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.