Xll 



PREFACE 



but develop an exceptional character. He received a 

 thorough education as a civil engineer, and became as 

 well a fine linguist. Acquiring liberal ideas and having 

 inherited a predilection for a larger liberty he resolved, 

 upon attaining his majority, to migrate to the great re- 

 public of the New "World and to visit California, going 

 by way of Cape Horn. His letters cover this period of 

 his life very fully, and detail his voyage and experiences 

 in the then undeveloped country. 



A man of culture and refinement, artistic sensibilities, 

 and a keen observer, of warm-hearted and religious tem- 

 perament, it was not remarkable that he became at once 

 closely identified with the best life of the New California. 

 Arriving in Los Angeles in 1855 he was made deputy 

 county clerk for three years and thus at once became of 

 public service to his chosen country. Later he served as 

 a deputy of Major Henry Hancock, the county surveyor, 

 under whom the celebrated "Hancock's Survey" was 

 made. 



Subsequently he served two terms, of two years each, 

 as county surveyor, during which he made many very 

 important surveys for the county. It fell to him to par- 

 tition for the Verdugo family, one of the oldest and 

 wealthiest of Spanish-Calif ornia, the rancho "San 

 Bafael" of 44,000 acres, or eleven Spanish leagues, being 

 one of four of the oldest grants from the King of Spain, 

 in Alta California. 



Declining the offer of a third term as county surveyor 

 he retired from public office and assumed the responsible 

 position of cashier of the Farmers' and Merchants' Bank, 

 in which corporation he was also a director. 



In June of 1877 he was married to Miss Josephine 

 Eosana Smith, and after a trip to Europe to visit his fam- 

 ily, Mr. and Mrs. Lecouvreur returned to Los Angeles to 

 make here their permanent home. In 1886 a serious ill- 

 ness caused a general decline in Mr. Lecouvreur 's health 

 and he retired from active business. 



This eminent civil engineer, accomplished scholar, de- 

 voted husband and man of exalted ideals, gave to his 



