Workman-Temple family facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The Workman-Temple family was a very important group of interconnected families in Southern California from the 1830s to the 1930s. They played a big role in the early history of Los Angeles and the surrounding areas, first when it was part of Mexico and later when it became part of the United States.

William Workman: A Pioneer's Journey
Temple Family: The Next Generation
- Later Generations
Legacy
- Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum
See also

William Workman: A Pioneer's Journey

From England to America

William Workman (born January 15, 1802) came from Temple Sowerby, England. When he was 11, his family moved to Clifton. In 1814, William and his brothers received some money. His older brother, David Workman, used his share to move to America in 1817. David settled in Franklin, Missouri, which was then the western edge of the country.

David returned to England in 1822 and convinced William to join him. The two brothers sailed from Liverpool and arrived in Philadelphia in September 1822.

Life in New Mexico

William stayed in Franklin, Missouri, for three years, working for his brother. In 1825, he joined an early group traveling on the Santa Fe Trail to Santa Fe de Nuevo México. He settled in Taos, where he trapped furs and opened a store. He also made liquor with his partner, John A. Rowland.

William Workman had a family with Maria Nicolasa Urioste de Valencia, a Taos Native American. They later married in 1844. They had two children, Antonia Margarita and Joseph Manuel.

William was a successful merchant, but he got involved in local politics. He was forced to support rebels in the Taos Revolt in 1837. After the rebellion was stopped, William and John Rowland were arrested. A few years later, they decided to leave for Alta California in early 1841.

Settling in Southern California

In September 1841, William Workman, John Rowland, and about 65 other people left New Mexico. They traveled the Old Spanish Trail to the Los Angeles pueblo. This 1,200-mile journey ended in late fall. This group was once thought to be the "first wagon train of Americans" to Los Angeles, but they didn't use wagons because the trail was too hard. Also, not everyone in the group was American. William Workman marked his arrival on November 5, 1841.

Rancho La Puente

In 1842, John Rowland received a Mexican land grant for Rancho La Puente in the San Gabriel Valley. It was about 18,000 acres at the time. William Workman was not officially an owner at first, but he was allowed to live and work on the rancho. In 1845, Governor Pío Pico officially added Workman's name as an owner and expanded the rancho to almost 49,000 acres. A part of this land later became the city of La Puente. William Workman built an adobe home on the rancho in 1842, which he expanded and remodeled over the years.

Mexican-American War and Gold Rush

The Workman House courtyard, at the Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum.

In the mid-1840s, there were conflicts in California. William Workman was involved in these events. In 1845, he was a captain for Governor Pío Pico in a small battle near Los Angeles. Workman helped arrange a peaceful surrender.

Later, during the Mexican–American War, William Workman played an important role. He helped free American prisoners held near Los Angeles. He also met with Commodore Robert F. Stockton to arrange a peace agreement for Californios (people of Mexican heritage in California) who had resisted the American forces.

After the war, James W. Marshall discovered gold in California in 1848. This started the California Gold Rush. This was a huge boost for William Workman. His cattle ranching business became very profitable because there was a great need for fresh beef in the gold mining areas. This new wealth allowed Workman to expand his ranches, enlarge his home, and build a cemetery and chapel on his property.

Growing Businesses

In 1850, William Workman acquired Rancho La Merced. He then gave parts of it to his ranch foreman, Juan Matias Sanchez, and to his daughter, Margarita, and her husband, F.P. Temple. Workman, Temple, and Sanchez also acquired other nearby ranchos. Workman also had interests in areas that are now Beverly Hills and Glendale.

By 1861, Workman had about 3,000 cattle and 600 horses. He also had vineyards and fruit trees. During the American Civil War, he provided horses to the U.S. government. The cattle industry faced challenges from floods and droughts in the 1860s. However, Workman was able to save most of his cattle by moving them to the Mojave Desert with a friend's help.

After 1865, he focused more on farming. He had 60,000 grapevines on about 100 acres and built structures for making wine. He also grew wheat on 5,000 acres and built a grist mill.

Land and Banking Ventures

By 1870, Los Angeles was growing fast. William Workman joined his son-in-law, F.P. Temple, in new businesses. They invested in real estate projects in areas like Alhambra and San Marino. They also invested in early railroads, like the one from Santa Monica to Panamint City.

To fund these projects, Workman and Temple formed a bank called Hellman, Temple and Company in 1868. Later, Temple and Workman started their own bank in 1871. This bank was popular, but it lent money too freely and was not managed well. When the state economy faced problems in 1875, people rushed to withdraw their money. Temple and Workman's bank had to close in January 1876.

William Workman was deeply affected by the bank's failure. On May 17, 1876, he died at his home on the rancho. He was 76 years old. His death was a shock to the community. Today, his home at the Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum is open for visitors to learn about his life.

Temple Family: The Next Generation

In September 1845, William Workman's daughter, Antonia Margarita Workman (born July 26, 1830), married Pliny Fisk Temple (born February 13, 1822). They had eleven children.

Pliny Fisk Temple traveled from Reading, Massachusetts, around Cape Horn to California in 1841. He hoped to meet his older half-brother, Jonathan Temple, who had opened the first store in Los Angeles in 1828. Pliny arrived in Los Angeles in July 1841 and decided to stay.

Pliny worked in his brother Jonathan's store. He met Margarita Workman there. After a brief time in the northern gold fields, Pliny returned to Los Angeles. William Workman gave him and Margarita half of the 2,363-acre Rancho La Merced. The Temples built a large adobe house and later a brick home. Their ranch had vineyards, orchards, a grist mill, and many animals. Pliny was also one of the first in Los Angeles County to raise thoroughbred horses. He owned other properties, including land for horses and lumber mills.

Pliny Fisk Temple was also involved in politics. He served as Los Angeles City Treasurer and on the first Los Angeles County board of supervisors.

Like William Workman, F.P. Temple invested heavily in businesses during a time of growth in Los Angeles. As mentioned, the bank he ran with Workman failed in 1876. This ruined the family's wealth. Pliny Temple suffered a series of strokes after the bank closed. He died at age 58 in 1880.

Later Generations

Walter P. Temple (born June 7, 1869) was the tenth child of F.P. Temple and Margarita Workman. He brought his family back to importance in the 1920s through oil, real estate, and charity work. In 1903, Walter Temple married Laurenza Gonzalez. They had five children.

The family lived on a 50-acre piece of land Walter inherited from his mother. Walter later bought back 60 acres that had belonged to his father before the bank failed. While ranching and farming on their new land, their oldest child, Thomas, discovered oil in 1914. After leasing the land to Standard Oil, the Temples became very wealthy from the oil wells.

William Workman's son, Joseph Manuel Workman (born February 10, 1833), married Josephine Belt in 1870. They had seven children. Their daughter, Josephine Workman, became a silent movie actress known as Mona Darkfeather. She often played American Indian women in films.

Legacy

The historic "Workman House," built in 1842 and later expanded, is still standing. "La Casa Nueva," the 1920s home of Walter Temple and Laura Gonzalez, is also preserved. The 1850s "El Campo Santo Cemetery," a private family burial ground, is also on the property. All these are part of the Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum.

Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum

The historic Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum is located in the City of Industry. It is about a mile north of the Pomona Freeway — SR-60 at 15415 East Don Julian Road.

The museum offers free public guided tours Wednesday through Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. They also host large festivals, living history tours, and other public events all year round. You can find more information and event details on their website: Info & events and Museum history Blog.