Los Angeles County
Biographies
DOMINGO AMESTOY
Of the old-timers in California one of the names that can be recalled most fitly is Domingo Amestoy. He arrived in California shortly after the discovery of gold on American river. He engaged in mining but that was not his permanent vocation. His interests lay chiefly in the field of ranching and stock raising, and from his accumulating resources he made a handsome fortune and used it wisely and well.
He was born at St. Pierre d’ Irube, France, on August 25, 1824. The spirit of adventure was in him. At the age of fourteen, after completing his education, he left France and went to the Argentine in South America. He learned the trade of shoemaker and followed it at Buenos Aires until 1851. That year brought him California after a voyage of six months around Cape Horn. At San Francisco he remained a brief time and then went to the placer mines of Tuolumne and Calaveras counties, but he was not successful as a miner. He left the mines and came to Santa Barbara county and found employment on the Noriega ranch, and worked until he had saved enough to buy some sheep of his own. He brought his small band south to Los Angeles county and gradually accumulated a great many sheep, at one time owning fifty thousand head. He finally bought six hundred and eighty-five acres near Los Angeles from Griffin and General Rosecrans. From that time on he increased his holdings in Los Angeles and surrounding country. In 1888 he acquired forty-five hundred acres in the San Fernando valley known as the Encino Ranch. This has been one of the noted ranch holdings in Southern California. Not long after acquiring that magnificent property Domingo Amestoy retired, and his death occurred January 11, 1892. He was one of the original stockholders of the Farmers & Merchants Bank and the German-American Savings Bank, and he was one of the charter members of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce. He was also one of the original stockholders of the old horse street car lines. He gave his political support to the republican party and in religious faith was a Catholic. In all charitable and civic affairs he was always glad to do his part and was a credit to his country. He was kind to his friends and devoted to his family, and his word was considered as good as his bond.
Mr. Amestoy had already accumulated considerable property in California when in 1863 he went back to France, and on April 27th married a girl from his own country, Mary Elizabeth Aycaguer, who was on June 3, 1841 and passed away March 17, 1891, on the home ranch. She became the mother of thirteen children, eight of whom grew to maturity. Mrs. Juanita A. Gless, Anthony J. Amestoy, Mrs. Louise A. Sentous, and John B. Amestoy; these four are deceased and Peter D. Amestoy, Michel F. Amestoy, Joseph P. Amestoy and Mrs. Elizabeth A. Wells are living.
When Mr. Amestoy settled in southern California antelope were numerous in the San Fernando hills and he saw bear when brining his sheep through what is now Inglewood, thus finding wild game was abundant in this locality.
Transcribed
by Joyce Rugeroni.
Source: California
of the South Vol. V, by John Steven McGroarty, Pages
397-398, Clarke Publ., Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis. 1933.
© 2012 Joyce Rugeroni.
GOLDEN NUGGET'S LOS ANGELES BIOGRAPHIES