The Sepulveda’s vs. The Dominquez’s

Maureen Megowan, a realtor with Remax Estate Properties provides an article in a series titled "South Bay History Tidbits".

          The Sepulveda’s vs. The Dominquez’s

Shortly after Manuel Gutierrez assumed operating control over Rancho San Pedro in 1809, Gutierrez allowed a friend, Jose Dolores Sepulveda (also sometimes referred to as Don Jose Sepulveda ), to graze a thousand head of cattle in the southwest portion of the property known as Canada de Los Palos Verdes (Canyon of the Green Trees). Sepulveda built an adobe home here iand made significant improvements to the unused portion of the land. Sepulveda's adobe home (Registered California Landmark No. 383) is located in the Walteria section of Torrance, at Madison Street and Courtney Way.

Cristobal Dominguez, who claimed ownership of the Rancho San Pedro, but had not done anything to defend his title for 7 years, was upset with the arrangement Gutierrez made with Sepulveda when he found out about it and protested. It was assumed by Gutierrez that Dominguez had abandoned his claim to the rancho and that Gutierrez had every right to give young Jose Dolores Sepulveda permission to use the land.

In August 1817, Cristobal Dominguez finally filed a petition with Governor Pablo Vicente de Sola to have Sepulveda removed from the property and requested that Rancho San Pedro be fully granted to him by eliminating the ownership rights of Gutierrez . Gutierrez and Sepulveda refused to give up the land they worked so hard to improve. The governor issued a short poignant decree ordering Sepulveda from the rancho and granting provisional ownership to Cristobal Dominguez. Sepulveda refused to relinquish his home and appealed the governor's decree.  After receiving title to Rancho San Pedro, Dominguez remained in San Diego and never even visited the rancho.

On December 31, 1822, shortly after Mexico had gained its independence from Spain, Governor Sola formalized the land grant by confirming Cristobal Dominguez as owner of Rancho San Pedro. This was just the beginning, however, of a 24 year fight between the Sepulveda family and Dominquez families over ownership of the Rancho.