Francisco P. Temple facts for kids
Francisco P. Temple (born February 13, 1822 – died April 27, 1880) was an important person in early Los Angeles history. He was part of the very first Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in 1852, which is like a local government group that helps run the county. He was also a businessman and helped shape the growing city.
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A Young Start in California
Francisco Pliny Fisk Temple was born in Reading, Massachusetts. He was the youngest of ten children in his family. In 1841, he traveled all the way to Alta California, which was a Mexican territory at the time. He arrived in Los Angeles after a long journey by ship around Cape Horn.
When Francisco arrived, his older half-brother, Jonathan Temple, was already a very successful merchant in the area. Jonathan had started his business in 1827 and was a leading figure in the Pueblo de Los Angeles, which was the main town. Francisco was 26 years younger than Jonathan and had never met him before coming to California.
From 1841 to 1849, Francisco worked as a clerk in Jonathan Temple's store in Los Angeles. Because he was only five feet, four inches tall (about 163 cm), the local people gave him the nickname "Templito," meaning "Little Temple." Before this, he had been baptized into the Catholic faith at the San Gabriel Mission and took the Christian name Francisco P.F. Temple.
Family Life and Business Growth
In 1845, Francisco Temple married Antonia Margarita Workman. She was born on July 26, 1830, and passed away on January 24, 1892. Antonia was the daughter of William Workman and his wife, Maria Nicolasa Urioste de Valencia, who was from the Taos Native American people. Francisco and Antonia had 12 children together.
In 1851, William Workman gave Francisco Temple half ownership of a large piece of land called Rancho La Merced. This ranch was about 12 miles (19 km) east of Los Angeles, and Francisco made his home there. He worked hard, planting a huge vineyard with 30,000 grapevines. He also planted 30 acres (about 120,000 square meters) of fruit trees and a beautiful garden. Francisco became very involved in buying and selling land, and also in raising and selling cattle.
Public Service and Banking
Francisco Temple also took on important roles in the growing community. In 1850, he was elected to be the treasurer for the city of Los Angeles. This meant he was in charge of the city's money. Then, in 1852, he served on the very first Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. This group helped govern and manage the county.
In 1856, Francisco had a building constructed called Temple Block. This building quickly became a very important place in downtown Los Angeles. It was a center for business and social life, with a saloon, offices for important lawyers, and some of the best clothing stores in town.
In 1868, Francisco Temple, along with his father-in-law William Workman and a man named Isaias W. Hellman, started a bank called Hellman, Temple & Co. Three years later, Hellman left the business. However, Temple and Workman continued their partnership, and the bank became known as the Temple & Workman Bank. It was located in the Temple Block area of downtown Los Angeles.
Sadly, in 1875, many banks in California faced problems and had to close for a while. The Temple & Workman Bank also went bankrupt due to some financial difficulties. Both Francisco Temple and William Workman lost everything they had.
Francisco P. Temple passed away on April 27, 1880. He is buried in the Workman and Temple family El Campo Santo Cemetery.
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