Los Angeles County
Biographies
ROMAN D. SEPULVEDA
The history of the Sepulveda family in California is a history of the San Pedro district, for it was here, on the Palos Verdes grant, that the progenitor of the family on the continent, Dolores Sepulveda settled and brought to Southern California some of the romantic splendor and customs of old Castilian Spain. Back in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the Sepulveda and Avila families were a part of the aristocracy and court life of old Castile, provinces were named for both families and they had great influence with king and court.
In the early part of 1800 both families gathered to celebrate the marriage of Dolores Sepulveda and Maria Ygnacia Avila, and the young couple started on their voyage to North America with their ultimate destination the Palos Verdes grant, on the shores of the Pacific, which had come to Dolores Sepulveda as a gift from the king of Spain in recognition of his services to the crown as a colonel in the Spanish Army. Here their children were born on the old rancho near San Pedro, these being Jose Loreto, Jose Diego, Teresa, Juan and Ygnacio. Dolores Sepulveda was killed by Indians while returning from a trip to Monterey.
Jose Diego, who was born in 1813, succeeded his father in the management of the large property holdings, and he added considerably to the property as one of the grantees of the San Bernardino Rancho in Yucaipa valley in 1842. He was prominent in public affairs and took and active part in the Flores revolt in 1846-1847. In the exciting times during the Mexican war he remained loyal to the United States and rendered aid to troops that came west. His marriage united him with Maria Francesco Elisalde, who was born in what was later known as Ramona’s home, the daughter of the overseer of San Diego Mission, and they settled on the Palos Verdes and raised stock on an extensive scale. Don Jose Diego Sepulveda became one of the well known men in southern California, a real don of the Spanish days in the state, with vast estates and retainers, making all travelers welcome, providing horses for them and extending every hospitality. He died from an accident in 1872, leaving a large estate even for those days. When his widow passed away a few years later she left three children: Aurelio W.; Roman D.; and Rudecinda Florencia.
Roman D. Sepulveda was born in what is now called the West Basin, between San Pedro and Wilmington, on August 9, 1854. He attended the public schools and later St. Vincent’s College in Los Angeles, and after finishing his studies he returned to San Pedro and has ever since been closely identified with its best interests. He helped build the roads in this section, dealt in real estate and erected many buildings of a substantial nature. He established the San Pedro water works, pumping the water into a reservoir in the village from living springs one and one-half miles distant. He was one of the organizers of the First National Bank of San Pedro and the Harbor District. His time and work are now devoted to the development of the Palos Verdes Rancho and the bringing to completion the vast plans made for the further development work; the larger golf club and other improvements in connection; development of the natural sulphur springs, one of the wonders of the state; a long wharf for fishing; the building of new roads to the shore and over the tract; and other extensive plans which will make the shore between San Pedro and Redondo one of the show places of the United States, of inestimable benefit to the whole community. This last a hobby of Mr. Sepulveda, to bring pleasure and benefit to the people, a trait no doubt handed down from his Spanish forebears, with whom hospitality was a sacred duty. Mr. Sepulveda hauled the brick used in building the Point Fermin lighthouse from Crawfish Landing at Timms point, in 1874. He was also instrumental in having the first electric street car line into San Pedro and also supplied the Salt Lake Railroad with water from his water works on Terminal Island. In 1868 he helped build the first steam road to Wilmington. When the United States government wanted a site for its big defense guns he sold two acres for fifteen hundred dollars, thereby saving the government some thirty-five thousand dollars, as there had been another site farther up the coast offered for forty thousand dollars and this Mr. Sepulveda considered excessive. The project now being carried out at Shite Point and at Point Fermin were visualized by him over thirty years ago.
With all of his life spent in or near the Harbor District, Mr. Sepulveda has some most interesting reminiscences to tell of early days. His first recollections are of walking three miles to school when a small child; ox-teams were used in ranch work and he had to do his share, helping with the planting, and that is still his hobby, for he has been planting flowers and trees and trying the different varieties to find which thrive best on his extensive holdings. It took about two yeas to build the family home near Wilmington of adobe brick, it requiring six months to dry the bricks before using them. He was the first child born in this home; Ruecinda Florencia (now Mrs. James H. Dodson) the second, and these two are the only ones left of a family of twelve children born to their parents. One of his earliest recollections is of the semi-annual trips made by the whole family to Los Angeles to observe Holy Week, and to take part in the fiesta which always lasted for a week following the church duties. They made the journey, then no small undertaking, with ox-teams and primitive wagons, covering about four miles a day and taking two weeks to make the round trip. Rawhide was stretched in lattice work across the interior of the carts and served for a bed at night; the primitive wooden wheels with wooden axles required constant greasing, which task fell to the smaller children, and he remembers one occasion when he neglected to grease in time and had to hunt for cactus, which they ground and used for moistening the axle to keep it from catching fire. These wagon wheels, their axles consisting of a stick driven through a block of wood, made a noise which could be heard for miles and was a signal for the people already gathered in Los Angeles to toll bells and celebrate, for the great Sepulveda family was coming. Prominent families gathered from as far as Santa Barbara on the north, and from San Juan Capistrano on the south, in Los Angeles, and were welcomed like royalty after the long trip. During fiesta week doors were open to everybody and all were made welcome and food given wayfarers; and horses and cows were given friends for their own use while in town. Huge barbecues were held, bull-fights took place in a ring back of the old Plaza church and cock-fights in Sonora town, each storekeeper having his thoroughbred cock tied by the leg in front of his place of business, and at last released to fight when the sight of his rival a few feet away had brought him to the height of belligerency. Mr. Sepulveda can just remember the last bull-fight held under the Spanish regime, when he was a small boy darting around taking in all the sights. After the sports of the day, the people would dance all night, and the round of pleasure would continue all week after Holy Week; hen again at the Christmas holidays the program would be repeated, thus bringing the prominent families together twice a year. Wide crinolines where then in style and long pantalets to the ankles, mantillas over the head and heavy veils over the face, both to protect the complexion and to keep away the glance of strangers.
Mormons used to come down about twice a year, bringing buffalo and deer skins to trade for ponies to take back with them. They used the old Mormon trail for a time but that proved too long and they established a station at San Bernardino on land given to them by Don Jose Diego Sepulveda, who later sold the townsite to them, at such a low price that it was practically a gift. The deeds are still on file there, signed by Mr. Sepulveda’s father, who also gave three acres of land to the government when the lighthouse was built at Point Fermin, thirty-five dollars was the price put on the land to make it legal but Don Diego sent back the check uncashed and it is still in record in Washington. This was in 1876.
Later the family moved to the San Joaquin Rancho, now Newport, for green feed for their stock during the dry years and then made the journey to San Juan Capistrano for the fiesta with teams of blooded horses, then in use in place of the oxen. This was in the early ‘60s and their fine carriage used for the trips was imported from New York and, drawn by the high-stepping horses, made an impressive sight.
The marriage of Roman D. Sepulveda, in 1878, united him with Caroline Oden, a native of Wilmington and daughter of George W. Oden, a prominent stockman and contractor of that district. Eight children blessed their union: Albert G., William F., Caroline, now Mrs. Kokonopolus, Phillip R., Benjamin P., Elinita, now Mrs. Cyrus Snyder, Modesta, now Mrs. George Contos, and Louise M., all born in the family home on Fifth street, San Pedro, which Mr. Sepulveda built over forty years ago, and it has since remained the nucleus for all family gatherings.
Mr. Sepulveda now devotes most of his time to his huge land holdings, he owning part of the original Palos Verdes grant, though he finds many opportunities for private benefactions, being always ready to help a worthy cause if he can do so without publicity or ostentation. The development of the Palos Verdes is his first aim, this grant, originally comprising thirty-five thousand acres and situated on the ocean slope of beautiful rolling hillside, is the most charming spot in all California and its development means more to the southern part of the state than is generally realized. While leaving most civic work to the younger generation, he is still serving on the federal grand jury, and also serves as special officer for the city. It would be hard to find a more public-spirited man than Roman D. Sepulveda or one more closely allied with the best interests of the Harbor District, though much of his good work is done so quietly that the real source of its never known.
Transcribed by Joyce Rugeroni.
Source: California
of the South Vol. V, by John Steven McGroarty, Pages
569-573, Clarke Publ., Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis. 1933.
© 2013 Joyce Rugeroni.
GOLDEN NUGGET'S LOS ANGELES BIOGRAPHIES