Agua Mansa, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Agua Mansa
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 Agua Mansa
Location in California
Agua Mansa
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States of America |
| State | California |
| County | San Bernardino |
| Elevation | 922 ft (281 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 238451 |
| Agua Mansa Cemetery | |
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| Built | 1845 |
| Designated | May 15, 1933 |
| Reference no. | 121 |
Agua Mansa is a former town in San Bernardino County, California. Its name means "gentle water" in Spanish. Today, it is mostly a ghost town, meaning it's a place where a town once stood but is now empty or nearly empty.
Agua Mansa was once the biggest settlement in San Bernardino County. It was founded in 1842, making it one of the first non-native towns in the San Bernardino Valley. It was located on the Santa Ana River, across from another early settlement called La Placita. Together, these two towns were known as "San Salvador." In the 1840s, they were the largest settlements between Santa Fe de Nuevo México and Pueblo de Los Ángeles (which is now Los Angeles).
Contents
Geography of Agua Mansa
The Agua Mansa Valley is found on the south side of Slover Mountain. This valley was about 6 miles (9.7 km) long. Its width changed from about 0.5 miles (0.8 km) to 0.75 miles (1.2 km). This change depended on the Santa Ana River that flowed through it.
The land in the valley was used for farming. It was divided into many fields, owned by different ranchers. The lower part of the valley had a forest of cottonwood trees near the river. The upper part was a sandy area that reached to where the city of San Bernardino is today.
History of the Town
In 1845, a man named Don Juan Bandini gave some of his land, called Rancho Jurupa, to a group of settlers from New Mexico. These settlers were led by Santiago Martinez and Manuel Lorenzo Trujillo. They agreed to help protect the area from local raids in exchange for the land.
Ten families settled on about 2,000 acres (810 ha) on the east side of the Santa Ana River. They formed the village of La Placita. Another group settled on the west side of the river, creating the town of Agua Mansa. This second group was led by Santiago Martinez, Manuel Lorenzo Martinez, and Hipilito Garcia. Important people like Cristobal Slover and Louis Rubidoux were also part of this group.
The San Salvador Church
In 1852, an adobe (a type of mud brick) church in La Placita collapsed because of quicksand. So, a new church was built in Agua Mansa. This new church was finished in 1853 and was named San Salvador. It was strong enough to survive the Great Flood of 1862.
The church parish, which included both Agua Mansa and La Placita, became known as San Salvador de Jurupa. This was the first church in Southern California that was not part of a mission. The bell from this old chapel is now at Glenwood Mission Inn.
Decline of Agua Mansa
The town of Agua Mansa grew and did well for almost 20 years. However, in 1862, a huge flood swept through the area. Many of the adobe buildings were washed away. The flood left the land covered in sand and gravel.
Even though the town was rebuilt on higher ground, it never became as successful as it was before the flood.
Jensen Alvarado Ranch
The Jensen Alvarado Ranch was built in Agua Mansa in 1870. It is now a California Historical Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This ranch had a large vineyard. It produced and sold thousands of gallons of wine every year.
Agua Mansa Pioneer Cemetery
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The Agua Mansa Pioneer Cemetery is the only part of the old town that still remains. It is recognized as a California Historical Landmark (No. 121). The first person was buried here in 1852. The last burial happened 111 years later, in 1963. The cemetery also has a small museum and a chapel, and you can take tours there.
We don't have complete records of everyone buried in the cemetery. However, about 1,400 names have been found as of October 2018. It's thought that around 2,000 people are buried there in total. Only a few grave markers are still visible today.
Some important people buried here include:
- Louis Rubidoux: He came to California in 1844 and bought land near what is now the city of Riverside. He was one of the early leaders of Agua Mansa.
- Cornelius Jensen: He was a sea captain from Denmark. He opened a store in Agua Mansa before moving to part of the Rubidoux ranch.
- Mercedes Alvarado: She was Cornelius Jensen's wife. She is buried in the cemetery with other members of her family.
- Lorenzo Trujillo: He was one of the original leaders of the community. It is believed he is buried here, but his grave marker is gone.
- Isaac Slover: He was a mountain man and bear hunter. He came to California when he was older and was killed by a bear in 1854.
California Historical Landmark Marker
The marker at the Agua Mansa Pioneer Cemetery says: This historic site marks the resting place of the pioneers of the Agua Mansa area which was started about 1840. The preservation of this cemetery began in 1951. It was put up in 1961 by the Jurupa Palor No. 296 Native Daughters of the Golden West. (Marker Number 121.)
Artistic portrayals
Agua Mansa is the name of a made-up town in Southern California in the book Still Water Saints. This novel was written by Alex Espinoza.
