Los Angeles
County
Biographies
MRS.
EROLINDA (COTA) YORBA
One
of the last survivors of the old rancho life of southern California was Mrs. Erolinda (Cota) Yorba, who passed
away May 19, 1933, in her eightieth year, at the home of her daughter, Mrs.
Martina L. Pelanconi, of Hollywood. Born
in the adobe home of Augustine Machado which once stood at the corner of Fifth
and Main streets, Mrs. Yorba during her life witnessed the transition of Los
Angeles from a small pueblo to a metropolitan city. Her parents were Francisco and Martina
(Machado) Cota, at one time owners of the great la Ballona Rancho which covered the territory now occupied by
Culver City. Her
marriage to Vicente Yorba, son of Bernardo Yorba, whom she survived by twenty
years, was an event in the early days of the city. The ceremony was performed at the home on the
La Ballona Rancho and was followed by a fiesta which
drew celebrants from all the old California families. Mrs. Yorba lived with her husband for many
years on the Yorba ranch in Orange County.
When the village of Yorba was started, Bernardo Yorba built the small
adobe church and equipped it complete with the chalice, vestments, etc.,
brought from Spain. Later, when the
church became unsafe, Mrs. Yorba was active in support of the new
structure. She is survived by two sons
and four daughters, namely: Bernardo, of
Yorba; Vicente, also of Yorba; Mrs. Pelanconi, of Los Angeles; Mrs. Hortense M. Palomares, of Pomona;
Mrs. Marie L. Vejar, of Pomona; and Mrs. George Wents, of Los Angeles.
Pelanconi
is one of the prominent names among Italian families of southern
California. For over fifty years it has
stood for exceptional business enterprise, fine integrity and participation in
all philanthropic and civic projects.
The founder of the family in California was Antonio Pelanconi, who was
born on his father’s farm in the province of Sondrio,
Italy, and when a youth of eighteen years immigrated to the United States. After a brief period of residence in New York
City he crossed the plains with ox-team and prairie schooner, eventually
arriving in Los Angeles, California. He
worked on ranches and also engaged in mining in California and British Columbia
with his brother Lorenzo. On returning
to Los Angeles he became associated with Don Jose Gazzo
in the wine and liquor business, later was engaged with other firms and
subsequently purchased and conducted business under his own name until 1877,
when he sold it to Valla & Tononi.
He acquired extensive land holdings and passed away May 13, 1879, in the
faith of the Catholic Church. To him and
his wife, who bore the maiden name of Isabel Ramirez, were born seven children
of whom four are living: Lorenzo, Honorina Valla, Petra P. Hardwick, and Isabel Hanifan.
Lorenzo
A. Pelanconi, the eldest of the children of Antonio and Isabel Pelanconi, was
born December 24, 1866, acquired his early education in private French schools
and also attended St. Vincent’s College for one year. Thereafter he worked for his father until
1884, when he entered the University of Santa Clara at Santa Clara, California,
leaving the institution in 1886 to assist his stepfather, Giacomo
Tononi. He was
associated with the latter until 1887 and next spent six months as a student
tin the Woodbury Business College of Los Angeles. Subsequently he conducted a general store at
Sepulveda Station, California, until 1892, when he took over the management of
the interests of his father, who died in that year. With the assistance of his mother he looked
after the estates of both Antonio Pelanconi and Giacomo Tononi, her deceased
husbands. The supervision of these
interests still claims his attention, and he is also a member of the advisory
board of the Bank of America. In
religious faith he is a Catholic.
On
the 24th of November, 1909, Lorenzo A. Pelanconi married Martina
Yorba, daughter of Vicente and Erolinda (Cota) Yorba, representatives of old Spanish families in
southern California.
Transcribed
by V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: California of the South
Vol. IV, by John Steven McGroarty, Pages 601-603,
Clarke Publ., Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis. 1933.
© 2012 V.
Gerald Iaquinta.
GOLDEN NUGGET'S LOS ANGELES
BIOGRAPHIES