La Placita, California facts for kids

La Placita was an early settlement in Riverside County, California. It was also known as La Placita de los Trujillos or San Salvador. This community was started around 1843 near the Santa Ana River.

La Placita and a nearby town called Agua Mansa were the first non-native settlements in the San Bernardino Valley. Together, these two towns were often called "San Salvador". In the 1840s, they were the biggest settlements between New Mexico and Los Angeles. Today, La Placita is considered a ghost town, meaning it's no longer an active community.

History of La Placita Settlement

Early Settlers and Community Life

In the early 1840s, a group of colonists from Abiquiú, New Mexico, arrived in this area. These colonists were called genízaro, a term for Native Americans who had adopted Spanish culture. Don Juan Bandini gave them land from his large ranch, Rancho Jurupa. He asked them to help protect his livestock from raids.

Lorenzo Trujillo led ten families to 2,000 acres of this land. They settled on the southeast side of the Santa Ana River and started the village of La Placita. Other families settled on the northwest side, creating the town of Agua Mansa.

The settlers worked hard to build their new homes. They planted farms, orchards, and vineyards. They also built a large irrigation system to bring water to their crops. Livestock grazed on the nearby mesa, which is now part of Riverside.

Official Recognition and Growth

In 1852, the area became an official political unit. The government of Los Angeles County created a town called "San Salvador." This new town included Jurupa, Agua Mansa, and other nearby settlements. Lorenzo Trujillo's house in La Placita was chosen as the official place for elections.

The region where La Placita and Agua Mansa once stood is now part of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.

Impact of Natural Disasters

Life in La Placita changed dramatically due to natural disasters. A very large flood, known as the Great Flood of 1862, caused a lot of damage. Another flood hit the area in 1886.

After these floods, most residents decided to move away. Many went to other places, including what is now south Colton. This led to La Placita becoming a ghost town.

La Placita's Legacy Today

Today, the Agua Mansa cemetery is an important reminder of the area's history. The land where La Placita once stood is now mostly industrial. There are factories and recycling centers.

Efforts are being made to preserve the historical importance of this area. However, new buildings are still being approved, which sometimes makes it harder to protect the old sites.

Culture and Community Life

Early Churches and Religious Life

The first church in La Placita was very simple, just an arbor (a shaded area with plants). In 1852, a more permanent church was built using adobe (a type of mud brick). Sadly, this church collapsed because it was built on quicksand.

A new church was then built in Agua Mansa. It was finished in 1853 and named San Salvador. This church was strong enough to survive the Great Flood of 1862. The parish of San Salvador de Jurupa served both La Placita and Agua Mansa. It was the first church parish in Southern California that wasn't a mission.

As people moved away from the area, a new church congregation was started in Colton in 1893. This church still uses the name San Salvador and is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino.

The Trujillo Adobe House

The Trujillo Adobe was the home of Lorenzo Trujillo, who led the first families to La Placita. This historic house was later given to the Riverside County Parks Department. It was donated by JoAnn Conner (Dreesen), who was the niece of Charles Trujillo.

The small adobe structure is located just south of the San Bernardino County line. It is at the corner of Center and Orange Streets. There are plans to preserve this building as a historical site.