Los Angeles County
Biographies
MARIA
DOLORES DOMINGUEZ DE WATSON
MARIA DOLORES DOMINGUEZ DE WATSON, who died at the Dominguez Rancho in Los Angeles county, September 17, 1924, at the age of eighty-six, represented in her ancestry and transmitted to her children some of the best blood of the Spanish dons of the southland. The Dominguez family dates back to the time preceding the Spanish Armada. Hardly any Spanish name is older and better known in Southern California than that of Dominguez. The Dominguez Rancho where she died, was one of the three original grants of land in California from the king of Spain. She was one of the handsome Spanish belles and married a dashing American, Colonel Jack Watson. Her funeral was conducted from St. Vibiana’s Cathedral, the pall-bearers being her nephews. She was survived by three sons: James J., Robert Lee and Patrick J. Watson.
Mrs. Watson was born September 21, 1838. Her parents were Don Manuel Dominguez and Maria Engracia Cota. Los Angeles was the seat of the prefecture of the southern district of California and in July, 1843, Manuel Dominguez was appointed prefect, holding the office until December of that year, when that system of government was abandoned. He was the third prefect. Manuel Dominguez was a member of the convention that framed the state constitution which was adopted October 10, 1849. He was alcalde at one time between the years 1850 and 1857. All the municipal power was vested in the alcalde, who was appointed by the governor. The first United States patent was issued in 1859 to Don Manual Dominguez for the San Pedro Rancho, later known as the Dominguez Rancho, and at his death it comprised thirty-two thousand acres. The property was divided among his six daughters.
Mrs. Watson was born on the rancho and spent all her life there. She married October 4, 1855, her husband being a lawyer, active in politics and at one time collector of the port at Monterey. Don Manuel Dominguez owned thousands and thousands of fertile acres in California and was proprietor of thousands of head of cattle. Thus Miss Dominguez grew up in the atmosphere of an epoch that has long since disappeared in Southern California. Though but a small child at the time, she remembered to the end of her life some of the episodes in connection with the military occupation by Fremont, Stockton and Kearney, and she and her family knew intimately the Picos, Carrillos and other loyal Spanish families. Some of the scenes in the American occupation and the conquest transpired before her own eyes, and during her early married life, she saw a country long devoted to pastoral pursuits being turned rapidly into an agricultural state, and before her death many acres of the old Dominguez Rancho were covered with oil derricks, representing a still later phase of American business life.
The sisters who with her shared the division of the ranch were Anna D. de Guyer, Victoria D. de Carson, Guadalupe M. Dominguez, Susanna D. del Amo and Maria de Los Reyes D. de Francis. Of these only one survives, Mrs. John F. Francis, of Los Angeles. Mrs. Watson left grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her childhood and many years of her life were spent at the old homestead located about halfway between Los Angeles and San Pedro and now known as Dominguez Memorial. There she lived among her friends, with ready access to her church, and saw constantly her children and grandchildren. She was deeply devoted to her church. One of the privileges extended to her father was that of having mass celebrated in his private chapel and this privilege continued as a tradition during the life of his daughter. At her death she left a large donation to contribute to the building of the beautiful edifice known as St. Peter and St. Paul Catholic Church in Wilmington. This beautiful church was dedicated March 15, 1931, and has been called the gem of churches.
One of her four sons, James J. Watson, died suddenly in Santa Barbara while on a business trip there, August 20, 1928. He left a widow and three daughters. Another son was Manuel Watson, who died September 1, 1894, at the old ranch and is survived by two daughters and two sons. Patrick J. Watson passed away suddenly September 30, 1930. Robert Lee Watson, the only surviving son of Colonel and Mrs. Watson, is a resident of Los Angeles. The Dominguez estate has recently constructed a large office building on Wilshire boulevard, west of La Brea. It is known as the Dominguez Estate building.
Transcribed
1-13-12 Marilyn R. Pankey.
Source: California
of the South Vol. II, by John Steven McGroarty, Pages 55-57, Clarke Publ., Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis. 1933.
© 2012 Marilyn R. Pankey.
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