1828 (1827)(1839)(1850) (1800-1850) Table of Contents
Fred E. Basten Santa Monica Bay: The First 100 Years, A pictorial history of Santa Monica, Venice, Ocean Park, Pacific Palisades, Topanga and Malibu, Douglas-West Publishers: Los Angeles, CA, 1974, 227 pp., 1928 See Text
Ingersoll's Century History Santa Monica Bay Cities (Being Book Number Two of Ingersoll's Century Series of California Local History Annals), 1908, 1908a, 1882, 1880, 1839, 1828, 1797, 1785 See Text
James W. Lunsford The Ocean and the Sunset, The Hills and the Clouds: Looking at Santa Monica, illustrated by Alice N. Lunsford, 1983, 1970, 1828 See Text
Les Storrs Santa Monica Portrait of a City Yesterday and Today, Santa Monica Bank: Santa Monica, CA, 1974, 67 pp., 1828 See Text
Documents
Fred E. Basten Santa Monica Bay: The First 100 Years, A pictorial history of Santa Monica, Venice, Ocean Park, Pacific Palisades, Topanga and Malibu, Douglas-West Publishers: Los Angeles, CA, 1974, 227 pp., 1928
"The year following the Alvarado-Machado grant to 'a place called Santa Monica' (1828), Don Francisco Sepulveda, soldier and citizen of that growing inland town, Los Angeles, was given possession of and provisional title to 'the place called San Vicente,' which included all of the original town of Santa Monica. It faced the ocean, extending from Santa Monica Canyon to what is now Pico Boulevard. Inland, it reached almost to the Westwood region and took in the mountains that overlooked the San Fernando Valley."
Ingersoll's Century History Santa Monica Bay Cities (Being Book Number Two of Ingersoll's Century Series of California Local History Annals), 1908, 1908a, 1882, 1880, 1839, 1828, 1797, 1785
[p.136, Photo: First House in Santa Monca, Built by Francisco Marquez]
[p. 136] Boca de Santa Monica
One of the earliest settlers in the pueblo de Los Angeles was Francisco Reyes, who came with a party in 1785. Very soon thereafter he must have taken possession of lands in the vicinity of San Fernando, for in 1797 the Rancho Encino held by him was taken from him and both land and buildings appropriated to the San Fernando Mission. His son, Ysidro, was born in Los Angeles and in 1828 he, with Francisco Marquez was given a provisional grant to lands already occupied by them for grazing purposes in the Santa Monica Canyon. This grant was known as the "Boca de Santa Monica" (the mouth of Santa Monica). The land included in it was later claimed to be part of Santa Monica potrero granted to Francisco Sepulveda. In 1839, Governor Alvarado investigated the conflicting claims and regranted each tract to the original holders. According to the testimony of José Antonio Carrillo, who was alcade in 1828, he received an order from "the Hon. José Maria Echandia, a Political Chief, issued by virtue of a petition of several citizens, requesting to be placed in provisional possession of the common lands of the city held by them."
Among these, he gave possession to Francisco Sepulveda of the lands known as San Vicente, with a piece of pasture (potrero) named Santa Monica. "The order of Gov. Echandia only had reference to parties who owned one hundred and fifty head of cattle, and as Sepulveda came within this condition it was especially commanded to give him this land with the adjoining potrero of Santa Monica." But the boundaries of the lands thus given possession of were not defined and there was soon dispute as to the territory included.
James W. Lunsford The Ocean and the Sunset, The Hills and the Clouds: Looking at Santa Monica, illustrated by Alice N. Lunsford, 1983, 1970, 1828
"9. Historical Rancho Marker. Just to the right of the lobby doors [of Santa Monica City Hall] is a bronze plaque noting that the original townsite of Santa Monica was part of the 30,000-acre Rancho San Vicente y Santa Monica granted to Don Francisco Sepulveda in 1828. This marker was erected in June 1970 by the Beverly Hills Parlor of the Native Daughters of the Golden West."
Les Storrs Santa Monica Portrait of a City Yesterday and Today, Santa Monica Bank: Santa Monica, CA, 1974, 67 pp., 1828
"The first real record dating to the time of the Spanish rule occurred when Jose Antonio Carrillo, alcade of Los Angeles in 1828 and brother of the great grandfather of Leo and Otie Carrillo, received an order to grant provisionally the land then known as San Vicente to Don Francisco Sepulveda. This grant was confirmed by Governor Juan Batista Alvarado, who unfortunately did not say anything about the boundaries of the land, thus laying the foundations for a dispute which did not end until 1881, when a United States court decreed that the Rancho San Vicente y Santa Monica included 30,239 acres against the 58,400 originally claimed."