The Ygnacio Palomares Adobe , also known as Adobe de Palomares , is a one-story adobe brick structure in Pomona, California , built between 1850 and 1855 as a residence for Don Ygnacio Palomares. It was abandoned in the 1880s and was left to the elements until it was acquired by the City of Pomona in the 1930s. In 1939, the adobe was restored in a joint project of the City of Pomona, the Historical Society of Pomona Valley and the Works Project Administration . Since 1940, it has been open to the public as a museum on life in the Spanish and Mexican ranchos. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. Of the more than 400 sites in Los Angeles County that have been listed on the National Register, fewer than ten received the distinction prior to the Ygnacio Palomares Adobe.
32-650: The Ygancio Palomares Adobe, built between 1850 and 1855, was once the center of the sprawling 22,000-acre (89 km) Rancho San Jose . The Rancho San Jose consisted of land taken from the Mission San Gabriel in 1834 as part of the Mexican government's secularization decree. In 1837, Mexican Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado granted the land to Ygnacio Palomares and Ricardo Vejar , both Californio sons of New Spain natives. The Rancho San Jose operated by Dons Palomares and Vejar covered land that now forms
64-552: A smallpox epidemic claimed the lives of 3 of the Palomares' children. Ygancio Palomares died in 1864, and his widow began selling the ranch land in 1865, finally selling the Adobe in 1874 and moving in with her children. Véjar lost his share by foreclosure to two Los Angeles merchants, Isaac Schlesinger and Hyman Tischler, in 1864. The merchants took advantage of Véjar's inability to read English and his belief that what they told him
96-546: A soldier in San Diego. The family moved to Los Angeles (Rancho Rodeo de las Aguas) in 1810. Ricardo Véjar served as Juez de Campo (Country Judge) in Los Angeles in 1833. Véjar's sister, Magdalena Véjar, was married to Jorge Morrillo, grantee of Rancho Potrero de Felipe Lugo . Ricardo Véjar married Maria Bendita Soto. Véjar owned a one third share of Rancho San Jose and was also the owner of Rancho Los Nogales . Vejar
128-488: Is a building, structure, site, or place in the U.S. state of California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance. Historical significance is determined by meeting at least one of these criteria: California Historical Landmarks numbered 770 and higher are automatically listed in the California Register of Historical Resources . A site, building, feature, or event that
160-611: Is mounted on the west wall of the former Santa Fe Rail Station, now the Pomona Transit Center, Pomona. The mural's workers and spectators are depicted in 19th century attire, suggesting a nostalgic perspective. The California Historical Landmark Marker NO. 372 at the site reads: Rancho San Jose (Palomares) Rancho San Jose was a 15,000-acre (61 km ) Mexican land grant in northeastern Los Angeles County given in 1837 by Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado to Ygnacio Palomares and Ricardo Véjar . Today,
192-688: The Rancho El Susa land grant from Governor (pro-tem) Manuel Jimeno. In 1844 Henry Dalton purchased El Susa from Arenas, and also Arenas one third interest in Rancho San Jose. Arenas was a grantee of Rancho Pauba in 1844, and Rancho Los Huecos in 1846. His son, Cayetano Arenas, was secretary to Governor Pio Pico and was the grantee of Rancho San Mateo . 34°09′00″N 117°47′24″W / 34.150°N 117.790°W / 34.150; -117.790 California Historical Landmark A California Historical Landmark ( CHL )
224-671: The 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo provided that the land grants would be honored. As required by the Land Act of 1851, a claim for Rancho San Jose was filed with the Public Land Commission in 1852, and the grant was patented at 22,340 acres (90.4 km ) to Dalton, Palomares and Véjar in 1875. A claim for the Rancho San Jose Addition was filed with the Land Commission in 1852, and
256-548: The California ranchos, This effort was led by the head of the Furnishing Committee, Mrs. Harry Walker of San Dimas. The original landscaping was also restored with wisteria vines and wild cherry, black walnut, pomegranate, and poplar trees. Charles Gibbs Adams oversaw the landscaping restoration, with tree plantings, shrubs and rosebushes located close to where they had been in the mid-19th century. The adobe
288-594: The City of Pomona purchased the land for a reservoir, and the Historical Society of Pomona Valley began plans for restoration of the adobe and surrounding site. In the spring and summer of 1939, seventy WPA workers began the process of restoring the adobe. Following the traditional method, the workers molded the adobe bricks by hand using dirt from the Ganesha Hills and straw as the only binder, and cured
320-450: The adobe as "a sickly youngster of 13" in 1877, regaining his health while living in the old adobe. However, by the mid-1880s, the old adobe had been deserted. From the 1880s through the 1920s, the adobe was left to the elements and fell into severe disrepair, with whole wings of the house being washed away and the walls and roof crumbling. The dilapidated condition of the adobe is shown in 1938 photographs seen here and here . In 1934,
352-496: The bricks in the sun. Approximately 25,000 new adobe bricks were used in the restoration process. The cost of the restoration was placed at $ 54,000. Many of the bricks were also made from the broken original adobe bricks - the new bricks used shorter lengths of straw, while the old bricks showed the use of longer marsh grass. The restoration was completed in December 1939, followed by its furnishing with period furniture typical of
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#1732782447976384-413: The communities of Pomona , LaVerne , San Dimas , Diamond Bar , Azusa , Covina , Walnut , Glendora , and Claremont are located in whole or part on land that was once part of the Rancho San Jose. Ygnacio Palomares and Ricardo Véjar, owned a considerable number of horses and cattle, which they kept at Rancho Rodeo de las Aguas owned by Maria Rita Valdez de Villa. The place was too crowded for
416-459: The communities of Pomona, LaVerne , San Dimas , Diamond Bar , Azusa , Covina , Walnut , Glendora , and Claremont . Palomares initially lived in "La Casa Primera" , an earlier adobe which is also operated by the Historical Society of Pomona Valley. Between 1850 and 1855, Palomares built a new home, which is the present historic site. The 13-room adobe was built in a T-shape with a courtyard. The living room and master bedroom were located at
448-433: The documents he was asked to sign actually meant. In 1866, Schlesinger and Tischler sold the ranch to Louis Phillips . Due in part to the slower growth of eastern Los Angeles County, and the early activities of the Historical Society of Pomona Valley, many of the historic buildings of the Rancho San Jose remain in existence today, several of them operated by the Historical Society. Historic sites of Rancho San Jose include
480-600: The following: Ygnacio Palomares (February 2, 1811 – November 25, 1864) was a Californio , born near Mission San Fernando in Alta California , one of thirteen children. He was the son of José Cristobal Palomares and Maria Benedicta Saez, one of Los Angeles' most prominent families and considered Spanish aristocracy. Ygnacio Palomares married Maria Concepcion Lopez in 1832 and they had eight children: Luis José, José Tomas, Teresa, Francisco, Maria Josefa, Maria de Jesus, Manuel, and Carolina Concepcion. Ygnacio Palomares
512-585: The grandson of Don Ygnacio, moved into the restored structure as caretaker with his wife and daughter. Porfiero lived at the adobe until he died there in October 1942. Porfiero's widow, Hortensia Yorba Palomares, continued to live in the adobe until her death in July 1958. Artist and filmmaker Frank Stauffacher created a 16.5-foot long oil-on-fabric mural depicting construction on the Palomares Adobe, which
544-422: The grant was patented at 4,431 acres (17.9 km ) to Dalton, Palomares and Véjar in 1875. Palomares and Véjar conducted sheep and cattle operations on Rancho San Jose, also growing crops for consumption by the residents of the rancho. In the early 1860s the west coast experienced an epic flood, followed by several years of severe drought which decimated the ranch's population of sheep and cattle. On top of which
576-403: The land as a sheep and cattle ranch, grew their own crops, and raised five children at the adobe. The ranch prospered for many years, but a severe drought devastated the ranch in the early 1860s. Smallpox also claimed the lives of three of the Palomares' children, and Don Ygnacio died in 1864. Don Ygnacio's widow, Dona Concepcion Lopez de Palomares (also known as "Dona China"), began selling off
608-581: The lead up to the trial, he issued a ban on public meetings, declared a nightly curfew and posted soldiers to guard the jail. He was a regidor (councilman) in 1835, and again in 1838. He was an elector in 1843, voting for Santa Ana for the President of Mexico. In 1844, he was Captain of the Defensores (militia) and the following year he served as an alternate in the assembly. He was elected the last Mexican California mayor of Los Angeles in 1848, but held
640-453: The livestock of three families, so Palomares and Véjar sought their own land. In 1837, Mexican Governor Alvarado granted Rancho San Jose to Palomares and Véjar. The Rancho was created from land from the secularized Mission San Gabriel Arcángel . The boundaries were laid out by Palomares and Véjar on March 19, 1837, the feast day of St. Joseph , thus leading the men to name the ranch after the saint. Father José Maria de Zalvidea accompanied
672-507: The mortgage compounded monthly. He was unable to pay one of the installments and the merchants foreclosed. He lived the rest of his years in the Spadra area with his family. He died in poverty in 1882. Luis Arenas came to California, possibly in 1834, with a group of colonists. He was married to Josefa Palomares (1815–1901), the sister of Ygnacio Palomares. He was the alcalde of Los Angeles in 1838. On November 8, 1841, Luis Arenas received
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#1732782447976704-400: The nation as a permanent museum housing many relics and equipment of the early Spanish days in California." In 1968, it was called "one of the pleasantest and most complete of the rancho restorations." Members of the Palomares family were invited to move into the restored adobe as caretakers. In December 1939, Porfiero R. Palomares ( c. 1871 –1942), who was born in the adobe and was
736-603: The one square league addition (7500 acres), which became known as the Rancho San Jose Addition, in 1840. This increased the size of the Rancho San Jose to 22,000 acres. In 1846, Arenas sold his one third share of Rancho San Jose to Henry Dalton of Rancho Azusa de Dalton . This brought the Ranch back down to 15,000 acres in size. With the cession of California to the United States following the Mexican–American War ,
768-601: The party from the San Gabriel Mission, performing the first Christian religious ceremony in the Pomona Valley when he performed a benediction for settlers of the rancho under an oak tree located at what is now 458 Kenoak Place in Pomona . Luis Arenas , Ygnacio Palomares' brother-in-law, joined up with Palomares and Véjar, and they petitioned Governor Alvarado for additional grazing lands. They were granted
800-473: The position briefly due to Colonel Jonathan Stevenson considering him intolerable and anti-American. After his tenure as mayor, he settled into his Rancho San José adobe. Among his contributions to the new American landscape was the capture of the Alvitre brothers, sought for the murder of American James Ellington. Nepomuceno Ricardo Véjar (1805–1882) was born in San Diego, the son of Francisco Salvador Véjar,
832-467: The ranch land in 1865. In 1874, another of the Palomares' children died, and Dona China sold the remaining 2,000 acres (8.1 km), including the adobe, at $ 8 an acre, to John R. Loop and Alvin R. Meserve. The new owners, the Meserve family, continued to maintain the adobe as a community gathering place after acquiring it in 1874. Prominent Los Angeles attorney Edwin A. Meserve, later recalled coming to
864-437: The stem of the T, and the adobe also had four more bedrooms, a dining room, kitchen, storeroom, tienda (or store), and storage chambers. The kitchen was located at the north end of the T, close to the outdoor oven (or "horno"). The house has been said to represent the blending of Mexican adobe construction and American styles, with the use of wood-shake roofing and milled-wood flooring on the adobe structure. The Palomares Adobe
896-467: Was active in Los Angeles politics in the 1830s and 1840s. He served as Juez de Campo (Country Judge) in 1834, and in 1840. He served as Juez de Paz (Justice of the Peace) in 1841 and during this time made some unpopular decisions, including a controversial verdict in the murder of Nicolas Fink. His investigation led to the arrest of a woman, who in turn provided three male accomplices that were found guilty. In
928-457: Was dedicated and opened to the public in April 1940 as a museum focusing on life in the early California ranchos. At the dedication ceremony, the keys were presented by Pomona's mayor to the Historical Society of Pomona Valley, and Ygancio Palomares, grandson of Don Ygnacio, "danced the dances taught him by his grandmother, his granddaughter Hilda Ramirez, being his dancing partner." The restoration
960-461: Was offered assistance to feed his cattle in the face of a long term drought. It is well documented that Véjar was grossly misinformed about the nature of a document he was asked to sign after being told it was only an agreement to pay for feed and supplies for his cattle with Interest. In fact the 2 New York "merchants" who offered him the feed gave him a Mortgage, written in English, and interest on
992-450: Was used for a time as an overnight stagecoach stop at the midway point between Los Angeles and San Bernardino. The Palomares home was reportedly "the heart of the rancho," with its doors open to travelers and a store that provided goods to settlers. The large living room served for many years as a meeting place and a chapel where padres from the San Gabriel Mission would travel once a month to say mass. Ygnacio Palomares and his wife operated
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1024-475: Was well-received, with commendation from Ed Ainsworth of the Los Angeles Times writing: "The example of this restoration ought to inspire other communities and families to do the same. This adobe has now become an imperishable glorification of early California, and an irresistible lure for modern visitors." Two years later, the Los Angeles Times reported: "The structure has become famous throughout
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