José Abrego

José Abrego (3 Mar 1813 – 3 April 1878) was a 19th-century Californian merchant. He arrived in Alta California in 1834 as a member of Compania Cosmopolitan A, part of the Hijar-Padrés colony. It was led by José Maria Hijar and Don José Maria Padrés. Abrego became a merchant in Monterey, California, and held a variety of political offices. He served as treasurer of the territory from 1839 to 1846. After the Mexican–American War, he continued to operate as a merchant. He became very wealthy and built a home that is still preserved in Monterey.

Abrego was born in Mexico City, Mexico. He married Maria Josefa Casilda Aniceta Estrada, a native Californio born in Monterey, in about 1836. She was half-sister of California Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado.

Arrival in Alta California

On August 17, 1833, and on April 16, 1834, the Diputación de Alta California (legislature) passed legislation to secularize the California missions. In Mexico, acting Mexican president Valentín Gómez Farías, a liberal reformer, appointed José María de Híjar and D. José María Padrés to lead a group of 239 colonists to establish secular control of Alta California. Híjar, a wealthy landowner, was appointed governor to replace Figueroa, and Padrés, an army officer, was appointed military commander. The colonists were farmers and artisans, and were volunteers carefully selected by Farías. His objective was to modernize and strengthen Mexican rule over California, as a bulwark against the growing influence of Russia and the United States.

José Figueroa, governor of Alta California, was charged with secularizing the Francisco mission lands. He was determined that one-half of the mission lands should be held in trust for the indigenous people. Rumors circulated from Mexico that the Hijar was intent on taking the mission estates, and that Padrés had selected administrators from among his companions to oversee the remaining mission lands. They believed the arriving settlers were planning to take possession of the mission lands. Figueroa decided not to wait, and on August 9, 1834, approved a secularization program written by José Antonio Carrillo. Some members of the Híjar-Padrés colony launched a brief rebellion against Figueroa in Los Angeles, which failed. Figueroa had Híjar and Padrés arrested,

Life in Monterey

Abrego had been a hatter in Mexico, and continued that trade in Monterey. He built a one-story Monterey-style adobe home in 1834 that is still in use today. In December 1834, Abrego opened a shop in what is now called the Pacheco House, across the street from his home. Poet, author, and historian Bayard Taylor wrote about a party he attended at Abrego's home in 1849 in his book El Dorado. José wrote a note that he left inside it, on which he wrote: ] arrived with his vessel in Monterey, and I engaged him to bring me a piano on his next trip to this country. In March, 1843, he returned to this city in a brigantine; he had three pianos on board. I bought this one of him for $600. He then sailed to San Francisco, where General Vallejo purchased another of the pianos. The third one was afterward sold by Captain Smith to E. de Celis at Los Angeles.

The piano was a six-octave instrument made by Beitkopt & Harrtel in Leipzig. It was imported by Brauns & Focke of Baltimore, who specialized in importing fine German goods. It was still in the home in 1892.

Abrego was named administrator of Mission San Antonio in 1833 and 1834. He served as treasurer of the territory from 1839 to 1846. As the officer in charge of territorial finances, he was noted for his integrity and ability. He was later the customs officer and was elected to the assembly on October 6, 1845.

When California became a state, he relinquished his title and resumed his business as a merchant. He began making and selling soap which he continued until the California Gold Rush brought regular visits from merchant ships to the coast.

Land grants

Rancho San Jose y Sur Chiquito

Governor Juan Alvarado granted two square leagues of land in 1839 to Marcelino Escobar, Alcalde (or mayor) of Monterey. Rancho San Jose y Sur Chiquito was named for two bodies of water: San José Creek near Point Lobos and El Río Chiquito del Sur. Two of Escobar's sons, Juan and Agustin, obtained possession of the rancho shortly afterward, and sold it on August 26, 1841, to Doňa Maria Josefa de Abrego for about three cents an acre. She held power of attorney for her husband to buy and sell land. She paid $250, one-half in silver, and one-half in gold.

1898 map showing legal boundaries of Rancho San Jose Sur Chiquito following court approval of Castro's claim.

Later on, ownership was complicated by the fact that when Juan and Augustin Escobar sold the rancho to Josefa de Abrego in 1841, they didn't obtain permission from their other brothers and sisters. Under somewhat mysterious circumstances, on January 16, 1843, Maria Abrego deeded the land to a group of about 10 soldiers from the Monterey Presidio. It appears that the soldiers paid nothing, and a legend attached to the transfer says a gambler lost a rancho in a card game.

When Mexico ceded California to the United States following the Mexican-American War, the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo provided that the land grants would be honored. But the Land Act of 1851 required owners to prove their ownership, and Castro filed a claim for Rancho San Jose y Sur Chiquito with the Public Land Commission in on February 2, 1853. The commission denied Castro's claim on August 28, 1855, apparently invalidating Escobar's grant in 1839 and all transactions since then. Castro died in 1860.

In 1880, a lawsuit was filed in United States District Court to resolve all of the conflicting claims. Subject to the confirmation of the original claim by Castro, they awarded the Ashley heirs one-ninth; W. T. Baggett, who had bought one-half of the Ashley interest, one-ninth; J. S. Emery, two-ninths; Bassett estate, two-ninths; Sidney S. Johnson, two-ninths; and W. Van Dyke, successor to Kopsch, one-ninth. Joseph W. Gregg's claim to the north of San Jose Creek was also later validated, as were 27 other minor claims, mostly from squatters. All of the 32 claims from the 1880 lawsuit were invalidated as a result.

Rancho Punta de los Piños

Rancho Punta de Pinos covered a large portion of the Monterey Peninsula. Its borders extended from Point Cabrillo (the current location of the Hopkins Marine Station), followed the shore of Pacific Ocean west and south to Point Cypress, and then back to Point Cabrillo in a straight line. Governor Figueroa originally granted the rancho to José María Armenta on May 24, 1833. He died in 1838, and his widow sold it six years later on October 4, 1844, to Abrego for $160. Abrego received an affirming grant from Acting governor Manuel Micheltorena on October 4, 1844. By the time Abrego received his patent, county sheriff Henry DeGraw had acquired Leese's share, and Charles Brown had acquired Gleeson's share. On October 20, 1851, a judge ruled that the original grant was to Armenta and his heirs. Their mother did not have any legal interest in the property. The judge ruled that the eldest son, who was of legal age, had sold his rights to Abrego, but could not sell the rights of his three siblings. Each of the three minor children received a quarter interest in the land, and they in turn gave half to their attorney Pacificus Ord in lieu of fees. On September 2, 1852, Jacob P. Leese, Milton Little, and Santiago Gleeson petitioned the United States land commission for a patent on the land, based on the grant given by Governor Figueroa to Armenta. With the cession of California to the United States following the Mexican-American War, the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo provided that the land grants would be honored. As required by the Land Act of 1851, Abrego filed a claim for Rancho San Francisquito was filed with the Public Land Commission in 1853, and the grant was patented to José Abrego on June 8, 1862. On July 18, 1853, Abrego sold the land to Lewis F. Belcher, known as the "Big Eagle of Monterey", an American from New York who has first arrived in Monterey in 1842.

Limantour land claims

In 1853, Joseph Yves Limantour filed claims with the United States Public Land Commission, claiming that acting Mexican governor Manuel Micheltorena had granted him 47 square leagues (200,000 acres) of Mexican land grants. A week later he added claims to additional lands in Northern and Southern California totaling 924.34 square miles, or . The claims included eighty square leagues of Cape Mendocino;

United States Attorney Delia Torre presented additional evidence that the Limantour documents were fraudulent. He introduced a series of photographic enlargements that compared the Limantour documents side by side with land-grant documents of known authenticity. It was obvious that the lettering and the official seals on the Limantour papers were significantly different from the others. Abrego's testimony along with that of other witnesses was described in court as perjury.

José Abrego adobe

The Abrego home built in 1834 is privately owned today. It was designed by Don Estevan de la Torre, brother of Joaquin de la Torre, formerly alcalde of Monterey and secretary to Governor Pablo Vicente de Solá. Bought by smugglers, the anchor chain parted during a gale and the ship wrecked on the shore. The interior ceilings are high. The three interior French doors are made of teak salvaged from the deck of the wrecked Natalia.

The home was originally part of a complex of buildings owned by Abrego on the site, and he owned other buildings in Monterey, including a building across the street from the building now known as Casa de Oro, a general merchandise store operated by Joseph Boston & Co. She added modern plumbing and a new fireplace. She used the building as a studio until she sold it in 1924 to artist Mary Black. Black eventually purchased almost the entire city block on either side of Abrego Street. Landscape architect and movie set designer Florence Yoch designed the Casa Abrego gardens in 1955. The Monterey Foundation bought the building in 1956 to prevent its immediate destruction. The club leased the building and opened the building for luncheons in 1957. The Casa Abrego Club bought the adobe at 592 Abrego Street in 1959 from the Foundation. The Casa Abrego Club is a private ladies social club. The home is one of 55 historic sites along Monterey's Path of History. The club opens the building to the public during Christmas each year. At age 78 in 1892, Josefa Abrego had outlived all but five of her children. She continued to live in their home until she died on December 27, 1897. According to her obituary, "Her husband held successively the Office of Commissary of Police, Administrator of San Antonio Mission, Customs Officer, member of the Department Assembly and substitute member of the Superior Tribunal. From 1839 to 1846 be had charge of Territorial finances. In 1844 the deceased and her husband were made grantees of the Point Pinos Rancho, where Monterey. Pacific Grove, and Del Monte now are. He died in 1868 after having been declared by Judge Hoffman a perjurer in the celebrated Limantour land case."