Los Angeles County CA Archives Biographies.....Bandini, Juan ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com January 1, 2006, 2:06 am Author: Luther A. Ingersoll (1908) JUAN BANDINI, a member of one of the earliest and most prominent families of California, is a son of Don Jose Marie Bandini, a venerable citizen of Santa Monica and grandson of Don Juan Bandini, who, during his lifetime, was one of California's most distinguished and exemplary citizens. He was a native of Peru and came to California in 1821 when it was Mexican territory. He lived for several years at San Diego and there married a daughter of Juan Estudillo. By this marriage his children were Arcadia, who became the wife of Don Abel Stearns, after his death marrying Col. Robert S. Baker; Josepha, who married Pedro C. Carrillo; Ysidora, who married Cave J. Coutts; Jose Marie and Juan. Of these children, Mrs. Baker and Jose Marie still survive and are residents of Santa Monica. Later Senor Bandini married Senorita Refugio Arguello, and of this marriage Dolores, widow of the late Charles E. Johnson; Margurite, Mrs. J. B. Winston, and Don Arturo still survive. Senor Bandini spent the last years of his life in Los Angeles. He owned large tracts of land in Southern California, among others, the Jurupa Grant, lying mostly in what is now Riverside County, where he for a time resided with his family. This land was granted to him in 1838 by the Mexican Government. In 1843 he established the little town of Agua Mansa (Gentle Water) upon the bank of the Santa Ana River which runs through the grant. He donated building sites to the settlers and aided them in the erection of a church. It became a pretty and romantic village and the business and social center for the surrounding country. He also owned extensive tracts of land in San Diego County, upon a portion of which is now located the city of San Diego. He was a man of broad information, an eloquent public speaker, whose counsel and opinion had much to do in shaping public affairs. He held various positions of public trust under the Mexican Government of California, not the least of which was the adminstration of San Gabriel Mission under secularization. He aided in making the first state constitution of California and was one of its most able and stalwart supporters. He died in Los Angeles in 1859. His daughters were all beautiful women of the most intelligent and charming California type and were social leaders of their day. Reference to Mrs. Arcadia B. de Baker and to her only surviving sistei, Mrs. C. E. Johnson, is made elsewhere in this work. Jose M. Bandini lived, for the most part of his active business life, on his ranch of 4,500 acres near Tia Juana, just over the Mexican line in Lower California. He retired and has lived at Santa Monica since 1894. The wife died in Los Angeles, October 18th, 1878. Besides Juan Bandini, the third of this name, there survive of her children, Mrs. Sarah B. Freeman, of Santa Monica, and Josefa, wife of James Thomas, of London, England. Juan Bandini, the third, married Miss Ida, daughter of William Frost, now of Florence, Colorado. The ceremony took place in San Pedio, January 18th, 1897. They have one son, Juan Bandini, Jr. The Bandini home is at 112 7 Second Street, Santa Monica. Additional Comments: Extracted from: Ingersoll's century history, Santa Monica Bay cities: prefaced with a brief history of the state of California, a condensed history of Los Angeles County, 1542 to 1908: supplemented with an encyclopedia of local biography and embellished with views of historic landmarks and portraits of representative people. Los Angeles: Luther A. Ingersoll (1908) File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/losangeles/bios/bandini247bs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/cafiles/ File size: 4.1 Kb