The rancho was granted in 1843 by the then Mexican Governor, Manuel Micheltorena, to Manuel Garfias and comprised 13,693 acres of land. Manuel Garfias later became Los Angeles County’s first Treasurer. At the time he was campaigning for the office of Treasurer he sold a portion of his rancho for approximately $3.00 an acre for funds with which to finance his ambitious plans.
Manuel Garfias was a member of one of the finest Spanish families and married Luisa Abila, whose family owned the Abila hacienda facing the Plaza in the Pueblo of Los Angeles and where Commodore Stockton resided while stationed in Los Angeles. History records that Manuel Garfias was an excellent County Treasurer but as a ranchero he was very poor and bit by bit he sold off parts of the rancho until in 1857, heavily involved in financial obligations, he sold the remainder of the rancho to B. D. Wilson, the famous Don Benito. Wilson Avenue in Pasadena, South Pasadena and Alhambra, Wilson Lake and Mt. Wilson are all named for B. D. Wilson. Under his care and under the guidance of Dr. John S. Griffin, who purchased an undivided one-half interest from Mr. Wilson, the Rancho progressed and the price of the land gradually increased.
The early conveyances of parts of the Rancho in addition to the usual indefinite ties of an oak tree, a little rock set on a big one or a pile of bones or brush, tied in one of its courses “to a point on the side of a hill North of the prickly pears.” Many of the descriptions tied to the walled garden of Benjamin D. Wilson, called “Huerta de Quati.”
Later the Rancho was settled by the Indiana Colony, Pasadena was founded, then South Pasadena and San Marino and today within its boundaries are many thousands of magnificent homes, carrying on the fame of the famous Rancho San Pascual.
Rancho Santa Gertrudes
Seventeen thousand six hundred and two acres of California’s most fertile land, bordered by a large river, divided by two smaller ones and with a billion dollar oil pool beneath—the Rancho Santa Gertrudes sold under the hammer for $3.40 an acre.
The rancho was a part of the great Manuel Nieto grant made by the King of Spain through the Spanish Governor, Pedro Fages. The Nieto grant was divided among his heirs and Antonio Maria Nieto received the part designated as the Rancho Santa Gertrudes and in 1834 the Mexican Governor, Jose Figueroa, confirmed the title to Dona Josefa Cota, widow of Antonio Maria Nieto.
Later the rancho was conveyed to Lemuel Carpenter, born a Missourian, but for many years a resident of California when it was a part of Mexico. For awhile Carpenter and his beautiful wife, Maria de Los Angeles Dominguez de Carpenter, lived happily on the rancho. They prospered under Mexico but failed under the United States and on November 14, 1859, the rancho was sold by the Sheriff. One week before the day of the sale Carpenter committed suicide.
John G. Downey and James P. McFarland, doing business as Downey, McFarland & Company, were the purchasers at the sale, paying $60,000 for the entire rancho. Both of these men were famous characters in California history. Downey became the Civil War Governor of the State and McFarland a leading State Senator. Together they opened the first drug store in Los Angeles, and Downey, with Alvinza Hayward, organized the first bank.
In 1865 the rancho was leased for twenty-five years to the Los Angeles Pioneer Oil Company for exploration and development of oil. But, although the oil company diligently explored, no oil could be found and the lease was finally abandoned.