Riverside to Los Angeles

After spending two days at the Rubidoux Ranch, Alonzo left on February 5^th and traveled 18 miles to the Isaac Williams Ranch, in today’s city of Chino, where they stayed for two days. The ranch had extensive vineyards of grapes and peaches. Williams charged 7 dollars per week for beef and cornbread and the privilege of sleeping on the ground.

On February 7^th Alonzo wrote, “Traveled 15 miles. Barrett and myself started for the Pueblo Del Los Angelos and stayed with Mr. Rowland an American farmer from Pittsburgh.” This area of Los Angeles is now known as Rowland Heights.

The Barrett he mentions was a member of their original company from Cleveland OH—an interesting coincidence of names but no relation. When I first read the diary I thought it would be extraordinary if ancestors from my mother and father’s families had traveled the gold rush trail together.

On February 8^th they arrived at the City of Angels, described as, “A great mud city of about 4000 inhabitants, Indians and Spanyards mixed together so that it makes a dark brown compound of inhabitants. One Roman Catholic Church, 3 taverns, several places of trading."

The church, Nuestra Senora Reina de Los Angeles, was originally built in 1781, and replaced by the current building, a replica, in 1822.

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Nuestra Senora Reina de Los Angeles

On Sunday February 10^th he noted, “Moving and looking about town, fine specimens of humanity. Most all with a blanket on and mostly barefooted. Great country this.”

We took the Pomona Freeway from Riverside into Los Angeles. I had looked forward to photographing the historic plaza and Olvera St. filled with people, but we found an empty square, the result of the Pacific storms.

Historic Los Angeles

We headed north toward San Francisco on Hwy 101

Alonzo remained in Los Angeles until February 16^th when he traveled 25 miles south to San Pedro on the coast, probably following the current Alameda St. He met some of his companions there, and on the 17^th, after eight months on the trail, they boarded the ship, Capt. Lincoln, bound for San Francisco and gold.