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 The Historic Dominguez Rancho Adobe |
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T he Rancho San Pedro, which came to be known as the Dominguez Ranch, began as a
generous gift of 75,000 acres of land to a Spanish soldier in 1784. The
soldier's name was Juan Jose Dominguez. Forty-two years later, in 1826, his
nephew, Manuel Dominguez, built this adobe home for his new bride.
The vast Rancho spread out across most of what is now the South Bay region, from the Los Angeles River on the east, to the Pacific Ocean on the west. It encompassed what is now Compton, Gardena, Carson, Redondo Beach, Torrance, Palos Verdes Estates, Lomita, Rolling Hills Estate, Rancho Palos Verdes, San Pedro, Wilmington, Harbor City, and a part of Long Beach. At the ranch's center, perched atop Dominguez Hills, was the home of the Dominguez family.
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T he adobe ranch home contained six good-sized rooms, including a chapel. The home was built to last, with two-foot thick walls, heavy timbers and a flat, tarred roof. One hundred and seventy years later, it is still standing, and is open to visitors as an historical museum.
Since supplies were scarce in Old Los Angeles, most of the original furniture for the Dominguez family home had to carried by sailing ship around the cape of South America. Many of these furnishings are still on display at the Dominguez Ranch adobe.
Don Manuel Dominguez was one of the very few citizens of his era to hold public office under both the Mexican and U.S. governments in California. Before 1857, he was elected three times as Acalde (Mayor) and Judge; he was chosen as a delegate to the convention in Monterey which drew up the first State Constitution, and he later served as a Supervisor for Los Angeles County. The rancho was also the scene of the skirmish known as the " Battle of Rancho Dominguez", in 1846, during the U.S.-Mexican War.
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W hen the railroad was built between Los Angeles and the harbor
in 1869, Manuel Dominguez donated land from the rancho for the
the new venture. The Dominguez home also served as a convenient
and hospitable stopover for travelers on horseback or for those
taking the stagecoach between the Pueblo and the San Pedro port.
(Today, the L.A. Harbor is one of the largest and busiest ports
in the world.)
Manuel Dominguez & his bride, Maria Engracia Cota, had ten
children. Six survived (all daughters) and were raised at the
adobe home. They are remembered today by the many streets and
businesses named after their families. One of the Dominguez
daughters, Susana, married a man named Del Amo (a name familiar
to anyone in the South Bay because of the giant Del Amo Fashion
Center mall in Torrance). Another Dominguez daughter, Dolores,
took a husband named Watson (known today for the Watson Land
Company and Industrial Centers). A third daughter, Maria
Victoria, married a successful businessman named George Henry
Carson.
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G eorge & Victoria Carson moved into the Rancho's Victorian home next to the adobe home, where they lived until the 20th century dawned. The city of Carson is named after their son, John Manuel Carson, a key figure in the development of the South Bay in the 20th Century, and the head of the Dominguez Water Corporation.
Perched atop a gentle hill, and surrounded by acres of well-tended landscaping, the 170-year-old Dominguez Ranch Adobe is a peaceful oasis in the Los Angeles urban sprawl. The adobe home has been listed as California Historical Landmark No. 152. It is now an historical museum, open to the public for informative guided tours, during which visitors can learn more about life in the early days of Old California.
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The address is 18127 Alameda Street, in Carson. Just take the Alameda Street
exit from the Artesia (91) Freeway, head south a few blocks., and turn right
where the sign indicates.
T ours of the adobe home are given on the hour on Wednesday and Sunday 1,
2 and 3 PM. Group tours are welcomed and must be booked ahead. For more
information, phone (310) 603-0088.
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