POR MIS HIJOS (For My Children) The Imagined Memoir of Maria Josefa Grijalva de Yorba (1766 - 1830) By Anna Smith Yorba Copyright © 2015 Anna Smith Yorba All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review or scholarly journal. ISBN: Digital version available at: https://mariajosefagrijalva.wordpress.com/por-mis-hijos/ ii DEDICATION This is for my mother Marilyn Jeanne Yorba and all the mothers whose stories have been forgotten. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thanks to Eddie Grijalva, whose account of the Grijalva family origins in California inspired my desire to find out more about my family history. I am grateful to my family, friends, historians, and fellow writers who have consistently offered encouragement for my quest. iii iv Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 1 JOSEFA'S STORY ......................................................................................................................... 3 THE PIMERÍA ALTA .................................................................................................................. 5 THE TRAIL ................................................................................................................................ 13 ALTA CALIFORNIA ................................................................................................................. 31 SAN FRANCISCO ...................................................................................................................... 39 JOSÉ ANTONIO YORBA (YORVA) ....................................................................................... 65 MONTERREY ............................................................................................................................ 73 SAN DIEGO ................................................................................................................................ 81 RANCHO SANTIAGO DE SANTA ANA ................................................................................ 89 LIFE ON THE RANCHO ........................................................................................................... 97 APPENDIX ............................................................................................................................... 115 READING LIST ....................................................................................................................................... 115 LIST OF YORBA GRIJALVA CHILDREN ..................................................................................................... 119 DOCUMENTS ........................................................................................................................................ 121 v TABLE OF FIGURES Figure 1. Site of original Grijalva adobe c. 1801 at el Paraje Santiago. ..................................................... 3 Figure 2. Juan de Grijalva c. 1520 Unknown -................................................................................................... 5 Figure 3. Los Santos Ángeles de Guevavi Mission's church ruins ............................................................ 7 Figure 4. Analyzing 18th Century Lifeways. A resident's comal. ............................................................... 11 Figure 5. Analyzing 18th Century Lifeways. Mexican mano and metate. ............................................... 11 Figure 6. Fray Orci. Portrait of Juan Bautista de Anza. 1774, NPS ........................................................ 13 Figure 7. Cardero, José. Monterey Soldier 1791 ............................................................................................ 14 Figure 8. Cleveland National Forest. CA .......................................................................................................... 19 Figure 9. Mule train at Anza Borrego State Park. Anza Borrego Desert State park Magazine .. 20 Figure 10. Metate for grinding chocolate ......................................................................................................... 21 Figure 11. Chocolatera ............................................................................................................................................... 21 Figure 12. Batidor & molinillos ............................................................................................................................ 21 Figure 13. Looking toward Anza trail, Anza Borrego Desert State Park, February 2011. ................. 26 Figure 14. Cleveland National Forest, CA. ........................................................................................................ 31 Figure 15. The brutal death of Father Luís Jayme by the hands of angry natives at Mission San Diego de Alcalá, November 4, 1775 (artist unknown). ................................................................................ 33 Figure 16. A Catalonian Volunteer, Presidio de San Diego, 1769. ........................................................... 34 Figure 17. Bell Canyon, CA. .................................................................................................................................. 37 Figure 18. Cardero, Jose. Ohlone ceremonial dance at Mission San José. 1816 ................................ 42 Figure 19. El Polín Spring, Photo by A.S. Yorba 2013 .................................................................................44 Figure 20. Tilesius von Tilenau, Whilhelm. Spanish Establishment of San Francisco in New California 1806. ........................................................................................................................................................ 46 Figure 21. Rowe, Heironymous. Wattle and daub construction with thatch roof. 2005 ................48 Figure 22. Zureks. St. Fagans Celtic village palisade wall. Wikipedia .................................................48 Figure 23. Choris,Louis. Vue du Presidio San Francisco. 1816. ................................................................ 51 Figure 24. Curtis, Edward S., 1868-1952, Construction of a tule shelter--Lake Pom......................... 54 Figure 25. Choris, Louis. Jeu des Habitans de Californie. San Francisco. 1822. .............................. 56 Figure 26. Artist rendering of San Francisco interior ................................................................................ 57 Figure 27. Vadinska, Alexandra. Sergeant's house in 1792....................................................................... 59 Figure 28. Photo Margaret Yorba wearing 200 year old shawl belonging to Josefa Yorba. 1927 ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 62 Figure 29. Excerpt from Mission San Francisco de Asís (Dolores) California. ................................... 63 Figure 30. Don Pedro Fages ............................................................................................................................... 66 Figure 31. Consecration of the Mission San Cárlos Borromeo de Carmelo ......................................... 70 Figure 32. Indian graveyard at Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmel. .......................................... 72 Figure 33. Cardero, José. Vista del Presidio de Monterrey, 1791. ........................................................... 73 Figure 34. Cardero, José. Wife of a Monterey Soldier, 1791. Museo de América, Madrid. ............ 74 Figure 35. Reception Room, Mission San Carlos Borromeo, .................................................................... 75 Figure 36. Cardero, José. Plaza del Presidio de Monterey c. 1791 .......................................................... 77 Figure 37. Duché de Vancy, Gaspard. La Perouse at Mission Carmel 1786. ..................................... 78 vi Figure 38. San Diego Presidio Hill. 1872 ....................................................................................................... 82 Figure 39. Tortillas sonorense ............................................................................................................................ 86 Figure 40. Grijalva Adobe site ........................................................................................................................... 90 Figure 41. California State Park Commission Historical Landmark #204. ........................................... 98 Figure 42. Recreation of Tongva (Gabrieleño) Indian hut c. 1790. ....................................................... 100 Figure 43. Santa Ana Viejo ................................................................................................................................. 101 Figure 44. Bubbling tar at La Brea tarpits .................................................................................................... 101 Figure 45. Stone water filter ............................................................................................................................. 102 Figure 46. Kitchen at Mission San Carlos Borromeo. ............................................................................... 103 Figure 47. Padre's room at Mission San Carlos Borroméo de Carmel. ............................................... 106 Figure 48. Nebel, Carl. Man with