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On August 25, 1842, San Diego had a last glimpse of Mexican military glory in the arrival of Governor Micheltorena in the brig Chato, who remained about a month drilling and outfitting his "battalion of cholos," as they have been justly called. This invasion was the last of the convict colonies sent from Mexico. Fortunately, they did not remain long here, but moved on to devastate the rest of the country. They showed themselves very poor soldiers, but exceedingly expert night prowlers and pilferers. Alfred Robinson, who was here at the time and saw a part of them land, says: "They presented a state of wretchedness and misery unequalled. Not one individual among them possessed a jacket or pantaloons; but naked, and like the savage Indians, they concealed their nudity with dirty, miserable blankets. The females were not much better off; for the scantiness of their mean apparel was too apparent for modest observers. They appeared like convicts; and, indeed, the greater portion of them had been charged with the crime either of murder or of theft. . . . The remainder of the "convict army" arrived in course of time, and I had an opportunity of seeing them Page 130 all, afterwards.... They mustered about three hundred and fifty men, and their general has given them, since their arrival, a neat uniform of white linen.... Day after day the place resounded with the noise of the trumpet and the drums; and a level spot, on the river's margin, was the scene of military manoeuvers. At night, the gardens and vineyards were plundered, and the neighboring farms suffered greatly, from the frequency of the soldiers' visits." He also says there was no ammunition with which to salute the new governor, and that a salute from the Yankee ship in which Robinson had arrived, was the only welcome of the kind he received. The new governor was received with social honors and was given a reception lasting several days. For a week there was a succession of balls and other amusements, and Micheltorena made a speech. There were troubles, too, as well as rejoicing. Twenty-five of the men deserted and tried to escape into Mexico, but were overtaken and brought back. It was found that a large part of the balls did not fit the guns, and had to be remelted. There were also financial difficulties, but the battalion finally departed, spreading desolation and terror. There is no episode of the days of the Mexican rule which caused more heart-burnings than the coming of this band of desperados. De Mofras estimated the population at one hundred in this year. Three years later the town had grown somewhat and was made a subdivision of the Los Angeles district and Captain Santiago E. Argüello was appointed the first sub-prefect. The political life sketched in this chapter ended with the Mexican War, when an entirely different set of men and influences took the stage of local history. The soldiers and statesmen of Mexico, in their rule of a quarter of a century, had added practically nothing to the accomplishment of their Spanish predecessors. To a very large extent, they had squandered their time and energies in petty squabbles over personal rivalries. They had virtually destroyed the economic structure evolved by the Mission Fathers and dissipated the strength of the military establishment. If commerce prospered to some extent under their rule, the fact was chiefly due to the enterprise of outsiders rather than to that of the Mexicans. Their policy of dividing the mission lands into private grants undoubtedly gave some impulse to settlement, but even this development was conducted in the most extravagant and wasteful way.
Before turning to the brighter days which dawned with American occupation, we must consider several other aspects of San Diego life in the early time. Page 131 PART II. CHAPTER IV. EARLY HOMES, VISITORS, AND FAMILY As the citizens and tourists of today look upon the crumbling adobe walls of Old Town, they naturally wonder in what order the houses were built, by whom they were inhabited in the early time, and what visitors from abroad mingled in the life of the place and went away to speak the name of San Diego in distant parts. It is these quiet annals of the old time to which this chapter is given. There is no record of the erection of any dwelling outside the Presidio enclosure earlier than the year 1800. It seems likely that the first house at the foot of the hill was a very humble affair, and that it was built by Captain Francisco María Ruiz. The earliest authentic list of houses that has come down to us begins with 1821. At that time the following houses were standing on the present site of Old Town: The small house of Captain Ruiz, on the tract afterward known as "Rose's Garden," where he lived until his death in 1839. The house has now disappeared. The "Fitch house," a row of buildings where Captain Fitch lived and had his store from the early thirties; this is now a heap of ruins. A building on the corner of Washington and Juan Streets, belonging to the Doña María Reyes Ybañes, the maternal head of the Estudillo family. This house was afterward used by José María Estudillo as a stable. It is now in ruins. A two-story house on Juan Street, nearly opposite the one last named, belonging to Rafaela Serrano. This is now owned by Louis Serrano and was occupied until a recent date. A small house on the plaza, owned by Juan María Marron. This house afterward became the property of Andrés Pico, and the late E. W. Morse was responsible for its final destruction. Some of the early views of Old Town show this building standing as it did out of line with the others and quite near the Rose house where Morse's store was located. Having tried in vain to buy it from Pico, Mr. Morse bided his time until the easygoing Californian allowed it to be sold for taxes, then bought it and immediately had it torn down and removed. He re- Page 132 [The Machado House, Old Town] marked, with a quiet smile, while telling this story, that he supposed the tax title really gave him no right to act so summarily but he correctly reasoned that no trouble would come of it. These were the five oldest buildings, all of which were standing in 1821 and only one of which (the Serrano house) stands today. There were in this year several small gardens, or rancherías, at the foot of the hill and near by in the valley. Don Blas Aguilar recalled the following names of persons then cultivating such places:
Page 1 and 2:
History of San Diego 1542-1908, An
Page 3 and 4:
the story of it was handed down fro
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convenient, and well sheltered," an
Page 7 and 8:
Page 36 ably the prophecy of a grea
Page 9 and 10:
priests who were to go, some by sea
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they approached San Diego they met
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Page 47 water in the river, and it
Page 15 and 16: The San Antonio had sailed for San
Page 17 and 18: hilltop on that fateful morning and
Page 19 and 20: 1774, to make a new start and to la
Page 21 and 22: ans who had gone to the Presidio re
Page 23 and 24: sionary zeal knew no bounds. Better
Page 25 and 26: tions, the Franciscan enthusiasts w
Page 27 and 28: eholder, but serves to show the sim
Page 29 and 30: Page 72 looked with longing eyes up
Page 31 and 32: ciated with the pioneers of pioneer
Page 33 and 34: 1800. Their successors were José P
Page 35 and 36: income outside their pay. The chief
Page 37 and 38: Page 86 [Presidio Hill Today] Page
Page 39 and 40: were left as a guard to see that th
Page 41 and 42: was at San Diego, three years earli
Page 43 and 44: Argüello arrived he found that the
Page 45 and 46: agriculture successfully.. By 1790
Page 47 and 48: firm. The Sachem did not call at Sa
Page 49 and 50: 1834, Roxana. 1835, Pilgrim. 1836,
Page 51 and 52: passed to the American Government.
Page 53 and 54: The story of the American whaling t
Page 55 and 56: Ex-Mission of San Diego Santiago Ar
Page 57 and 58: Late in 1826, the governor ordered
Page 59 and 60: where the transfer of office was ma
Page 61 and 62: In 1831, the first revolution, whic
Page 63 and 64: civil rule. They constituted the fi
Page 65: ored to raise a force to renew the
Page 69 and 70: he published in 1832 told some rema
Page 71 and 72: provided, greatly to the delight of
Page 73 and 74: pending American invasion, there we
Page 75 and 76: The different classes of society we
Page 77 and 78: for on these occasions no invitatio
Page 79 and 80: Even a funeral was made the occasio
Page 81 and 82: sic, and towards the end of the eve
Page 83 and 84: and a feast held, after which games
Page 85 and 86: had to be stalked on foot, or in bo
Page 87 and 88: food was passed around in plates or
Page 89 and 90: Page 161 PART II. CHAPTER VI. PROMI
Page 91 and 92: He died on his Tia Juana ranch in 1
Page 93 and 94: "Among our passengers was a young m
Page 95 and 96: lar, but overindulgent and careless
Page 97 and 98: MARRON, Sylvester. Son of Juan Mar
Page 99 and 100: of his small stature. Wilkes ridicu
Page 101 and 102: pressed them because she did not ca
Page 103 and 104: Dana has also left his opinion on r
Page 105 and 106: El Cajon, where he seized Chief Jaj
Page 107 and 108: to stop, the narrow defiles affordi
Page 109 and 110: Page 187 shall, a renegade sailor f
Page 111 and 112: The line of march was by way of the
Page 113 and 114: mand: "Ready ! Aim! Fire!" and Anto
Page 115 and 116: next morning, she saw the body hang
Page 117 and 118:
"Potrero"--Including Rincon, Gapich
Page 119 and 120:
served in the archives of the gover
Page 121 and 122:
mission, where a few rangers were t
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pedition he was about to send out m
Page 125 and 126:
Page 212 fell back. A ranger now da
Page 127 and 128:
crepancy is only in the number of w
Page 129 and 130:
Of the adventures of these men on t
Page 131 and 132:
the baggage was burned, as it was t
Page 133 and 134:
Choosing the latter course, Kearny
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The Mormons, then as now objects of
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24. William Power. 25. Peter Gribbi
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SECOND PRECINCT-POLL LIST. Pursuant
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The first term of the district cour
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seized. He wanted to know what he s
Page 145 and 146:
new settlement sprouting on the sit
Page 147 and 148:
"There was then no doctor at Old To
Page 149 and 150:
flats near his residence, having a
Page 151 and 152:
wood and to look out for vessels th
Page 153 and 154:
The coastwise trade opened briskly
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E. Mason, and was the occasion of g
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chants and mechanics, who intended
Page 159 and 160:
"Your jurors in the within case of
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It will now be in order to give som
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On April 5, 1851, he married Ysidor
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Past Master's jewel, which the latt
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where he lived for twenty years. In
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postmaster in 1853-4, trustee again
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any pecuniary liability without the
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old and active Freemason and a memb
Page 175 and 176:
el between Governor Smith and his c
Page 177 and 178:
Town. Mrs. Smith died recently. Est
Page 179 and 180:
WITHERBY, Oliver S. Judge Witherby
Page 181 and 182:
After the discovery of gold, he joi
Page 183 and 184:
Ames cast in his lot with the new t
Page 185 and 186:
It is probable that on account of h
Page 187 and 188:
men as Garrison and Sumner, who are
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"Lo, I am an editor! Hasn't Ames go
Page 191 and 192:
"Like unto the great Napoleon after
Page 193 and 194:
the editorial column, under the nam
Page 195 and 196:
How they ought not to let Oregon ge
Page 197 and 198:
Page 318 carried also eight or ten
Page 199:
Page 321 [Charles P. Noell] slight
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