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Home My WebLink AboutCORRESPONDENCE - 20BSalas, Diana From: Sent: To: Cc: Subject: Attachments: Dear Mayor and Council, Manuel Escamilla <manueljescamilla@gmail.com> Monday, May 18, 2020 9:19 PM eComment Ridge, Kristine; Rudloff, Lisa Public Comment for Agenda Item No. #2013 WPA report - Refugio Adobe.pdf I appreciate the remarkable efforts that Parks and Recreation staff have undertaken to get these grants. I simply wanted to bring attention to the proposed site at Raitt/Myrtle. The park appears to be in the approximate [best guess] location of the "El Refugio" adobe owned by Jose Sepulveda. According to Chris Jepsen at the OC Archives: "it looks like the main adobe's location was about '/< mile south of 1st St. and '/ mile west of Bristol, just east of what was then the end of Artesia St. (now east of the the NE corner of Raiff and Myrtle)." This adobe is the oldest known European structure that was located within the present boundaries of Santa Ana. I've attached the relevant research and background provided by Chris to be included in the public record. Further information on early adobes can be found in the Santa Ana History Room's WPA collection. If at all possible I believe that: 1. The park should be named in honor of the El Refugio Adobe 2. a)That the final design incorporate a historical marker if possible within the existing funding level. or b) Provide a space in which a future marker may be placed pending additional funding. Stay golden, Manny Escamilla Manuel J. Escamilla httl)s://www.escamillaforsantaatia.org/ https://www.facebook.com/MannvForSA/ btti)s://www.instagram.com/full metal archivist/ Master of Urban and Regional Planning I Design and Development, 2018 UCLA I Luskin School of Public Affairs I Department of Urban Planning Master of Library and Information Science I Archival Studies, 2014 UCLA I Graduate School of Education I Department of Information Science Mobile 714.585.5523 rAWN W. P. A. R F S E A R C H #3105 Sponsored By P R O J E C T P. 0 A R D 0 P E D U C A T I 0 N S A N T A A N A F. A. Henderson, Superintendent of Schools W. W. Wieman, Sponsors Representative This on the adobes of Or .nr°e County L1Yld.el t,3lLe1'! I. A. 1'e(;Ul?r essiCned. Subject by The Historical Rece^rch Project #3105 of tine l7crl=s ProiTcnic Administration, sponsored by the Santa Ana Board. of Education, and up.rt of its mnteria.l nra:, drn.v!n fro;n records of the S.E.R.A. Project ,-31-F2-96. The corwiler n.nd author, Mr. C. E. Roberts, has devoted far more time rnd. attention to Lis task th^.n mere duty would require a.m! his accoia- }' pli=hment, evid.eneed herein, should -,Ive him e. nlaee in the first rank of Research historians, It is witlY olcasure and r'rp..titud.e tIV t this interostin- volume is submitted, toClether vAth the ]Zooe 1;1Y=.t its contents will be rendered. the e.pprecintive consideration which they so '.'ell deserve. G. E. Ashby, Supervisor. WPA-Orange County Historical Research Project d3105 Santa Ana, CalLfornia-1936-�.,. R A N C H O S A N.T I A G 0 de S A N T A A N A WEST SANTA ANA GROUP (5 Bldgs.) "El RefuE io'l or "Jose Sepulveda" "Julian ChaVes" "Bates" Wl L ! n! R G U! Y V �. vo Spry°� ,� � ,'/ell 1 J J qC.C�� . \ 'r � �/ •Sal.. c.! o r.N 14.4 . Pr�.gl ,C.� t i� i .r°ha,• ::l;,.�a5', %�, J /} . ,_-- yDR,(f/t �ri %1 z ; r AV [I ? e Ct : � C Try ° R.10 �• �„r„QyQd,Yc& f �� / •i°ChS "¢r1nch C ou rt atv /raCofde rJ Q{( eQ `•�� w:,i Sa�taA a House of Gog0.te? Sep/✓ec/a 'y C£/Peof rT ORANGE 001NTY ADOBES �;✓ Santa Ana Group "El Refugio" Adobe See map RSA-2.,,.and 3 This group, of whi'oh "El Refugio" was the beet known, was situated in the westdrn portion of the present city of Santa Ane. "Eltefugia" was the home of•Don Jose Sepulveda (see map RSA-2)..and was situated, at the south, end of Artesia Street.S A Sepulveda was owner of the Rancho "Pan Joaquin" and bought a portion ;on the "Santiago de Santa Ana" from Don Jesus, Dominguez and wife in 1849. Domingo "Yorba, howevery.claimed the land to the north and the claims were aver -lapping; so Sepulveda pur- ohased from Yorba in.1860.• Domingo Yorba had quite an adobe and called his place 114'.Refugio" before 1860.. When Jose Sepulveda purchased ho.Added to the adobe and retained the name. Old timers recall that the,adobe buildings were quite extensive and in the •shape of an L; 'that there were great oorrale to the southeast and that there was a famous'spring to the west. Tony Yorba, eon of Domingo, pays that. his father, built the row of rooms running east. to wept and that Sepulveda ' added the long L tufting to the south... Adolph M. Sepulveda, grandbon of Jose, pays that he was born at !+E1 Refugio" in 1671 and was sacred from a; fire'which destroyed much of. the building in Uoroh 1671.;•..The part that survived the fire was leveled by Mart Hubbard about 1876. This adobe has achieved 'fame ppartly by its unusual dimensions and mostly from its assoolation with the hospitable and wealthy Don Jose.Sepuiveda. Here Sheriff Barton and his man breakfasted before they were Filled by the bandit 81ores and here Were celebrated many a ohiistening, wedding'and rodeo feast. with •a, gathering of the powerful 'Sepulveda olan. , Don Jose Sepulveda had three American sons-in-law. Two of them, T. D. Mott rind Salisbury Fraley came into control of hie extensive holdings on the Rancho "Santiago de Santa Ana"' in 1864. Division and sale followed soon after and the adobe was allowed to crumble.. "%3 a i e„S" A b Of equal importance and dimensions in the earlier days perhaps, were some of the neighboring adobes. The heirs of Jose ;Antonio Yorba It were the first to occupy this region and built quite extensive improvements to the north almost to the mouth of the Santiago Creek (see map, RSA #3). The -places marked "Julian Chaves"', "Old Houser and "Adobe House" were occupied by early American settlers and no doubt had the above mentioned, �,. common origin. The "Adobe House". shown.on the McFadden tract (on 17tit street) was owned and occupied by one A. T. Bates in V. .• Z 70 Y • ROO S GNAVES -rt?AGTihare). �br o. ba0 S�!OL&t) LA a AID t 2IIa�H.r„yam ./9fa a �'' • a �: \ � Q � + Sih pa�fof tdeS�P�(uadATa�� . ov yYLst Santa Ana • ALL TOLr�t v,;.) `rib• /S7icol S'ury-N • Zo Cbs Cga.rds) => rncf, of Cour1?SYRQeovjIPA -rr e. d..bY � k R• 1:� I 9 the 701s. Mrs. Emma Cordell and her husband lived there, 1879- 1881, when they managed a dairy for Mr. Bates. She says that Mr. Bates put in redwood floors and otherwise improved it so as to make it very comfortable. It served as residence for some years afterward, then it was allowed to decay. It is remembered by Ernest Ross as ruined walls about 1900. A. T. Bates is remembered as a 149er and pioneer in this county, a tall, spare, be -whiskered man with many a tale of frontier days. Southeast of "El Refugio" on the map is "Cogate" Sepul- veda which was probably the adobe home of Andronica Sepulveda, son of Don Jose. This region had no running streams in ordinary seasons but was dotted with fine springs of good water sufficient for the cattle and for domestic use. Very little farming was carried on and the scant crops were dependent upon the moist soil rather than rainfall or irrigation. With regard to origin this group might well be called Jose Antonio Yorba, Group No. 2. R WPA-Orange County Historical Research Project #3105 Santa Ana, California 1936 KRM Rn