earthquake of 1868, and on the site Charles Webb Howard built his Bear Valley 

 Ranch. 44 



The will of Rafael Garcia asked that he be buried "in a sacred graveyard, 

 either in my ranch or any other," that one acre be sold with the proceeds to be 

 "applied in masses for the good of my soul," that "the land which constitutes the 

 cemetery be left for the benefit of my heirs" (no such cemetery exists today; the 

 Olema Cemetery was established almost 20 years later), that his widow receive 

 the Garcia house and "the property on which it was situated, and a third part of 

 my lands," and that the remaining lands be divided "in equal parts among my 

 heirs." Hard times followed for the Garcia heirs. They divided the 3,089 acres 

 he had left to them into seven parcels, and soon most of it was gone. 45 



Many of the settlers were covetous of the Garcia lands. In a story so like 

 that of so many other Californios, the Garcia lands dwindled into nothing. By 

 1880, most of the 3,089 acres left by Don Rafael to his heirs were in the hands 

 of the American settlers, principally James McMillan Shafter. 



The lands of Maria Loreta Garcia were very nearly lost to her in 1872, 

 when the sheriff threatened "to take everything she owned" when she became 

 indebted to the local grocery store for $396. She apparently settled the bill, for 

 in 1873, she was residing in her home nearby. 



Calamity then struck the Garcia family. On April 17, 1873, the "Senora" 

 was visited by a young blacksmith who wished to marry her. After some 

 heated discussion, in which she apparently refused, the blacksmith pulled a 

 Navy pistol and shot Senora Garcia in the breast. She fell to the floor and was 

 attempting to rise when he fired again, this tune at her head, killing her. After 

 trying to burn the adobe, he fled to a nearby home, where in front of horrified 

 onlookers, he confessed his crime and shot himself in the temple. 46 



"Hoffman Report as cited in Munro-Fraser, Marin County, p. 192; Appendix A, Marin County, 

 District Court, Miscellaneous Series, Nos. 1-292, Suit Nos. 83, 22, 135, 122, 215, 197; Appendix B, 

 Marin County, District Court, Old Series, Nos. 1-238, Suit No. 72, California State Archives, 

 Sacramento, California; "Plat of the Rancho Tomales y Baulines finally confirmed to Rafael Garcia 

 as located by the U. S. Surveyor General . . . October 6th 1865 Containing 9467 77/100 acres," 

 Patent Book B, P. 65; Deed Book C, pp. 66, 94, MCRO; Hendry and Bowman, "Adobes," p. 125; 

 Mason, Point Reyes, p. 45. 



45 Probate Register B, p. 65 No. 61, Deeds Book H, p. 77, MCRO. Garcia's estate was valued at 

 $25,000 to $30,000. Garcia's surviving children were Maria Dolores (Hurtado), Maria Hilaria 

 (Noriel), Jose, Juan, Felipe, Feliz and Ava Thomas, a minor. 



^Munro-Fraser, Marin County, pp. 245. 



31 



