San Benito-San Diego-San Francisco County CA Archives Biographies.....Raggio, Luis 1821 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 28, 2007, 10:19 pm

Author: Luther A. Ingersoll, Editor (1893)

LUIS RAGGIO.—The subject of this sketch was born in Italy, seventy-two years
ago; but in spite of a life of great activity he is still well reserved and as
capable of work as most men of fifty. His father was a large farmer in his
native land, but at the age of twenty-one young Luis acquired a longing for life
in America and came to New Orleans, where he remained for five years, during
most of which time he acted as pilot on the Mississippi river. From that city he
came to San Diego, California, via Mexico, and from there went to San Francisco,
where he remained one winter; thence returned down to the coast to Monterey,
where he engaged in lumbering, and owned and operated a primitive whip sawmill,
on the Polero, and later the San Francisquito ranch. He furnished the lumber for
the old Washington Hotel and also the old Pacific hotel, at Monterey, two relics
of the by-gone prosperous days of old Monterey. Such lumber as he was able to
produce at that time sold for $340 per M.

  In 1849 he went to San Luis Obispo, opened a general merchandise store and
operated it successfully. In 1853 he obtained a contract from the United States
to supply the Indians and the army at Fort Miller, at the head of the San
Joaquin river. When the garrison moved to Washington Territory, Mr. Raggio went
to Visalia, where he built and conducted the Eagle Hotel. After three years he
moved to San Luis Obispo, on account of sickness, and there he engaged in
farming and stock raising. In the dry year of 1863-'64 he moved to San Juan,
where he has ever since remained and has held an influential position in the
community.

  At first he was engaged in the butchering business, but now is the owner of
1,200 acres of fine land near San Juan, which is devoted principally to the
raising of cattle. In San Luis Obispo he was appointed the first Justice of the
Peace and was also Associate Justice in the District Court of that county. He is
an accomplished linguist, speaking fluently French, Spanish, English, Portuguese
and Italian. He was elected in 1890, to the office of Supervisor in the
important district of San Juan; has faithfully attended to the duties of the
office intrusted to him and still retains that office, in 1892.

  Our subject married Marie Einisa, whose father was a native of Spain, by this
lady he has six living children, four sons and two daughters.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Memorial and Biographical History of the Coast Counties of Central California.

Illustrated.

Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast from the
Earliest Period of its Discovery to the Present Time, together with Glimpses of
its Auspicious Future; Illustrations and Full-Page Portraits of some of its
Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of many of its Pioneers, and Prominent
Citizens of To-day.



HENRY D. BARROWS,
Editor of the Historical Department.

LUTHER A. INGERSOLL,
Editor of the Biographical Department.

"A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will
never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote
descendants."-Macaulay.


CHICAGO: THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY.
1893.


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