Abel_Stearns

Abel Stearns (February 9, 1798 – August 23, 1871) was a trader who came to Los Angeles in 1829 and became a landowner, cattle rancher and one of the area's wealthiest citizens.

Early life

Born in Lunenburg, Massachusetts, Abel Stearns went to Mexico in about 1826, where he became a naturalized citizen.^[1]

Los Angeles

In 1829 Stearns came to Monterey, California, then settled in Los Angeles when it was still a Mexican pueblo. He obtained a concession to build a warehouse in San Pedro. Later, he established a stagecoach route connecting San Pedro with Los Angeles. In 1831, he built a three-story flour mill on North Spring Street, Los Angeles. Soon Stearns became one of the most prominent and influential citizens of the pueblo.^[2]

Stearns served as the first alcalde (mayor) during the Mexican period (1821 - 1848) and president of Los Angeles under American rule. He was a delegate^[3] to the 1849 California Constitutional Convention, representing the district of Los Angeles; later he was assemblyman, Los Angeles supervisor^[4] and councilman.

In 1842 Stearns bought the 28,000-acre (110 km²) Rancho Los Alamitos. However, there was a drought between 1862 and 1864 which was said to have resulted in the death of 50,000 cattle on Stearns land alone. Stearns mortgaged the rancho to Michael Reese, who then purchased it at a sheriff's sale and Reese's estate then sold it to John Bixby.

In 1842 Stearns made the first shipment to the U.S. Mint of California gold on record. On July 8, 1843, his package of 1,834 ounces of placer gold was deposited in the Philadelphia Mint by Alfred Robinson.^[5]

Robinson Trust

By 1860, Stearns became the most important land owner in Southern California. Stearns who owned a whole collection of Ranchos, including Rancho La Habra, Rancho Los Coyotes, Rancho San Juan Cajón de Santa Ana, Rancho Las Bolsas, Rancho La Bolsa Chica, Rancho Jurupa and Rancho La Sierra (Sepulveda). He was a great cattle baron and was known as the richest man in California.

Stearns was among the hardest hit by the drought of 1863-65 causing the loss of thousands of cattle. By 1868 Stearns had suffered such financial reverses that he mortgaged all his ranch assets in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. To obtain the necessary operating capital, he formed a real estate sales partnership, with Alfred Robinson and four San Francisco investors (Samuel Brannan, E. F. Northam, Charles B. Polhemus, Edward Martin), that became known as the Robinson Trust in 1868. He turned over totaling 177,796 acres (720 km²), all but one of his ranches in San Bernardino and Los Angeles Counties to the Trust.

The era of the large cattle ranchos was on the way out. In its place came agriculture, as ranchos were broken up and generally sold in 40-acre farms and ranches. The Trust acted as sales agents for the subdivisions. In order to gain maximum coverage for their campaign, they linked themselves to the California Immigrant Union and helped guide that organization’s sales pitches. Despite considerable friction between Stearns and the other members of the trust, the trust nevertheless succeeded. By 1870 Stearns was out from under the debts incurred by the drought of the 1860s and was on his way to accumulating yet another fortune. But, before he could realize that fortune, he died while visiting San Francisco on August 23, 1871.

Family life

Stearns was nicknamed "Cara de Caballo" (Horse Face) because of his long-jawed countenance.^[6] In 1841 Stearns married Arcadia Bandini of the wealthy Bandini family. Stearns died in 1871 at age 82 in the Grand Hotel, San Francisco, California, and is interred at Calvary Cemetery, Los Angeles.^[7]

References