizona. This is a re-release of some of my earlier novels. If you already have read them, I will substitute a book of mine you haven't read. You must comment before midnight May 18th to be entered.

Nancy J Farrier is an award winning author who lives in Southern California in the Mojave Desert. She loves the Southwest with its interesting historical past. Nancy and her husband have five children and two grandsons. When Nancy isn’t writing, she loves to read, do needlecraft, play with her cats, and spend time with her family. Nancy is represented by Karen Ball of The Steve Laube Literary Agency. You can read more about Nancy and her books on her website: nancyjfarrier.com.