The Carrillos of San Diego

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The Carrillos of San Diego ...: A Historic Spanish Family of California (Continued) Author(s): Brian McGinty Source: The Historical Society of Southern California Quarterly, Vol. 39, No. 3 (September, 1957), pp. 281-301 Published by: University of California Press on behalf of the Historical Society of Southern California Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41169135 . Accessed: 18/05/2014 20:01

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This content downloaded from 136.152.126.71 on Sun, 18 May 2014 20:01:05 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions The Carrillosof San Diego. . . A HistoricSpanish Family of California By Brian McGinty (Continuedfrom the June Quarterly)

3i^HE SPANISHAND Mexican periodsin Californiahistory lasted of JÍ| less than a total of eight years. From the landing ìSH JuniperoSerra at San Diego in 1769 to the raisingof the Starsand Stripesover the customshouse of Montereyin 1846, less than threegenerations of SpanishCalifornians passed throughthe annals of provincialhistory. Though the periodwas shortand its people were relativelyfew, Spanish and Mexican California,as unique historicalepochs, have earned for themselvessolid places in the annals of Americanpioneering. The adventof United Statesrule in California,beginning in 1846,brought with it a suddenend to the languidSpanish-Calif or- nian way of life. For thosewho were caughtin the squeeze of the suddenchange of government,adjustment was oftentimesdifficult. At once, the past was gone,- and the futurewas strangeand un- certain. Those Spanish Californianswhose lives were yet to be lived foundthe difficultyto be doubled. A part of themhad died withthe traditionsof theirancestors; but anothergreater and more importantpart yet remained vibrant and breathing- awaiting fulfillmentunder the strange,new rule of the United States. Part IX JoaquínCarrillo SON OF VICTORand Maria |KjOp|0AQUIN CARRILLO,ELDEST JOAQUÍN Es9KH Ig1100^ Lopez de Carrillo,was born in San Diego in WHffMj1820. Sixteenyears old when his fatherdied in about 1836,Joaquín was eighteenwhen his motherand youngerbrothers and sisterstook up theirresidence on RanchoCabeza de Santa Rosa. 281

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During the late 1830's, the Russian settlementof Fort Ross, twentymiles to the west of Santa Rosa, was at the heightof its Californiaactivity. Spaniardswere encouragedto take up lands on the northernfrontier of the provinceto strengthenMexican territorialclaims and to discouragefurther encroachment on the part of the Russians. The removalof the Carrillofamily to Cali- fornia'snorth country was partof the over-allplan of the Mexican governmentto settlethis area. Soon aftertheir arrival, the Carrillosbegan buildinga large and comfortableadobe house in the centralpart of the Santa Rosa Valley. Joaquin,as eldest son and nominalhead of the family, shoulderedprimary responsibility for the adobe's construction. SalvadorVallejo, soon to becomeJoaquin's brother-in-law, assisted with the designand gave experiencedsupervision, while the Car- rillo sons,together with Indians recruitedfrom the surrounding countryside,performed the actual labor. The adobe house that rose on the wooded banks of the Santa Rosa Creekwas a solid, handsomestructure, - a worthycenter of the greatrancho activities thatwere to takeplace at Cabeza de Santa Rosa in the 1840's. The walls of thishouse, at one timethe mostnortherly adobe dwelling in all California,still stand one mile east ofthe Cityof Santa Rosa. JoaquinCarrillo, like otherCalifornian youths, lived the free and open lifeof a picturesquevaquero. High-spiritedhorses, roam- ing by the hundredsover the grassyfield and woodedhillsides sur- roundingthe Carrilloranch house, were his constantcompanions; throwingmammoth steers and stalkingsavage grizzlybears were his sportsand relaxations.Indians aboundedin the Santa Rosa Valley at that time,and hundredsof themfound employment on the Carrillorancho. For sons of the gentede razón therewere to be no menial tasks. Let thesebe done by los indios! The whole north-bayregion was at thattime under the military controlof Joaquin'sbrother-in-law, General Mariano Guada- lupe Vallejo. Nearly all youthsin that area were subjectto duty in the PresidiaiCompany of San Francisco,centered in the pueblo of Sonoma. Joaquinserved in Sonoma in the early 1840's,along withhis brothers,Julion, José Ramon, Juan and Dolores. On April25, 1842,Joaquin was marriedin the chapel of Mis-

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This content downloaded from 136.152.126.71 on Sun, 18 May 2014 20:01:05 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions The Carrillosof San Diego sion San FranciscoSolano de Sonoma.1 His bride was Señorita Guadalupe Caseres,daughter of the prominentSpanish pioneer, FranciscoCaseres, who had emigratedfrom Spain in 1816 and arrivedin Alta Californiain 1817. Amongthe childrenborn of thismarriage were: EnriqueGuadalupe, Isabela, Frederico,Maria, Francisco,Amelia, Luisa, Catalina, Josefa,and AlbertoRonaldo Carrillo.2 On March 29, 1844, GovernorManuel Micheltorenagranted JoaquinCarrillo three square leagues of Rancho Llano de Santa Rosa.3 This property,consisting of 13, 317 acres,lay west of his mother'srancho Cabeza de Santa Rosa. It had previouslybeen grantedto Marcus West, whose title to the propertyhad been allowed to lapse priorto Joaquin'sgrant. Selectinga site on his sprawlingrancho near a large pond knownas the Laguna, JoaquinCarrillo built his home.4 At first he erecteda small adobe; later,when he had becomemore firmly established,he builta large and comfortableadobe housein which his wife,Guadalupe Caseres de Carrillo,and his childrenmade their home formany years. This house faced east on a part of the old Spanish trail, a road that was later used by the firststage-coach lines to penetrateSonoma County. The Bear Flag Revoltburst suddenly upon the residentsof the regionnorth of San FranciscoBay in Juneof 1846. IsolatedAmeri- can immigrantshad been filteringinto Californiafor over twenty years; but they had been treatedcordially, in many cases given rich grantsof governmentland, and had, forthe mostpart, con- ductedthemselves in a friendlyand peacefulmanner. Now, under the ambitiousprodding of the newly-arrivedCaptain John C. Fremont,they were "rebelling"against their accommodating hosts. JoaquinCarrillo was in Sonoma at the time of the raisingof the Bear Flag, and, as one of the district'smost prominent citizens, he was taken prisonerby ulos Osos" along with his brothers-in-law, Marianoand SalvadorVallejo, and severalother prominent Sonoma residents.They were taken to Sutter'sFort, there to languishfor nearlya monthand a half awaitingtheir eventual release by order of CommodoreStockton. When the hecticevents of 1846 came to an end and California

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emergedthrough the smokeof controversyand the blood of battle as part of the United States,Joaquín Carrillo was one of the few Spanish Californianswho adapted with relativeease to the new orderof things. In mid-1846,he assumedthe importantoffice of Alcalde (Mayor) of Sonoma. At that time,the pueblo of Sonoma was the only legally constitutedsettlement north of San Francisco Bay. In the size of its populationand in its administrativeauth- ority,it far outshoneits southernrival, Yerba Buena, a sleepy pueblo that sometimelater was to be knownas the City of San Francisco. In the early 1850's Americansettlers began squattingon the Carrillolands in and aroundthe Santa Rosa Valley, and Rancho Llano de Santa Rosa steadilydecreased in size. In the 1850's, at a time when talk of the CrimeanWar was on the lips of people throughoutthe world,a group of Americanpioneers founded a town on part of JoaquínCarrillo's rancho, - namingtheir settle- mentfor another more famous city in the Crimea,Sebastopol. In the early days of Llano de Santa Rosa, therehad been a great numberof Indians on the property.For many years,flint arrowheadsand stonemortars and pestleswere uncovered,attest- ing to the presencethere of a large native settlementbefore the advent of the Spanish.5 When ranchingand farmingactivities werebegun by JoaquínCarrillo, numerous Indians were employed as laborers. But thousandsof them died in whiteman's plagues duringthe 1840's,and afterthe Americanconquest only a fewre- mained. Now, proudcaballeros were forcedto descendfrom their prancinghorses and guide plows throughthe rollingfields that lay along the banks of Laguna Creek. Though they grumbled as theywent about suchmenial tasks, Joaquin Carrillo and his sons did not refuse. They knew that this was the price of survivalin the new Americanlife. Joaquinand Guadalupe Carrillooperated a hotelin the town of Sebastopolfor severalyears, and throughwise managementof theirproperties, managed to avoid the povertythat had plagued othermembers of theirfamily. Probablyin the 1870's, Joaquin turnedover most of his remainingproperty at Llano de Santa Rosa to his wife,and when she died, in 1874, her estatewas valued in

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This content downloaded from 136.152.126.71 on Sun, 18 May 2014 20:01:05 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions The Carrillosof San Diego excess of $48,000,then a large sum. Twelve-hundredremaining acres of the old Carillo rancho,alone, were appraisedat $36,000.6 In about 1876, Joaquinmarried for the secondtime. His wife was Mary Springer,a residentof the sea-coasttown of Bodega. Joaquinand Mary Carrillocontinued for a time to live in Sebas- topol,and theirlast yearswere spent in relativequiet.7 ♦ * * * PartX JoseRamon Carrillo

Was fcfVg^jHE SECOND SON OF JOAQUINAND MARIAIgnacia Canillo HpJra| JoséRamon, born at San Diego in 1823.8 Comingnorth ISlwSPH to the San Francisco Bay region in about 1837, José Ramonsettled with his motherand severalof his brothersand sis- terson Rancho Cabeza de Santa Rosa, northof Sonoma. In the traditionalmanner of the Spanish Californian,this memberof the Carrillofamily was skilled in horsemanship,the handlingof the reata,and particularlyin the popular California sportof bear fighting.William Heath Davis, in his Seventy-Five Years in California,writes of an incidentin whichthe remarkable courageand skill withwhich José Ramon stalkedand killedthese huge animals is shown: He had a large sharp knife,and taking[a] mochilafrom his saddle he held it in his lefthand as a shield,and thus accouteredapproached the bear, which immediatelyshowed fight.The combatbegan. Carrillo, as the bear chargedupon him and attemptedto seize him, held up his shield to repel the assault, and withhis knifein the otherhand made skillfulthrusts at the animal,with telling effect. Before long, the creature lay dead beforehim.9 On another occasion, José Ramon's mastery of the bear was shown, not by his brawn, but by his quick and clear thinking: He was riding alone throughthe woods, when, seeing a bear a littledistance away, he wentafter him on his horse,prepared to throw his reata and lasso him. That part of the countrywas overgrownwith chamiza, so that the groundwas a good deal hidden. The chase had hardlycommenced when the bear plungedsuddenly into a ditch,perhaps fiveor six feetdeep. BeforeCarrillo could checkhis horse,the animal 285

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and himselfplunged headlong into it also¿ He immediatelydisentangled himselffrom his horse,and, while doing so, the bear showedsigns of retreating. . . Don JoseRamon instantly took in thesituation ; and saw thatin such close quarterswith the animal, withno room to move about to use his reata or otherwisedefend himself, his situationwould be a dangerous one should the courage of the bear revive; and that his safetywas in allowing him to get away. The bear commencedto climb up the steep sides of the pit,where it was verydifficult to get any kindof a hold, and Carrillo,with wonderful presence of mind,placed his strongarm under the brute'shind quartersand, exertingall his strength,gave him a good lift. The bear havingthe good sense to rightlyappreciate this friendly assistance,struggled forward, got out, and scamperedaway, leavingthe horseand his masterto climb out as bestthey could.10 In the late 1830's and early 1840's,the residentsof California exhibitedan uneasyfeeling about the increasingthreat of foreign dominationin theircountry. For many years,England, France, and Russia,among Europeannations, had showna keen interest in California'sfine harbors and fertileranch land. And witheach passingyear, the "manifestdestiny" of the UnitedStates was be- comingmore and more a realityto the Californios,In October, 1842- three years beforethe beginningof the Mexican War- CommodoreThomas A. C. Jonesof the U. S. Navy appearedin Montereyand, raisingthe Stars and Stripesover the old customs house, demanded California'sprompt surrender to the United States. It was all a mistake,as he later explained;and he apolo- gized profusely.But still the Californianshad an uncomfortable feelingabout theirposition in internationalaffairs. And as, each year,hundreds of immigrantsfrom the United Statescrossed the Sierra Nevada to make homes for themselveson Californiasoil, theSpanish and Mexicanresidents of the country grew increasingly uneasy. So it was almostinevitable that, when that thunderbolt of energyand ambition,Captain JohnC. Fremont,reached Cali- forniain late 1845, a seriesof unhappyevents involving both the Americansand the nativeresidents of Californiawas sure to take place. First,there was the Gabilan Peak episodeof March, 1846, in which the Californianforces of GeneralJosé Castro were openly

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This content downloaded from 136.152.126.71 on Sun, 18 May 2014 20:01:05 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions The Carrillosof San Diego defiedby Fremont.Then followedthe captureof Lieutenant Arce's herd of 150 Mexican horsesand, in June,1846, the famousand infamousBear Flag Revolt. Of this latterincident in California's historyinnumerable accounts have been written.And much has been said on bothsides regarding its historicalnecessity or justifi- cation. But,in the finalanalysis, one factremains: the Bear Flag Revoltcontributed little to the progresstoward peaceful American occupationof Californiathat enlightened leaders of bothsides were workingfor; instead,it added fuel to the already burningfire of antagonismbetween the Americansand the native Californians. One of the mostunfortunate incidents arising from this feel- ing of antagonismtook place in late June,1846, involving the Juan Padilla band of Californians.This groupof twentyor thirtyreck- less men had ranged throughthe countryaround San Francisco Bay formany days awaitingdevelopments at Sonomain the Bear Flag Revolt.11One of the officersin the band was JoséRamon Car- rillo,- of the "Carrillosof San Diego." Althoughthey committeed no hostilitiesat a timewhen they could well have done so, the groupeventually became involvedin violencewhen, at Santa Rosa on June18 or 19, two Americans- Thomas Cowie and GeorgeFowler - were murdered.12Both of thesemen had been membersof the Bear Flag Party,and rumors immediatelyspread that they had been cruelly torturedbefore theirdeaths. Many personsbelieved José Ramon Carrilloto have been involved.And althoughboth he and his friendsmaintained that he had had no complicityin the crime,suspicion and bitter- ness towardhim continuedin many quarters.13 During the Mexican War, JoséRamon joined GeneralCastro and his Californianforces, going south and takingpart in some of the mostimportant campaigns of the war. In September,1846, he was partof a groupof Californios under the command of Servulo Várela who had risenagainst the UnitedStates soldiers then hold- M ing Los Angeles. Later in Septemberor early October,Carrillo and Várela were in commandof a similargroup of Californians who, comingfrom Los Angeles,aided JoséLugo in the siege of BenitoWilson at Rancho Chino. Here, JoséRamon was credited by Michael White,one of the besiegedparty, with having inter-

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This content downloaded from 136.152.126.71 on Sun, 18 May 2014 20:01:05 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA vened to preventthe executionof the Americansafter their surrender.He said: "They say thatI am an assassin. I will proveto the worldthat I am not."15 December6, 1846, was a proudday in the life of JoséRamon Carrillo. As one of the skillfuland courageousCalifornian "Lan- cers" under GeneralAndres Pico, he foughtfearlessly at the tiny Indian village of San Pascual, northof San Diego. The Califor- nians' opponentswere United Statesdragoons from the "Armyof theWest" commanded by BrigadierGeneral Stephen Watts Kearny. This was the bloodiestmilitary encounter ever to take place on Californiasoil, but afterthe smokeof battlehad cleared,the Cali- fornianforce, badly outnumberedfrom the first,found itself mir- aculouslyvictorious. Upon the conclusionof the war, Carrillo remained in Southern Californiaand, in February,1847, marriedSeñora Vicenta Sepul- veda de Yorba,daughter of FranciscoSepulveda and RamonaSer- rano, and widow of the respectedSouthern California ranchero, Don Tomás Yorba.16Following their marriage, José Ramon and his wifelived in the 18 roomYorba adobe on RanchoLa Sierrita near Santa Ana. In 1851, while in San Diego, Carrillopurchased the furnitureof William Heath Davis foruse in his home at La Sierrita.17 Doña Vicenta continuedin the managementof the property she had accumulatedduring her marriageto Yorba and, in 1858, boughtan 18,000 acre tractof JonathanWarner's ranch in San Diego County. There,for several years, a large numberof cattle and sheepwere grazed, under the management and part-ownership of JoséRamon.18 Three sons and five daughterswere born of this marriage. They were: JoséRamon, a lifetimeresident of the townof Yorba, whose childrenwere Esperanza Carrillo and Mrs. Ellen Reeves of Yorba; Clodromio,long a residentof Santa Ana, who had a son, CharlesG. Carrillo;Garibaldo, born at Warner'sRanch, who was a well-knowncattleman; Maria Ygnacia Harris;Encarnación (Cha- peta) Richards;Natalia (Mrs. Adolph) Rimpau; Felicidad Kirby; and EdelfridaAlvarado. In later years, José Ramon Carrillo was tried by both the

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Vigilantesand the legally constitutedcourts of Californiafor the murdersof Cowie and Fowler. He had consistentlymaintained his innocenceof these crimes; and thoughAmericans connected with the Bear Flag Partyhad long suspectedhim, therewas no morethan a pittanceof circumstantialevidence to link him to the murders.Before both tribunals, he was promptlyaquitted. Numerousstories were told of JoséRamon's supposed exploits in the years afterhis alleged involvementwith the murdersof Cowie and Fowler.19One of thesealleged thathe was a notorious highwaymanand buriedthree boxes of stolentreasure in a wash somewherebetween Cucamonga and San Bernardino.After his death,so thestory goes, an Indianwho had helpedhim in theburial toldthe storyof the hidden treasure to twosettlers from New Mexi- co, who later confidedthe same storyto an American.This latter man is supposedto have thereuponset out on an earnestbut un- successfulsearch for the buriedtreasure.20 And veryprobably he did, for even until recentyears, credulous treasure seekers have dug in washesand undertrees between Cucamonga and San Ber- nardinoin a diligentbut unrewardingsearch for the legendary booty. Throughthe yearsthere seems to have been considerablecon- fusionconcerning the names of JoséRamon Carrillo. Most fre- quentlyhe was referredto as "Ramon,"following the not infrequ- entpractice among Spanish-Californians of droppingthe firstgiven name. At othertimes he was confusedlycalled "Joaquín,"the propername ofhis brother.Because of José Ramon's constant activ- ityduring the yearsfrom 1846 to 1864,during which time he was oftenreferred to as "JoaquinCarrillo" or "Carillo,"it seemspos- sible thathe was partiallyresponsible for the compositelegend of JoaquinMurieta. JohnRolin Ridge,in his originalaccount of the infamousbandit's life, states this: "There weretwo Joaquin'sbear- ing the various surnamesof Murieta,O'Comorenia, Valenzuela, Botellier,and Carillo- so that it was supposedthere were no less than five sanguinarydevils rangingthe countryat one and the sametime."21 Whether or notJosé Ramon was a "sanguinarydevil" and one ofthe individuals referred to by Ridgecannot be definitely known.

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In 1858, Rancho Cucamonga,located a shortdistance from Carrillo'shome at Santa Ana, was purchasedby JohnRains and his wife,Mercedes Williams de Rains. Soon after,a new home was builton theproperty and extensiveacres were set out in grapes and othercrops. JoséRamon Carrillo was installedon the rancho as superintendentof stock. Cucamongaseemed to be enjoyinga vigorousprosperity. Then, on November17, 1862,John Rains' bodywas foundon theroad to Los Angeles,shot in theback, evidently dragged through thebrush and cactus,and leftto thecoyotes. There was no evidence to indicatehis murderer.22 Suspiciousfingers were pointed at severalpersons, among them José Ramon. In 1863 he was arraignedbefore Judge Benjamin Hayes in Los Angeles, but after examination,was discharged. Opinionin Los Angeleswas sharplydivided over his connection withthe crime,and therewas much secretdiscussion.23 Meanwhile,a man by the name of Manuel Cerredell,ill with smallpoxand expectingto die, confessedthat he had been one of severalmen involvedin the murderof Rains. Cerredellgot well, was triedand sentencedto San Quentin. But beforehe could be transportednorth, he was takenfrom the custodyof the authorities by a partyof vigilantesand summarilyhanged. Now JoséRamon made only infrequentvisits to Cucamonga - keepingout of sight and reach of the vigilantes. There was rumorto the effectthat he was hidingin themountains with some twentyor moreadherents and thatthe militaryof the districthad ordersto shoothim on sight.24The Los AngelesNews accusedhim of being the leader of a band of cutthroatswho were responsible forseveral recent assaults and murders.He had abundantreason to considerhis life in danger. Sometimelater, Judge Hayes asked the commanderat Drum Barracks,Colonel Curtis,to supplyCarrillo with militaryprotec- tion. And late in 1863 or 1864 JoséRamon presentedhimself to the colonel.25 In 1861, in his capacityas a Union Armyscout, Carrillo had been sent into Arizona and along the Sonoranfrontier to gather informationconcerning rebel forces. Now, the Los Angeles cor-

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This content downloaded from 136.152.126.71 on Sun, 18 May 2014 20:01:05 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions - RobertRamon Harris Collection Vicenta Sepulveda de Yorba de Carrillo Married Jose Ramon Carillo in February,1847.

This content downloaded from 136.152.126.71 on Sun, 18 May 2014 20:01:05 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions - CourtesyAnita CarrilloMyers Julio Carrillo

This content downloaded from 136.152.126.71 on Sun, 18 May 2014 20:01:05 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions The Carrillosof San Diego respondentof the Alta Californiawrote to his editorin San Fran- ciscothat José Ramon's object in procuringhis interviewwith Curtis was to satisfythe colonel"that it was not becausehe was believed to be the instigatorof the murderof Rains that he was pursued with such pertinacity,but because he knew of a conspiracythat existedin the earlypart of 1862 to capturea trainof military stores thatwas en routefrom San Pedroto FortYuma, and transferthe same to the Confederateswrho were at thattime in Tucson."26Soon after,Carrillo went to Los Angelesto conferwith severalof the leading membersof the VigilanceCommittee. And at about that time an apparentchange of feelingtoward him tookplace among the inhabitantsof the city. In April,1864, JoséRamon wroteto his brother,Julio: "The personwho has alwayspersecuted me is a man by thename ofBob Carlisle [JohnRains' brother-in-law]. He does not do it personally but throughothers paid by him. The reason for this continued abuse is thatI did not abandonmy place as superintendentof the stockat the time of JohnRains' death,and that I still hold the position. . . He is tryingto get the powerwhich I have fromthe widowherself, who is the absoluteowner of the property... I am resolvedto protecther if it costsmy life."27 Mrs. Rains was drivingin her carriageon the highwaywest of CucamongaStage Station. JoséRamon was accompanyingher on horseback.Suddenly, a shotrang out,and Carrillofell fromhis horse. Regaininghis feet,he walkedabout a thousandyards, only to sinka shortdistance from the tavern kept by William Rubottom nearthe sycamoreson the westideof Red Hill. He was carriedinto the tavernwhere he died withina few hours.28 The attitudeof the Californiosconcerning his deathcan easily be imagined. JudgeHayes wrotein a letterto JohnBrown: "You have littleidea ofthe quiet,deep-seated rage ofthe Californianson the subject. I thinkI understandthem perfectly.They ask me continuallyif the authoritiesof San Bernardinoare going to do somethingin relationto it. But in general they say little about it- so much the worse. If they were excitedand passionateand clamorous,I shouldhave less apprehension."29 José Ramon's murdererwas never judicially identified.His 291

This content downloaded from 136.152.126.71 on Sun, 18 May 2014 20:01:05 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA death was as mysteriousas had been that of JohnRains. Lewis Love, a man who had been livingat Rubottom'sTavern for several weeksbefore the shooting,and who disappearedshortly thereafter, was stronglysuspected of the crime. Captain HenryWilkes, who had been sheriffof San BernardinoCounty shortly before and was now under-sheriff,conducted an officialinvestigation of the case. Writingto JudgeHayes, he said: "The reportyou heardin regard to Love as the murdererwas correct.There is not a doubtof it. His objectin doing so you can judge as well as myself- he could have none personally,for he neverspoke a wordto Carrillo."Two days afterreceiving Wilkes letter,Hayes swore to a complaint againstLove, and on an orderissued by JudgePablo de la Guerra, Hayes' successorin the DistrictCourt, Love was arrestedin San Franciscoin Augustand deliveredto the sheriffof San Bernardino County. But when the grandjury met in September,it refusedto indicthim, declaringthat therewas insufficientevidence for con- viction.Jose Ramon Carrillo's murderer was neverdiscovered, and eventuallythe crimewas forgotten. In later yearsit was reportedthat a Mexican outlaw by the name of BernardinoGarcia, alias "Four-FingeredJack," had con- fessedto the 1846 murdersof Cowie and Fowler.30Thus was Car- rillo once again absolvedof complicityin that crime. He had led a life of intrigueand adventure,a vigorous,reck- less,intense life; and he died as he had lived. But therehad been morethan dare-devilaudacity in his character,there had been pa- triotismand doggedcourage, - courage,not onlyin battleor in the faceof a lunginggrizzly bear, - butcourage to facean unjustpublic scorn. JoséRamon Carrillo was neverconvicted of a seriouscrime, thoughhe paid withhis life forwhat othershad convictedhim of in theirminds. He came of a finefamily, and his familyalways stood behind him. As late as June 10, 1863, his brother-in-law, General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, wroteto Francisca Benicia CarrilloVallejo fromSan Francisco: I have just seen Tederica Fichet and Don AndresPico and other gentlementhat came fromLos Angeles.They said thatthey had just left your brother,Ramon Carrillo,on a ranchogood and healthy,and that everythingthat has been said . . . about him is false.

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This content downloaded from 136.152.126.71 on Sun, 18 May 2014 20:01:05 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions The Carrillosof San Diego Of his generalcharacter, it has been said thatJosé Ramon was a roughand recklessman, often in poorcompany, but notregarded as bad by thosewho knewhim best. William Heath Davis speaks fondlyof his meetingswith Carrillo during the earlydays of Cali- fornia,and writes:"José Ramon Carrillo . . . was himselfas gentle as a lamb. There always appeared on his face, whetherin con- versationor not, a peculiarsmile, which indicated his goodnature."31 * * * * Part XI Juan and DoloresCarrillo f|Sïg5Iwo SONsof Joaquín and maria iGNAciALopez de Carrillo |m£S| died at early ages, and thereis little informationto be I™«™ foundin historicalrecords concerning their lives. Their names were Juan and Dolores Carrillo. María Ignacia Lopez de Carrillopetitioned on January19, 1838, forher RanchoCabeza de Santa Rosa in Sonoma County.32 At thattime she listedherself as a widow withfive boys and four girls. The fourgirls were her then-unmarrieddaughters: Maria de la Luz, Juana de Jesus,Felicidad and Marta. The five boys were: Joaquín,José Ramon, Julio, and the above mentionedJuana and Dolores. All of the sons of Maria Ignacia Carrilloperformed military dutyin Sonomain the early1840's. JuanCarrillo is listedin prov- incial recordsas havingbeen a soldierof the San FranciscoPresi- diai Company,headquarters of which were at Sonoma,in 1841. His age at that time was probablyabout twentyyears. Dolores Carrillois listedas havingbeen at Sonomain 1844, aged twenty.33 He was bornprobably in 1824. JuanCarrillo, the eldestof thesetwo sons,was poisonedearly in the 1840's at Cabeza de Santa Rosa. The presumedculprit was a negrocook then in the employof Maria Ignacia Lopez de Car- rillo.34Juan was takento Sonoma,where he died in a shorttime. He was buriedin the Chapel of MissionSan FranciscoSolano de Sonoma,near the hallowed Franciscanaltar. Here, in 1849, his motherwas to join him in burial.

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Part XII JulioCarrillo

'jNk^gtjluLio carrillo, youngest son of Joaquín and Maria Ig- 1111111 nac^a'was bornin theCasa de Carrilloin San Diegoin

Following the death of his father,in about 1836, Julio, with his mother,brothers, and sisters,moved to the region north of San Francisco Bay, and in 1838 assumed ownership of the spacious rancho Cabeza de Santa Rosa. Here, in the fertileand picturesque Santa Rosa Valley, Julio Carrillo was to live his life of happiness and sorrow for fiftyyears to come. The dowager Señora Carrillo selected a homesitein the central part of the valley, on the wooded banks of the Santa Rosa Creek. Here, Julio and her other sons, supervised by Salvador Vallejo, built the large and spacious Carrillo adobe. This house, the first built in the Santa Rosa region, was located less than thirtymiles fromthe menacing Russian settlementof Fort Ross and was at that time Spanish California'smost northerlyadobe. Indians were numerous in this area, and great numbers of wild bear freelyroamed the countryside- posing a constantbut never overwhelmingdanger to this sturdypioneer family. Julio's sisters,Francisca Benicia Carrillo de Vallejo and Maria de la Luz Carrillo de Vallejo, lived almost twenty miles south of Santa Rosa in the pueblo of Sonoma. The entire north-bayregion was under the military command of Francisca's husband, General Vallejo. Visiting between Santa Rosa and Sonoma was frequent, with open-handed California hospitalityprevailing in both places. The Carrillo boys were subject to militaryduty in the 1840's under the authorityof the Presidio of San Francisco, centeredat Sonoma. In later years, Julio wrote that he "entered the employ of General Vallejo at the age of 17,"35and this may be taken as evidence of militaryservice, for at that time the northernfrontier of California was maintained by the General almost exclusively out of his per- sonal earnings. In June of 1846, the month of the abortive Bear Flag Revolt,

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Juliowas still in Sonoma. When Mariano Vallejo, SalvadorVal- lejo, and Julio'sbrother, Joaquin, were taken as prisonersto Sutter's Fort,Julio's sisters, Francisca and María de la Luz, prevailedupon him to go to the Sacramentoand reportback upon the condition of the prisoners.With a pass obtainedfrom the Bear Flag com- manderin Sonoma,Julio departed for Sutter's late in June. When he arrivedhe was permittedto talk with his brother and hisbrothers- in-law and to sympathizewith theirhumiliating situation. They had long been friendsof the Americanimmigrants who werecross- ing theSierra Nevadas to makehomes for themselves on California's sunnysoil. Their imprisonmentnow was nothingbut a monstrous faux pas, a blunderby the masterblunderer, John C. Fremont. But Juliosaw thattheir condition was notunbearable, that Captain Sutterwas endeavoringto treatthe prisonersFremont had forced on him witha certainmeasure of courtesy.This was the newsthat he would bringto his sisters. But when Julio rose to leave, he founda man with a rifle standingin the doorwaybefore him. The pass he had obtainedin Sonomawas to be revoked,and he wouldnot be permittedto leave the fort."Fremont's orders," was the only explanation. Let his sisters'anxieties go unchecked! For morethan a monthJulio was a prisoner.If conditionsat Sutter'sFort had been almostpleasant at first,they changed radic- ally as time passed. The prisonerswere made incomunicado;the foodserved them was meagre,and theirbeds were almostunsleep- able. Many days passedwithout a ray of sunshinereaching them. In the outsideworld, momentous events were takingplace, but if Julio,Joaquín, and theirValle jo brothers-in-lawknew of them,it was only throughwhispered rumors. On July 7, Californiahad passed fromMexican rule into the hands of the United States. Weeks draggedby, and finallya message reached Sacramento, directedto LieutenantJoseph Warren Revere,grandson of the famousPaul Revere. It read: By order of CommodoreRobert F. Stockton,who has succeededto the commandof the U. S. Forces in the Pacific Ocean and California, you will please liberateGeneral Don Guadalupe Vallejo and Don Julio Carrillo fromconfinement to returnto theirhomes.36

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Back in Sonoma and Santa Rosa, Carrillo and Vallejo found that their absence had cost them dearly. Herds of cattle and horses had been plundered, crops desecrated, and warehouses sacked. Where abundant prosperityhad once prevailed, ruin was now to be seen. Julio and his brothersattempted to restore the Carrillo rancho at Santa Rosa to its formercondition. But with hundreds of "Gringos" coming into California each year determinedto live offthe fat of the fertileranch-land, their chances at success were dim. A few years later, Don Julio was to estimate his losses in damages resultingfrom the Bear Flag Revolt at more than $1 7,000, then a very sizable sum. The United States governmentadmitted that it owed him some reparation,- but it was not overgenerous. In the end, Julio was given $2,670. Upon the death of Maria Ignacia Lopez de Carrillo in 1849, Julio and his sistersinherited parts of the Cabeza de Santa Rosa rancho. Juana, Felicidad, and Marta Carrillo received property upon which the old Carrillo adobe stood. Julio received a section that lay across Santa Rosa Creek from his sisters' holdings and bordered Rancho San Miguel. In the late 1840's or early 1850's, Julio erected an adobe home there,near what was later to become the corner of Second and Main Streetsin Santa Rosa. The house was built for him by John Bailiff.37 The advent of American rule brought about a sudden change in the old Californianway of life. The native residentsof the state, who had lived for nearly eighty years in an idyllic agrarian para- dise, saw all that had been familiar to them suddenlyrent asunder. The change of language fromSpanish to English was not the most striking transformation. Economics, religion, agriculture, social modes, and law - these things,too, were suddenly altered. Adjust- ment on the part of the native Californianswas oftentimesdifficult. One record fromthe earliest days of American rule atteststo this. It is dated October 2, 1846: U. StatesVs. JulioCarrillo. After having examined the case the Courtis of theopinion that the defendant is guiltyof thealleged allega- tion,theft; therefore the judgementis thatthe deft,be condemnedto hardlabors of thepublic works for 8 days.38 There is no mentionof what Julio had stolen,but judging from

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This content downloaded from 136.152.126.71 on Sun, 18 May 2014 20:01:05 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions The Carrillosof San Diego the depletedconditions of his herdsat thattime (thiswas justafter the Bear Flag Revolt), it was probablya steer. He wouldcertainly have had need forsuch an animal forfood. But regardlessof what the specificobject was, the principleremained the same. Salvador Vallejo, in memoirswritten for Hubert Howe Bancroft,pleaded the case of JulioCarrillo and countlessother native Californians who were enmeshedto a greateror lesserdegree in the claws of the new and strangeAmerican laws: "Formerlyour cattle roamed by thousands,"Salvador writes, "yetnot one was stolen,for the unwrittenlaw of the land granted to the weary travelerthe privilegeof killingcattle wheneverhe wantedbeef, so long as he placed the hide wherethe ownercould easily findit. Since the transferof Californiato the UnitedStates manynative Californians have been hangedfor stealing cattle, and I firmlybelieve that some of the victimsdid not knowthat under the new governmentit was a crimeto kill a steerfor which they had not a bill of sale."39 A footnoteto Julio'spathetic case statesthis: Theabove judgement is commuted byorder of Lieutenant Revere by the fineof nine dollars. Rec'd payment. (Signed) John Nash.40 This was the adventof Americanismfor the Californio. In 1850, Major Edwin A. Sherman,together with the Sonoma CountySurveyor and LieutenantGeorge Derby of the U. S. Topo- graphical Engineers,undertook a surveyof the Carrillo rancho Cabeza de Santa Rosa. Shermanwrites of his experiences: "But two houseswere therethen, one being occupiedby the owner,Julio Carrillo. . . The rancho coveredseveral leagues of land, upon whichwere thousandsof cattleand hundredsof horses, as on all otherSpanish grants in California." Don Julio heard the surveyorsspeaking in English about the Masonic Lodge then being organizedin Sonoma. The rites of Masonrywere completelyunfamiliar to him, but he was anxious to learn them. Major Shermanwrites: "I was asked to interpret forhim, which I did. He was delightedto be informedand inquir- ed the cost. He was told thatit was one hundredand fiftydollars with all the extras;but that it was necessaryfor him to have a finenew brandingiron, made of polishedsteel, for branding every

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This content downloaded from 136.152.126.71 on Sun, 18 May 2014 20:01:05 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA animal that he should afterwardssell or give away, and that he mustfirst be brandedwith it himself!" Juliopondered the situation fora few moments,then, with a slighthesitation, said "Está bueno." He gave Derby an orderfor the moneyin Sonoma,and signedthe petitionto the Lodge thatDerby wrote out forhim; and in due time it was presentedto the Lodge forits action. Carrillo was electedand the timeset forhis initiation. . . "The new brandingiron of polishedsteel had been made," Shermancontinues, "and I had an Indian carryup some large adobe bricksto my roomon the secondstory, a littleway offfrom the preparationroom of the Lodge, wherea small forgewas set up. I obtainedthe loan ofa large hand bellowsfrom Don Pepe, a Californiansilversmith, who made ornamentsfor saddles and bri- dles. I also procuredabout a gallonof charcoal and a piece ofraw- hide withthe hair on it, and made everythingready for Section I of that initiation,not providedfor in the ritual. When the time came and the candidatewas ready,the brandingiron was ready, too,and was handedto Derbywho, with a piece of paper between it and the flesh,quickly applied it to the candidate'sleft hip, at the same time that I put the piece of rawhideon the burningcoals. Carrillo exclaimed fiercely,"Es bastante,es bastante!" (it is enough!) the smell of the burninghide makinghim thinkthat it was his ownflesh that was burning,as he was blindfoldedand could not see. Afterthe firstreception, when he returnedto the preparationroom, he wantedto see wherehe had been burned,but could see no sear, and thereforethought it was a miracle." Thus Julio Carrillobecame California'sfirst native-born Mason.41 In the early 1850's, JulioCarrillo married Señorita Teodosia Bojorques,a memberof one of SpanishCalifornia's earliest pioneer families.42Teodosia's grandfather,José Ramon Bojorques,had cometo Californiain 1775 as partof the secondexpedition of Cap- tain JuanBautista de Anza, and was thus one of the firstsettlers of San Francisco.43On November22, 1854, Julio'sson Francisco AlbertoCarrillo, was baptized by ArchbishopJoseph Alemany. The infant'sgodmother was Julio'ssister, Josefa Carrillo de Fitch, thenliving northeast of Santa Rosa on herRancho Sotoyomi. Other childrenof Julio and Teodosia Carrillo were Elizabeth,Felicia,

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Lulu, Alexanderand Babe.44Alexander Carrillo, youngest son of Julio,died in San Franciscoon February13, 1947,at the age of 86. In the early 1850's, the City of Santa Rosa was foundedon the old Cabeza de Santa Rosa rancho. Julio Carrillolacked the businessexperience that characterizedthe Americanpioneers in his midst,but he was not to be outdoneby anyone in generosity. When a surveyfor the new citywas made, Juliogave propertyin the centralblock for a plaza. He envisionedthere luxurious land- scaping,playing fountains,a bandstand,and afternoonconcerts like thoseheld in the plazas of Latin Americancities.45 This, he reasoned,would do the Cityof Santa Rosa proud! A few years later, Santa Rosa became the seat of Sonoma County,and the centralsquare of the townwas selectedas the site for the new Courthouse.Julio's benificencebrought him little reward,even thoughhe enjoyeda certainamount of recognition amongthe early-dayresidents of the city. Most of themknew that he had donatedthe land forSonoma's Courthouse, and theyspoke to him cordiallywhen he was seen on the streets.But as forreal gratitude,there was littleamong them. Juliowas jovial, big-hearted,and generousalmost to the end of his days; but as the yearspassed by his business-senseremained nil. His lands in and aroundSanta Rosa steadilydiminished, and, as theydid, his futuregrew more and morebleak. Still,Julio was an inveteratepoker player,who has been characterizedby one writeras a man "who coulddrop a league ofrancho in a briefpoker game with a cheerful'Adios' to speed the parting." Toward the end of his life,title to the propertyon which the Sonoma CountyCourthouse stood came under dispute. As a ges- tureof repayment,County officials offered Julio a job in the Court- house. It was an ignominiousposition as janitorand caretaker,but Julio was too poor to refuse. In additionto cleaning up around the building,he servedoccasionally as CourtCaller - announcing in a voice thatcarried throughout almost the entirecity the open- ing of sessionsof Court. Later,he was givena monthlysubsistence allotmentof $10.46 The native Sons of the Golden West admittedJulio Carrillo as an honorarymember in the last yearsof his life. But it was a

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This content downloaded from 136.152.126.71 on Sun, 18 May 2014 20:01:05 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA hollow reward. On October30, 1889, Juliodied quietlyin Santa Rosa. Hearkeningback to the days whenhe had been California's firstnative-born Mason, he was givena Masonic funeral. JulioCarrillo was only 62 yearsold at his death,but he had seen a vast panoramaof Californiahistory pass beforehim in his lifetime.Thirteen years later,his widow,Teodosia Bojorques de Carrillo,filed a petitionfor the estateof her husband. At thattime his propertywas appraisedat the meagresum of $l,050.47 A colorfulpioneer in California'searly days, Julio Carrillo had reasonto be disillusionedby the Americanconquest. He did not complain,but facedhis troubleswith a smile. He had helped to bringhis troubleson himself.And, after all, he reasonedphilo- sophically,poverty was the fateof the Californio.

NOTES (I wish to thankthe followingpersons for help receivedin the preparationof these articles:Robert Ramon Harris, grandson of JoséRamon Carrillo; Mrs. MildredCaseres, widow of the late FranciscoCaseres; Mrs. Madie D. Brown; and Mrs. Natalia Vallejo McGinty.) 1. Recordsof St. FrancisSolano Church,Sonoma, California. 2. Probate of the Estate of Guadalupe Carrillo; Officeof the CountyClerk, Sonoma CountyCourthouse, Santa Rosa,California. 3. Notesfor Pioneer Register, MS. 4. Tom Gregory,History of Sonoma County (Los Angeles,1911), p. 190. 5. Conversationwith Mrs. MildredCaseres. 6. Probateof theEstate of GuadalupeCarrillo, Ibid. 7. Informationprovided by RobertHarris. 8. H. H. BancroftHistory of California (1884-90), Vol. II, p. 746. 9. WilliamHealth Davis, 75 Years in California(1929), p. 303. 10. Ibid. 11. Bancroft,op. cit.,Vol. V., p. 160. 12. Ibid. 13. Ibid. 14. Don José del Carmen Lugo, Life of a Rancher, HistoricalSociety of Southern CaliforniaQuarterly. (XXXII. 3). pd. 202-3. 15. Michael C. White Miguel Blanco,"California All the Way Back to 1828," (1877), M. S. BancroftLibrary. 16. Terry E. Stephenson,"Tomás Yorba, His Wife Vicenta,and His AccountBook," HistoricalSociety of SouthernCalifornia Quarterly • CXXIIL 3-4^ d. 133. 17. Davis, op. at. 18. Stephenson,op. czï.,p. 1954. 19. William Russell. Reminiscencesof Old Tunes," ed. Fred Rogers,Historical Society of SouthernCalifornia Quarterly, (March, 1951). p. 18. 20. Rose Ellerbe, "The MotherVineyard," Touring Topics, (Nov. 1928), p. 20. 21. JohnRolin Ridge,The Life and Adventuresof JoaquinMurieta. (1955), p. 7. 22. Ellerbe,op. cit. 23. Georgeand Helen Beattie,Heritage of theValley, (1957), p. 160. 24. Ibid. 25. Ibid. 26. Ibid. 27. Ibid.. p. 162. 28. Ibid. 29. Ibid.

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30. Bancroft,op. cit., Vol. II, p. 752. [Whetheror not this man was the same as Murieta's famous side-kick,"Three-Fingered Jack," is not definitelyknown. "Three-FingeredJack's real name has been given as Manuel Garcia.] 31. Davis, op. cit.,P. 302. 32. J. N. Bowman, "ProminentWomen of ProvincialCalifornia," Hist. Soc. of So. Cal. Quarterly(June. 1957). d. 162. 33. Notesfor Pioneer Register, Ibid. 34. Ibid. 35. Julio Carrillo,Narrado, (No. 8 in Pioneer Sketches); MS BancroftLibrary. ÖÖ. (jeorge lays, Mariano Guadalupe Vallerò and oonoma, ChapterAll, Cal. His- toricalSoc. Quarterly(Sept., 1938), p. 226. 37. Grecrorv.od. cit..d. 157. 38. Officeof CountyRecorder, Sonoma CountyCourthouse, Santa Rosa, Calif. 39. Nellie Van de GriftSanchez, Spanish Arcadia (Los Angeles,1929), pp. 41-2. 40. CountyRecorder, Ibid. 41. Edwin A. Sherman,"Sherman Was There," Cal. Hist. öoc. Quarterly(March, 1945), p. 60. 42. Informationprovided by Madie Brown. 43. Informationprovided by RobertHarris. 44. RobertHarris; Probateot the estate oí Juno narrino,unice oí ine ^ounxy Kjígtk, SonomaCounty Courthouse, Santa Rosa,Calif. 45. Conversationwith Mrs. MildredCaseres. 46. Informationprovided by RobertHarris. 47. .Probateot the Estateot JulioCamilo, ibid.

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