Juana Ridington

Juana de Dios Machado Alipás de Wrightington, also known as Jaunita Machado, Juana Ridington or Juana Machado (8 March 1814 – 24 December 1901) was a Californio pioneer and nurse known as the Florence Nightingale of San Diego. She was a nurse and midwife, and translator, despite being illiterate, during the Mexican-American War. She nursed the wounded at the Battle of San Pasqual, and helping the local community.

Life and family Born Juana Machado on 8 March 1814, to José Manuel Machado, a senior soldier in the first fortified base of the Spanish in the Mexican region, the Presidio of San Diego. Her mother was Serafina Valdez, the daughter of another leading soldier in the presidio, and she was one of nine children.

Conflicts and nursing Her life was described in an interview reported in The Historical Society of Southern California Quarterly (1959), translated from the original of 1878.

She recalled full details of being with her father and family as part of the expeditionary forces, including witnessing her father scalping a local native who was a thief and insurgent after stabbing him during a fight. She reported that later all Spanish or native men, women and children had their hair braids cut during the transition from Spanish colony to Mexican governance, and had felt the shame that her father showed bringing his cut hair home.

Although illiterate, Wrightington was one of the first woman of Spanish descent to be able speak fluently in English, Spanish and the local languages. However later in life, her lack of documentation meant that she effectively lost her assets in the changes of governments, and so died in relative poverty, whilst living with her daughter Maria Arcadia Israel.