Dominguez Rancho Adobe facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Dominguez Ranch Adobe
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 Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | 18127 S. Alameda St. Compton, California |
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| NRHP reference No. | 76000486 |
| Added to NRHP | May 28, 1976 |
The Dominguez Rancho Adobe is a very old and important house in California. It is a California Historical Landmark (Number 152). In 1976, it was also added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is a special place recognized by the United States government.
The house was built in 1826 for Manuel Dominguez. It was part of a huge Spanish land grant called Rancho San Pedro. The walls of the house are super thick, about 2 feet (0.6 meters)! It also has strong wooden beams and a flat, tarred roof. Many of the things inside, like furniture, belonged to the Dominguez family long ago.
Today, the Dominguez Rancho Adobe is a museum. It's called the Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum. A group called "Friends of Rancho San Pedro" runs it. They offer tours of the house. They also have many fun programs about ranch life and early California history. You can find the museum at 18127 South Alameda Street in Rancho Dominguez, California. This area is near Compton, Long Beach, and Carson.
Contents
Discovering the Rancho's Past
The Rancho San Pedro was the first Spanish land grant in California. In 1784, King Carlos III of Spain gave this land to Juan Jose Dominguez. He was a retired Spanish soldier. This huge grant was about 75,000 acres. It even included the entire Los Angeles harbor!
Before the Spanish arrived, the land was home to the Tongva people. Their lives changed greatly when Spanish soldiers and missionaries came to California.
Juan Jose Dominguez didn't have children to pass the land to. So, it went to his nephew, Cristobal Dominguez. Cristobal's son, Manuel Dominguez, took over the land after his father passed away. Manuel was the one who built the adobe house you see today in 1826.
Manuel Dominguez: A Smart Leader
Manuel Dominguez was a very smart young man. He could speak both Spanish and English. This helped him a lot with trading. He was also the only one of his brothers and sisters who could read and write.
When he was just 29, Manuel was elected Mayor of Los Angeles. Later, he helped write California's first State Constitution. He was one of 47 people who signed it!
Manuel also worked hard to get a land patent from the United States government. This would make sure his family owned the Rancho under U.S. law. President James Buchanan signed this patent on December 18, 1858. This was the very first U.S. land patent given in California!
Over the years, the Rancho's size changed. It went from 75,000 acres to about 25,000 acres. This was due to court battles and land sales. But Manuel's efforts made sure a big part of the Rancho stayed with his family.
The Battle of Dominguez Rancho
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In 1846, during the Mexican-American War, an important battle happened here. It was called the Battle of the Old Woman’s Gun or the Battle of Dominguez Rancho. It took place on October 8, 1846.
American troops, led by Captain Mervine, were trying to take back Los Angeles. But Spanish Californians fought back. The battle lasted about an hour. The Californians won that day, stopping the American troops for a while. The Rancho buildings were even used by Captain Mervine's marines the night before the battle!
Dividing the Land
Manuel Dominguez passed away in 1882. His wife passed away a year later. They had six daughters who were still alive. The Rancho lands were then divided among them. Three of his married daughters continued the family's legacy. Their families became known as the Carson, Del Amo, and Watson families.
Trains and the Rancho
Trains became a big part of the Dominguez family's life in 1869. Before that, they had a successful cattle business. They even butchered cattle right in the fields! When the railroad came, this practice stopped.
Manuel Dominguez gave 100 feet of land (about 77 acres) for the railroad tracks. In 1902, the Pacific Electric Railway was built through the Rancho. The Dominguez family asked for a special stop called "Dominguez Junction" at Alameda Street. Union Pacific freight trains still use this spot today!
Teams of workers, horses, and mules built the railway very quickly. On July 4, 1902, the railway officially opened. The Pacific Electric Railway trains passed by Dominguez Junction every hour. This made the Rancho lands even more valuable.
How Trains Changed Life
As a passenger train, it was easier for people to visit the Rancho. The Dominguez family became famous for their big family barbecues. These were much easier to have thanks to the trains!
However, trains also had some downsides. Raising livestock and farming became harder. But overall, the railroad helped the Dominguez family. For example, the Carson family could ship over 70,000 pounds of wool at a time!
The Rancho also has a collection of cool, large model trains. You can see them in their carriage house.
The 1910 Air Meet
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In 1910, something amazing happened at Dominguez Hill. It was the first national aviation (flying) meet in the United States! Imagine, over half a million people traveled by train to see this event.
A huge grandstand, over six hundred feet long, was built for spectators. The Dominguez family let them use the field for free. They only asked for front-row seats for the whole event! Many early flying pioneers were there. This included people like Curtiss, Martin, Paulhan, and Willard. Roy Knabenshue even flew one of the first blimps! The air meet lasted for 10 days. It set the first speed and endurance records for airplanes.
The Claretian Missionaries
Manuel and his family were very religious Catholics. His daughters gave a lot of money to help build St. Vibiana’s. This was a big church in downtown Los Angeles.
In 1922, Manuel's two remaining daughters, Susana Del Amo and Reyes Dominguez, gave 17 acres of land next to their home to the Claretian Missionaries. In 1924, the Claretians started using the adobe house. They used it as a school for their students. Later, it became a seminary (a school for priests).
Because of this generous gift, Susana and Gregorio Del Amo (Susana's husband) were buried in a special crypt. It's beneath the altar of the chapel in the modern Claretian retirement home.
The Rancho Today
In 1967, the Dominguez Estate Company decided to sell a large part of the land. This was the biggest land sale in Southern California history at the time! The state of California bought some of the land. In 1965, a new college campus was built on the west side of Dominguez Hill. This became California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Thanks to the smart decisions of Juan Jose, Cristobal, and Manuel Dominguez, the Rancho San Pedro survived. Many other Spanish land grants in California were sold off or lost. But the Dominguez family kept a large part of their land.
Today, the descendants of the Dominguez family still run businesses on the original Rancho land. These include the Watson Land Company and the Carson Companies. Manuel always preferred to lease out parts of the land instead of selling it. His children followed this plan. This is why a big part of the original land grant is still owned by family members today. This includes the museum, which shows off Manuel Dominguez's adobe home.
California Historical Landmark Marker
A special marker at the site tells more about the Rancho. It says:
- NO. 152 DOMÍNGUEZ RANCHHOUSE - The main part of the ranchhouse was built in 1826 by Manuel Domínguez. Rancho San Pedro, a large land grant given to Juan José Domínguez in 1784, was re-granted to Cristobal Domínguez in 1822. In the battle of Domínguez Ranch, fought here on October 8 and 9, 1846, Californians led by José Antonio Carrillo pushed back United States forces under Captain William Mervine, U.S. Navy, who were trying to take back Los Angeles.
See also
- Battle of Dominguez Rancho
- Dominguez Hills (mountain range)
- California State University, Dominguez Hills
- Rancho Dominguez, California
- Ranchos of California
Images for kids
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The Dominguez Rancho Adobe Museum.
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A painting of the Battle of Dominguez Rancho in 1846.
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The Dominguez Ranch House around 1910.
