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10 LA REINA LOS ANGELES IN THREE CENTURIES
had in mind the bringing of actual settlers, to cultivate the soil, to build up the
pueblos, and to afford protection to the government and the missions.
He had laid the plan before the Viceroy and upon arrival he proceeded to
select sites for the pueblos. He also planned for three more missions, one of which
was to be provided with a presidio, to be located on the Santa Barbara Channel.
San Buena Ventura was one of these, Santa Barbara another and the third was
Purisima ( near Point Conception)
San Jose, on the Rio Guadalupe near Santa Clara Mission, was the first pueblo
established. Fourteen families formed its population, and November 1777 was the
date of its founding.
On the Rio Porciuncula, in 1781, was founded the pueblo of Los Angeles, near
Mission San Gabriel and on the fertile spot beloved by Father Crespi. However,
it was done only after De Croix, Commandant General of the Northwestern Prov-
inces of Mexico, had recommended· the idea to Galves, who sent it with his approval
to Carlos the Third, King of Spain. When the plan had received the royal sanc-
tion it was returned in the form of an imperial regulation, with commendation for
De Neve.
De Neve Develops Gf\{ew Ideas for Los cAngeles
HE San Jose experiment in pueblo building was not an altogether happy one.
T The heads of families were mostly ex-soldiers, who did not take kindly to the
idea of working to support their wives and offspring.
De Neve therefore decided to experiment in a different direction in recruiting
citizens for the new pueblo of the south, and planned thoughtfully There seemed
no good reason why his elaborate, yet simple and common-sense program should not
have worked out perfectly
It called for 24 families from the farming element; strong, healthy, and of good
character and regular habits - fitas examples for the natives. They must remain
for at least ten years. Among them must be some skilled in the use of blacksmithing
and carpenter tools, and some capable as masons. For men with these few, simple
requirements, liberal offers were made.
As much land as he could conveniently work was to be given each farmer, and
it was actually his to use during his life and to pass on to his children at his death,
but not to mortgage or sell. A total of $116.50 was allowed each farmer per year
cash,
for two years, and $60 for each of the three following years; not in but in
useful goods and supplies, and at cost.
In addition to this, each settler was entitled to two horses, two mares, two cows
and a calf, a pair each of sheep and goats, a mule and a yoke of work steers. Of
tools, he was to have a plow-point, a spade, axe, hoe, sickle, a musket and a leather
shield. For the community at large were to be provided breeding animals, a black-
smithing outfit, crowbars, spades, woodworking tools, etc., at cost; to be paid for at
the end of five years in farm products, cattle and horses at market prices, for army
use.
The land-plotting plan was extremely simple. Four leagues, or 36 square miles,
constituted the pueblo. This was centered about a plaza 275 feet one way by 180 the
other Building lots of 55-foot frontage faced the plaza. Each settler was permitted
to cultivate two seven-acre tracts outside the residential district; in addition, he had
free range for his stock on pueblo lands lying beyond.
All this planning by De Neve was done with care, and apparently with an
honest and sincere desire to be both liberal and just. It should have succeeded, so
it looks to us at this time, and doubtless would have, but for two reasons his
settlers were not of the right material for pioneers, and there were not enough
available. It was a failure. Only 12 families could be secured in Mexico, instead
of the 24 desired; and none of them measured up to the standard requisite in such
an ambitious undertaking. Lieutenant Jose Zuniga arrived in San Gabriel with the
first personally conducted overland excursion. It consisted of only 11 families, the
other one having been mysteriously lost en route. Another outfit, packing supplies
and driving stock via a different route, was wiped out by Indians.
But De Neve was undaunted. Notwithstanding the misfortunes and disappoint-
ments, he cleared the plaza and homesites of cactus and chaparral, staked out the
pueblo, and made a gay and festive attempt to erect an adequate and suitable cere-
monial arbor. But it was all rather pathetic.