NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Benjamin Davis Wilson

Benjamin Davis Wilson, (December 1, 1811 to March 11, 1878, San Gabriel, California; statesman and politician. He was known to the local natives as Don Benito due to his benevolent manner in his treatment of Indian affairs. Wilson was a fur trapper and trader by profession prior to coming to California. Image File history File linksMetadata Don_benito_wilson. ... December 1 is the 335th (in leap years the 336th) day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1811 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... March 11 is the 70th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (71st in Leap year). ... 1878 (MDCCCLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... San Gabriel City Hall San Gabriel is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. ...

Being detained in Southern California while attempting to obtain passage to the Orient, Wilson became a community fixture among the Spanish and Native Americans around the Santa Ana area. He married the daughter of a prominent Spanish landowner, and soon thereafter purchased Rancho Jurupa which would become part of Riverside County. He was made Justice of the Peace for the Inland Territory and was entrusted with the care of Indian affairs. He was conversely commissioned to deal with the Indian marauders of the Ute tribe for cattle rustling and other crimes against the local ranchers. Downtown Los Angeles Skyline Southern California, also colloquially referred to as SoCal, is an informal name for the megalopolis and nearby desert that occupies the southern-most quarter of the U.S. state of California. ... The term the Orient - literally meaning sunrise, east - is traditionally used to refer to Near, Middle, and Far Eastern countries. ... Native Americans (also Indians, Aboriginal Peoples, American Indians, First Nations, Alaskan Natives, Amerindians, or Indigenous Peoples of America) are the indigenous inhabitants of The Americas prior to the European colonization, and their modern descendants. ... Santa Ana is the largest city and the county seat of Orange County, California. ... Riverside County is a county located in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of California, stretching from Orange County to the Colorado River, which is the border with Arizona. ... A Justice of the Peace (JP) is a puisne judicial officer appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. ... The Utes (/juËts/; yoots) are an ethnically related group of American Indians now living primarily in Utah and Colorado. ...

Wilson is accredited with the discovery of the Big Bear Lake region in the San Bernardino Mountains, and became the first Anglo owner of Rancho San Pascual which encompasses today's communities of Pasadena, Altadena, South Pasadena, Alhambra , San Marino and San Gabriel . Wilson was the second elected Mayor of Los Angeles for one term, Los Angeles County Supervisor, and served three terms as a California State Senator. Big Bear Lake is a reservoir in the San Bernardino Mountains in San Bernardino County, California, USA. It has an east-west length of approximately 3. ... San Bernardino Mountains The San Bernardino Mountains are short transverse mountain range northeast of Los Angeles in southern California in the United States. ... Altadena is a census-designated place located in Los Angeles County, California. ... Alhambra is a city located in United States. ... Map of California showing Los Angeles County. ...

Life in California

Rancho Jurupa

Wilson came to California in 1841 seeking passage to China. He was unable to obtain such and eventually became a naturalized Mexican citizen when he settled in modern-day Riverside, California, and married Ramona Yorba whose father was the prominent Spanish (Mexican) landholder of Rancho Jurupa and Rancho Santa Ana. In 1843 he bought a portion of Rancho Jurupa (Riverside) from Juan Bandini. Wilson became one of the first Anglo ranchers of great esteem and was often asked to assist with Indian affairs. Wilson accepted by becoming Justice of the Peace of the Inland Territory. Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ... 1841 is a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Naturalization is the process whereby a person becomes a national of a nation, or a citizen of a country, other than the one of his birth. ... Nickname: The City of Trees Location in the state of California Coordinates: Country United States State California County Riverside - Mayor Ron Loveridge Area - City 203. ... 1843 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Juan Bandini (1800â€“November 4, 1859) was an early settler of San Diego, California. ...

Big Bear Lake

In 1845 he was asked to pursue a band of marauding Ute Indians, led by Chief Colorow Walkara, who stole horses from the local ranchers. The Indians drove the horses, numbering in the thousands, up to the high desert near Lucerne. In his pursuit Wilson sent 22 men through the Cajon Pass and lead another 22 into the depths of the San Bernardino Mountains where he came upon a natural game reserve teeming with black bear. He named the place Big Bear Lake. The lake today is known as Baldwin Lake, after Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin, while the name Big Bear Lake was re-applied to a reservoir built nearby in 1884. At Big Bear Wilson sent his 22 men in pairs on a bear hunt gathering 11 pelts. On their return trip to Jurupa, they gathered another 11 pelts. No more was made of the story concerning the Indian pursuit. 1845 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Ute Chief Walkara Chief Colorow Ignacio Ouray Walkara (aka Wakara or Walker) (ca. ... Big Bear Lake is a reservoir in the San Bernardino Mountains in San Bernardino County, California, USA. It has an east-west length of approximately 3. ... 1884 (MDCCCLXXXIV) is a leap year starting on Tuesday (click on link to calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Thursday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

Political activities

In 1851 Wilson became the second elected Mayor of Los Angeles after California was made a State. He also served as a Los Angeles County Supervisor and was elected to three terms of the California State Senate. This is a list of mayors of Los Angeles, California. ...

Rancho San Pascual

In 1854 Wilson established Lake Vineyard, his own ranch and winery near modern-day San Gabriel, California. He came into possession of adjoining Rancho San Pascual (present day Pasadena) through a series of complicated land deals, which began with his lending money to the Rancho's owner Manuel Garfias in 1859. In 1863 Wilson and Dr. John Strother Griffin, who had also loaned Garfias money — and with whom Wilson undertook many business deals in early Los Angeles, including railways, oil exploration, real estate, farming and ranching — bought the entire rancho property outright, and diverted water from the Arroyo Seco up to the dry mesa via an aqueduct called the "Wilson Ditch." 1854 (MDCCCLIV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... San Gabriel City Hall San Gabriel is a city located in Los Angeles County, California. ... Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. ... 1859 (MDCCCLIX) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar). ... 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar). ... Oil exploration is the search by petroleum geologists for hydrocarbon deposits beneath the Earths surface. ... Real estate is a legal term that encompasses land along with anything permanently affixed to the land, such as buildings. ... The Arroyo Seco is a creek and drainage channel in the southern part of the U.S. state of California. ... Pont du Gard, France, a Roman aqueduct built circa 19 BC. It is one of Frances top tourist attractions and a World Heritage Site. ...

In 1864 Wilson took the first white man's expedition to a high peak of the San Gabriel Mountains that would be named Mount Wilson. He hoped to harvest timber there for the making of wine vats, but he found the wood inadequate. The Wilson Trail became a popular one or two-day hike to the crest of the San Gabriel Mountains by local residents for years to come. 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... San Gabriel Mountains The San Gabriel Mountains are located in northern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, USA. The mountain range forms a barrier between the Greater Los Angeles Area and the Mojave Desert. ... Mount Wilson is one of the more prominent peaks in the San Gabriel Mountains, part of the Angeles National Forest in Los Angeles County, California. ... San Gabriel Mountains The San Gabriel Mountains are located in northern Los Angeles County and western San Bernardino County, California, USA. The mountain range forms a barrier between the Greater Los Angeles Area and the Mojave Desert. ...

In 1873, Wilson and Griffin subdivided their land (with Griffin getting almost 2/3 of the property, but Wilson retaining some better land (east of current Fair Oaks Avenue), near his Lake Vineyard property. Griffin then sold 2,500 acres of his property to the "Indiana Colony," represented by Daniel M. Berry. In 1876, after the Colony had sold most of its allotted land and established what would become the City of Pasadena, Wilson began subdividing and developing his adjacent landholdings which would become the eastern side of the new settlement. 1873 (MDCCCLXXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... An acre is the name of a unit of area in a number of different systems, including Imperial units and United States customary units. ... The Indiana Colony is considered the first white settlement of the area known today as Pasadena, California. ... 1876 (MDCCCLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. ...

Legacy

Wilson lived out his days in present-day San Gabriel. He gave several acres of property to his son-in-law James de Barth Shorb which he named San Marino. Other parts developed as Alhambra. The Huntington Library sits on the site of Shorb's home. Wilson's first wife died in 1849 after which time he married the widow Margaret Hereford. They would have four children of which one daughter Ruth would marry George Patton, Sr. and have a son who would become the WWII General George S. Patton, Jr. The Pattons would later purchase Lake Vineyard. Wilson died at the ranch in 1878 and was buried in San Gabriel Cemetery. The last of his land holdings in the downtown Pasadena area were bequeathed to Central School on South Fair Oaks Avenue. Image File history File linksMetadata Benjamin_Davis_Wilson. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Benjamin_Davis_Wilson. ... The Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough The Huntington Library is an educational and research institution established by Henry Huntington in San Marino, California, USA. In addition to the library, there is an art collection and botanical gardens. ... General George Smith Patton Jr. ... A bequest is the disposition of property by will. ...

Mount Wilson, a metromedia center for the greater Los Angeles area, is the most famous monument to Benjamin Wilson. Wilson Avenue in Pasadena and Don Benito School of the Pasadena Unified School District also honor his name. Mount Wilson is one of the more prominent peaks in the San Gabriel Mountains, part of the Angeles National Forest in Los Angeles County, California. ... The Pasadena Unified School District is responsible for the schools of Pasadena, California. ...

References

Nickname: Steel City, Iron City, City of Champions, City of Bridges, City of Colleges, P-Burgh, The Burgh Motto: Benigno Numine Location in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Allegheny County Founded 1758 Mayor Luke Ravenstahl (D) Area - City 151. ...

External links

Categories: 1811 births | 1878 deaths | Historic California people | Californios | Mayors of Los Angeles | Pasadena, California | People from the San Gabriel Valley Alpheus P. Hodges was the first mayor of Los Angeles after the city was incorporated on April 4, 1850. ... This is a list of mayors of Los Angeles, California. ... 1851 (MDCCCLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... John Greg Nichols served as mayor of Los Angeles, California between 1852 and 1853 and again from 1856 to 1859. ... This is a list of mayors of Los Angeles, California. ... This is a copyrighted and/or trademarked logo. ... Alpheus P. Hodges was the first mayor of Los Angeles after the city was incorporated on April 4, 1850. ... John Greg Nichols served as mayor of Los Angeles, California between 1852 and 1853 and again from 1856 to 1859. ... Antonio F. Coronel (1817â€”1894) Los Angeles mayor from 1853-54. ... Stephen C. Foster (1822â€”1898) was the first mayor of Los Angeles under American rule. ... Thomas Foster was a physician and responsible for the first schoolhouse to be built at Spring and 2nd streets. ... Stephen C. Foster (1822â€”1898) was the first mayor of Los Angeles under American rule. ... He was a mayor of Los Angeles. ... John Greg Nichols served as mayor of Los Angeles, California between 1852 and 1853 and again from 1856 to 1859. ... Damien Marchessault (or Marchesseau) (April 1, 1818 – January 20, 1868) was Mayor of Los Angeles, California from May 9, 1859 to May 9, 1860 and then again from December 27, 1860 to January 7, 1861. ... Henry Mellus (died 1860) served as Mayor of Los Angeles from May 9, 1860 to December 26, 1860. ... William Woodworth served as the Mayor of Los Angeles, California. ... Damien Marchessault (or Marchesseau) (April 1, 1818 – January 20, 1868) was Mayor of Los Angeles, California from May 9, 1859 to May 9, 1860 and then again from December 27, 1860 to January 7, 1861. ... Jose Marcarel (1816â€“1899) was mayor of Los Angeles, California from May 5, 1865 to May 10, 1866. ... Cristobal Aguilar (1815 â€“ April 11, 1883) was a pioneer of Los Angeles, California politics in the early days of American rule. ... Joel Turner was the mayor of Los Angeles between 1868 and 1870. ... Cristobal Aguilar (1815 â€“ April 11, 1883) was a pioneer of Los Angeles, California politics in the early days of American rule. ... James R. Toberman (1836 - January 26, 1911) served two non-consecutive terms as mayor of Los Angeles, California. ... Prudent Beaudry (1818 - 1893) served as mayor of Los Angeles, California from 1874 to 1876. ... Frederick A. MacDougal Los Angeles mayor from 1876-78. ... Bernard Cohn (1835-1889) Mayor of Los Angeles for only 15 days, he was appointed to the position after the death of Frederick A. MacDougal in 1878. ... James R. Toberman (1836 - January 26, 1911) served two non-consecutive terms as mayor of Los Angeles, California. ... Cameron E. Thom (1825 - February 2, 1915) served as mayor of Los Angeles, California from 1882 to 1884. ... Edward F. Spence was a two-term mayor of Los Angeles from December 9, 1884 to December 14, 1886. ... William H. Workman (1839-1918) was a two-term mayor of Los Angeles, California from December 14, 1886 to December 10, 1888. ... John Bryson served as Mayor of Los Angeles for a few months in 1889. ... Henry Thomas Hazard (July 30, 1844–August 7, 1921) was born in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. ... William Hartshorn Bonsall was acting mayor of Los Angeles from December 5, 1892 â€“ December 12, 1892 and served on the city council representing the 3rd ward from 1889 to 1894. ... Thomas E. Rowan (1842â€”1901) served as Mayor of Los Angeles from 1892 until 1894. ... Frank Rader (April 8, 1848â€”March 28, 1897) served as Mayor of Los Angeles from 1894 until 1896. ... Meredith Pinxton Snyder (1859â€”April 7, 1937) Was four time mayor of Los Angeles serving 1896â€”1898, 1900â€”1904 and 1919â€”1921. ... Fred Eaton (1856-1934) was Mayor of Los Angeles, California, USA from 1898 through 1900. ... Meredith Pinxton Snyder (1859â€”April 7, 1937) Was four time mayor of Los Angeles serving 1896â€”1898, 1900â€”1904 and 1919â€”1921. ... Owen McAleer (February 3, 1858â€“March 7, 1944) served as mayor of Los Angeles, California from 1904 to 1906. ... Arthur C. Harper (1866â€“1948) was a single term mayor of Los Angeles, California from December 13, 1906 to March 11, 1909. ... William Dennison Stephens (December 26, 1859 in Eaton, Ohio - April 24, 1944 in Los Angeles, California, USA) was a U.S. political figure. ... George Alexander (September 21, 1839-August 2, 1923) was a two term Mayor of Los Angeles. ... Henry R. Rose was Mayor of Los Angeles from July 1913 to July 1915. ... Charles Edward Sebastian (March 30, 1873 - April 17, 1929) was the 36th mayor of Los Angeles, California, serving from 1915 to 1916. ... Frederick Thomas Woodman (June 2, 1871â€”March 25, 1949) served as mayor of Los Angeles, California from 1916 to 1919. ... Meredith Pinxton Snyder (1859â€”April 7, 1937) Was four time mayor of Los Angeles serving 1896â€”1898, 1900â€”1904 and 1919â€”1921. ... George Edward Cryer (1875 – 1961) was a U.S. political figure. ... John Clinton Porter, born in Leon, Iowa (April 4, c. ... Frank L. Shaw (1887â€”1957) was an American politician that served as Chairman of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the mayor of Los Angeles, California from July 1933 to September 1938. ... Fletcher Bowron (1887 â€“ 1968) was a four-term reform mayor of Los Angeles, California from September 26, 1938 until June 30, 1953. ... C. Norris Poulson (July 23, 1895 â€“ September 25, 1982) served as mayor of Los Angeles, California from 1953 to 1961, after having been a California state assemblyman and then a member of the United States Congress for eight years. ... Yorty on the cover of Time magazne, September 2, 1966 Samuel William Yorty (October 1, 1909 â€“ June 5, 1998) was an outspoken politician from Los Angeles, California. ... Mayor Tom Bradley of Los Angeles, 1973-1993 Thomas (Tom) Bradley (December 29, 1917 â€“ September 29, 1998) was the mayor of Los Angeles, California from 1973 to 1993 (five terms) and the first African American mayor of that city. ... Richard J. Riordan Richard J. Riordan (born May 1, 1930) is a Republican politician from California, who served as the California Secretary of Education from 2003â€“2005 and as Mayor of Los Angeles from 1993â€“2001. ... James Kenneth Jim Hahn (born July 3, 1950) is an American politician from the Democratic Party. ... Antonio Ramon Villaraigosa (born Antonio Ramon Villar, Jr. ...

Contents

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