Pedro Sainsevain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pedro Sainsevain
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| Born |
Pierre Sainsevain
November 20, 1818 Béguey, France
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| Died | October 4, 1904 |
| Occupation | Vintner, ranchero |
| Spouse(s) | Paula Suñol |
Don Pedro Sainsevain (born Pierre Sainsevain on November 20, 1818) was an important person in early California. He was born in France and later moved to California. Pedro was a successful vintner, which means he made wine. He also owned a large ranch, making him a ranchero.
Pedro Sainsevain helped create the Californian Constitution in 1849. This document set up the rules for California's government. He is famous for being one of the first people to make sparkling wine in California. He also took part in the exciting California Gold Rush.
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Pedro's Early Life and Adventures
Pedro Sainsevain was a carpenter from Bordeaux, France. He arrived in Santa Barbara, California on July 4, 1839. His family sent him to find his uncle, Jean-Louis Vignes, in Los Angeles.
Pedro settled on his uncle's property, called El Aliso. There, he helped grow grapes and oranges. He also learned about making wine. In 1840, he shipped wine and brandy to sell along the California coast. During this trip, he visited Monterey and Branciforte for the first time. In 1841, he worked at his uncle's sawmill near San Bernardino.
Building Mills and Marrying
In 1843, the governor gave Pedro Sainsevain land near Santa Cruz, California. This land was called Rancho Cañada del Rincon en el Rio San Lorenzo. In the fall of 1843, he built one of the first sawmills in the San Lorenzo River valley. He worked with another Frenchman named Charles Roussillon.
In 1844, Pedro got permission to start a flour mill. This mill was on the Guadalupe River in San Jose. It could process 75 fanegas of flour each day. In 1845, Pedro married Paula Suñol. Her father, Antonio Suñol, owned a large ranch called Rancho Los Coches.
In 1846, Pedro and Charles Roussillon built a ship called the Antonita. They built it right on the beach at Santa Cruz. The ship sailed to Hawaii to get a special copper bottom.
The Gold Rush and California's Constitution
In 1848, Pedro and Roussillon went to the gold mines near Coloma. Pedro, Roussillon, Antonio Sunol, and Amador, along with 25 Native Americans, mined gold. They found gold at a place called Don Pedro's Bar on the Tuolumne River.
Pedro and Roussillon soon decided mining was not for them. They returned to Stockton in 1849. There, they opened a store to supply the California Gold Rush miners. They also owned a hotel in San Jose. This hotel later became California's first State House. Pedro Sainsevain was chosen as a delegate for the 1849 California Constitutional Convention in Monterey. He helped write the state's first constitution.
Pedro's Winemaking Business
In 1859, Pedro sold his ranch near Santa Cruz. He and his brother, Jean Louis, bought the El Aliso vineyards in Los Angeles. They bought them from their uncle, Jean-Louis Vignes. The Sainsevain Brothers company quickly made the El Aliso vineyard much bigger.
In 1857, they opened a store in San Francisco. By 1858, they were the biggest wine producers in California. They made 125,000 gallons of wine and brandy. In 1857, their San Francisco cellars even made champagne. However, the champagne business was not very successful. Their big investment in sparkling wine caused the Sainsevain Brothers to have money problems. The partnership ended in the 1860s. Only Jean Louis Sainsevain stayed at the El Aliso property when it was sold in 1865.
In 1865, the Sainsevain brothers bought part of a ranch called Rancho Cucamonga. They planted a very large vineyard there. In 1868, Pedro's Claret wine won the award for best wine at the county fair. In 1870, the Sainsevain brothers moved to Cucamonga. They ran the vineyard and winery with Joseph S. Garcia. In 1874, the Sainsevains bought land in Hawker Canyon. They built a large stone house and a water reservoir there.
In 1875, Pierre Sainsevain traveled to Central America. He returned in 1880 to his home in San Jose. After his wife passed away in 1883, he moved back to France. He lived the rest of his life there.
Pedro's Legacy
Many places in California are named after Pedro Sainsevain or his family.
- The Don Pedro Reservoir and the Don Pedro Dam are named after the Don Pedro's Bar mining town.
- San Sevaine Flats and San Sevaine Lookout in the San Gabriel Mountains are named after the Sainsevain brothers.
- Sainsevain Street in Los Angeles (now part of Commercial Street) is named for them.
- San Sevaine streets in Rancho Cucamonga, Mira Loma, and Fontana also carry their name.
- The San Sevaine flood control channel and spreading grounds are named after them too.
About Jean Louis Sainsevain
Jean Louis Sainsevain (1817–1889) was Pedro's brother. He was born in Béguey, France, near Bordeaux. He came to Los Angeles in 1855 to join Pedro. In 1868, Jean Louis Sainsevain was given a contract by the City of Los Angeles. He was tasked with creating a new water system for the city.
