DIVISION ONE — PRE-PASADENIAN. 69 



THE WILSON AND GRIFFIN OWNERSHIP. 



The next step in the evolutional progress of San Pasqual Rancho was 

 in 1867, when B. D. Wilson and Dr. Griffin as joint owners had a ditch 

 made to convey the waters of the Arroyo Seco from Devil's Gate up onto 

 the second bottom, with a view to irrigate the land and raise alfalfa hay for 

 summer feeding of their ranch stock. -'^ Judge Eaton had the job of making 

 the ditch, which was at first only a small dirt-bed channel, and extended 

 down to the knoll or rise of ground east of the old Tirrell house where John 

 W. Wilson resided from 1871 till 1890. Judge Eaton also "bossed the 

 job" of building this adobe tenant house, which was for the use of a man 

 named Tirrell, who was then engaged in working the land, while a man 

 named Sam Kramer had charge of the stock ranging on the ranch. The al- 

 falfa land, to keep the stock ofi" from it, was fenced with pickets and posts 

 brought down over the old trail from Wilson's Peak ; and the house was 

 roofed with shakes from the same source, some of which can be seen there 

 yet [1894]. This Wilson ditch was the first attempt made to lead the waters 

 of the Arroyo Seco out upon the summer-desert mesa lands and make them 

 habitable by civilized man ; and it presented to the eye in a most striking 

 manner the famous California illusion of "water running up hill." 



COMPLETE CHAIN OF TITLE OF RANCHO SAN PASQUAL, FROM 1 769 TO 1 874. 



There has been some variance of opinion and an occasional dispute as 

 to who originally owned the Rancho San Pasqual ; and semi-occasionally a 

 rumor is whispered around that somebody, somehow, somewhere, is going to 

 rip up the title, and play smash generally with the conveyance tenures of its 

 present occupants. I have therefore taken pains to collect and prepare a 

 succinct schedule of dates, names and conveyance of title from the first — a 

 body of most valuable historical matter which has never before been collect- 

 ed or made public. 



In 1769 the Spanish crown first took formal possession and made occu- 

 pancy of Upper California, under Gov. Portola, although certain navigators 

 had claimed the country for Spain nearly a century before. (See Chap i.) 



In 1 77 1 the Mission San Gabriel was established, and it took possession 

 of the territory now comprised in Eos Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside 

 and Orange counties. Its tenure and jurisdiction of this territory was in ac- 

 cordance with Spanish law, and had the special sanction, confirmation and 

 support of the Spanish sovereign. 



In March, 1826, Father Zalvidea was removed from his position as 

 Friar Superior ot San Gabriel, which he had held for twenty years, and sent 

 to San Juan Capistrano. He had overworked himself and everybody else at 



*In the county assessment of 185S B. D. Wilson is taxed on $20,648 valuation ; Dr. J. S. Griffin on 

 $15,000 ; and Abel Stearns on $[86,586. But Stearns' assessment included property which rightly be- 

 longed to his father-in-law, Don Juan Bandini, who had trusted him to manage his estates. 



