Riverside County
Biographies
HON. MIGUEL
ESTUDILLO
An attorney of high standing, the
Hon. Miguel Estudillo has long been an outstanding figure in legal circles of
Riverside and has also aided in framing the laws of his state. In his career he has manifested the fine
mental and moral qualities of a long line of illustrious ancestors and in
person, in talents, and in achievements he is a worthy scion of his race. Of French and Spanish lineage, he represents
distinguished families whose members were leading actors in events that shaped
the early history of the Golden state, and is a native son of native sons. He has won political preferment because it
was his due, not only by reason of his forensic powers but also because of the fact
that he always worked for the greatest good to the greatest number, seldom
meeting with defeat, but when he did calmly marshaling all of his energies for
the success he ultimately won.
Mr. Estudillo was born in San
Bernardino, September 20, 1870, a son of Jose A. and Adelaide (Rubidoux) Estudillo. His grandfather, Don Jose A. Estudillo,
served as revenue collector and treasurer of San Diego county from 1823 to
1830. In 1835 he became a member of the
territorial legislative deputation, the law-making body of California at that
time, and while thus serving he was urged to accept the office of governor, but
refused. During 1840 and 1841 he was a
justice of the supreme tribunal of California and in the latter year was
appointed administrator of the San Luis Rey Mission, of which he was made judge
two years later. Through appointment of
Brigadier General Riley of the United States Army in September, 1849, he became
judge of the first instance for the district of San Diego. Of that city he was the first to occupy the
office under the American regime. He was
the son of a captain in the Spanish Army and a member of a family that has been
identified with military affairs for generations. He passed away in 1853, leaving his son, also
Don Jose A. Estudillo, to carry on the name.
The latter became a large land owner, devoting his time chiefly to the
management of his valuable holdings in that connection. An uncle of Miguel Estudillo was treasurer of
San Diego county for twelve years, proving so
efficient and trustworthy that he was called to the office of the state
treasurer, which he filled with marked ability from 1876 to 1880.
Mr. Estudillo’s maternal
grandfather, Louis Rubidoux, might be termed the original colonizer in Southern
California, for, unlike most of the owners of Spanish grants, he was not averse
to selling small farms to settlers who would cultivate and approve the
land. He was born in France in 1791. His father, Joseph Rubidoux, left that country
when it was ruled by Napoleon Bonaparte, going to St. Louis before the
Louisiana purchase from France, and embarked in merchandising in the city which
was destined to become the largest in Missouri.
The eldest of his three sons was the founder of St. Joseph, Missouri,
where he had established a trading post in 1826, and in 1846 laid out the town,
naming it after his patron saint. The
two younger sons were hunters and trappers in the region now comprising the
states of New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Utah. In the history of his exploring expedition to
the west, John C. Fremont wrote of stopping at the trading post of Antoine
Robidoux (Rubidoux) but did not find him at home, fortunately, as the post was
raided shortly afterward by Indians, who murdered everyone they found there and
burned the fort. Antoine acted as guide
for General Kearney across the continent, where he was met by the Mexican
troops at San Pasqual, losing part of his command. In this encounter Antoine Rubidoux was
severely wounded, nearly losing his life.
His brother Louis was then a prisoner in the hands of the Mexicans,
having been captured at Chino.
In Platte country, Missouri, and the
region thereabout, excitement ran high in the late summer and autumn of 1840,
owing to the representations of one Robidoux, who had been in California with
the Santa Fe trappers and pictured the country as an earthly paradise, not only
in conversation but at public meetings, which were held to consider the
expediency of emigration on a large scale.
Five hundred persons agreed to go but due to unfavorable reports no one
went except Louis Rubidoux and John Bidwell, who afterward located in the
northern part of California and founded the town of Chico.
Hunting and trapping must have been
profitable occupations in those days, for Louis Rubidoux brought cattle and
sheep with him and also a large sum of money.
The records of San Bernardino county show that he was assessed at over
twenty thousand dollars, a large figure in those days. The dry bench lands were not assessed as they
had no value. These are the lands on
which the city of Riverside now stands.
Before settling in California, Louis
Rubidoux had married into a wealthy family of New Mexico. He brought with him quite a library, for
books were very scarce during the Mexican domination. An accomplished linguist, he was able to converse
fluently in four tongues and had a partial knowledge of some of the Indian
languages. He built the first flour mill
in this district and possibly Southern California. Just south of the Rubidoux homestead there
was a fort, occupied by United States troops, who protected the settlers from
raids by Indians on the horses and cattle belonging to the rancheros, whose
live stock was driven across the Mohave and Colorado deserts and on to Utah,
where there was a market. Always loyal
to the United States, Mr. Rubidoux gallantly fought for his adopted country in
the war with Mexico. When gold was
discovered in the northern part of California he drove his stock to that
district and supplied the miners with meat.
The great flood of 1862 washed away
much of the best land of the Rubidoux ranch in the lowlands. The drought immediately following the flood
decimated the cattle, further impairing the Rubidoux fortunes, and later an
accident incapacitated Mr. Rubidoux for further labor. His death in 1868 and the division,
distribution and sale of part of the property, with the subsequent sale of the
remainder of the estate to the Silk Center Association and finally to the
Southern California Colony Association removed the family from the scene of its
former greatness. Mr. Rubidoux served as
a local judge and was one of the first members of the board of supervisors of
San Bernardino county.
Among the prized possessions of his
grandson, Miguel Estudillo, are numerous letters, books and pamphlets related
to Louis Rubidoux, and included in this collection is an interesting book
entitled “The Story of Rubidoux Ranch.”.
Some years ago Mr. Estudillo received letters form a man named Hardy, at
that time eighty years of age. He had
been employed as a tutor by Don Louis, from whom he received a monthly salary
of fifteen dollars as well as a room and board, while the state paid him fifty
dollars per month. Desirous of marrying
a daughter of Don Louis, he obtained the father’s consent but the mother had
other plans for the young woman, who later became a wife of a rancher. When he came to California, Mr. Hardy had
considerable means, which he lost in mining for gold. He was with Don Louis from 1856 to 1962,
afterward going to Australia.
Miguel Estudillo acquired his high school
education in San Diego and next attended Santa Clara College, graduating with
the class of 1890. Afterward he
revisited San Diego and later returned to the family home. As deputy clerk of the San Diego county court
he made his initial step in public affairs, acting in that capacity until 1893,
when he was appointed clerk of the board of county supervisors, which position
he occupied for two years. Meanwhile Mr.
Estudillo had devoted his leisure hours to the study of law and with his
admission to the bar of California entered upon his legal career in Los
Angeles. In 1899 and important case
which was to be tried in the courts of Mexico took him to the City of Mexico,
where he spent nearly three years, afterward resuming the practice of law in
Riverside.
Elected an assemblyman of California
from the seventy-eighth district on November 8, 1904, Mr. Estudillo entered
upon his legislative duties holding to high ideals and from these he never
deviated, exerting his best efforts in behalf of his district and state. In 1905 he secured an appropriation of
thirty-five thousand dollars for the establishment of an agricultural
experiment station at the foot of Mount Rubidoux. At this session the bill was passed
transferring the great Yosemite Park to the United States government after a
stormy session, in which Mr. Estudillo was an outstanding figure, having always
favored the measure. By his skill in
handling the bill he attracted the notice of the leading solons and also much
personal attention. In that connection
he received many letters of appreciation and commendation, including one from
the noted John Muir, who presented him with copies of his two works, “Mountains
of California” and “Our National Parks.”.
Mr. Estudillo was chosen chairman of
the ways and means committee of the assembly in 1907 and in the same year was
also made chairman of the California delegation to the fifteenth irrigation
congress at Boise City, Idaho. An ardent
supporter of the Roosevelt-Pinchot conservation policies, he was victorious in
the controversy with the Hon. W.R. King, of Oregon, in which a resolution
endorsing these policies was presented.
Mr. Estudillo’s enviable record of
achievement as a member of the house led to his election to the state senate on
November 3, 1908. Here he made his
famous fight for local option, but though the bill was for the nonce defeated,
he was not defeated, for in 1911 he again took up the fight, this time for the
Wylie local option measure, and carried it through to success.
The
papers were laudatory and the official organ of the anti-saloon party said,
among other things: “We may, however,
without invidious comparison, mention the name of Senator Miguel Estudillo, of
Riverside county, who had charge of the measures in the upper house.
.
. . . . . Senator Estudillo introduced the local option bill in the senate two
years ago and did yeoman work in behalf of the measure. . . . It was not only
fitting but fortunate that the Wylie bill, after its approval by the assembly,
was in charge of the Riverside senator. . . . Without giving offense to those
who opposed the measure, Senator Estudillo met and answered every argument
against it, and with unyielding tenacity refused to accept amendments which
were intended to impair its efficiency. . . . The subsequent career of the bill
was thick-set with peril and it required skillful management, unfaltering
fidelity, courage and determination to carry the measure safely through and win
for it success.” All of these qualities
Mr. Estudillo brought to bear in the accomplishment of his purpose and they
have been manifest throughout his career.
In 1909 Senator Estudillo was
chairman of the committee on election laws of the senate, which recommended by
a minority report, the passage of the direct primary law creating a revolution
in state politics and forever destroying machine rule. In 1911 this passed the legislature. It was also in 1911 that Senator Estudillo
was appointed a member of the hold-over committee, which investigated the
notorious school book trust of the state, and as a result of the findings of
the committee the trust became a thing of the past. Likewise in 1911 the Senator secured another
appropriation for his county, this time to establish a laboratory and make
needed improvements at the Mount Rubidoux Experimental Station. He opposed with ardor whatever he regarded as
useless or vicious legislation and espoused the moral side of every issue,
serving the state with clean hands.
Admitted to practice in the United
States supreme court, Mr. Estudillo became one of the three attorneys of his
district with membership in the National Bar Association, the other two being
Judge H.H. Craig and H.L. Thompson. With
a mind trained to grasp the complicated points of legal matters, Mr. Estudillo
is noted for the precision of his briefs, the logic of his arguments and the
success with which he has handled cases of a difficult nature. He is practicing law alone, since January 1,
1935, with offices at 3662 Eight street, Riverside, and is classed with the leading
representatives of his profession in this part of the state. In 1918 he assumed the duties of city
attorney of Riverside and met every requirement of the office, which he
occupied for several years. He is a
gifted orator and never fails to impress his audience with the justice of the
cause he pleads.
Joining the California National
Guard as a young man, Mr. Estudillo acquired the military experiences which
qualified him for the responsibilities of captain of Company M, a unit of the
Seventh regiment. Following the outbreak
of the World war he organized the Home Guard, of which he became captain,
receiving his commission from the governor of the state. Through appointment of the late President
Wilson he became a member of the legal advisory board of the selective service
system, his associates being W. A. Purington (now deceased) and Judge Hugh H.
Craig. Before this nation entered the
war Mr. Estudillo organized the Riverside Red Cross Ambulance Corps, collected
sixteen hundred dollars from the citizens, and at a largely attended public
meeting held in the park, he presented the money to Hewitt Roblee, a son of Dr.
Roblee, for the purpose of buying an ambulance for service in France. An up-to-date vehicle was secured and
effective use was made of it overseas.
As a mark of appreciation for the part Mr. Estudillo had played in
procuring the ambulance, a picture of it in service, together with the
ambulance plate, was sent to him after the signing of the armistice. During the conflict with Germany he aided his
country in every possible way, working early and late in the furtherance of the
various war activities, without financial consideration, eager to perform any
service required of him, and thus gave evidence of his spirit of patriotism.
In his home life Mr. Estudillo is
most fortunately and happily situated.
On the 22d of February, 1903, he was married to Miss Minerva Cook, a
direct descendant of James Cook, who came to America as a passenger on the Mayflower
and settled in Winchester, New Hampshire, where Mrs. Estudillo was born. The two sons of this marriage are Reginald
and Francis.
Mr. Estudillo organized the
Riverside Rifle Club. He belongs to the
Victoria Club and to the Jonathan Club of Los Angeles, while fraternally he is
identified with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. In politics he is a strong republican and has
worked for the success of the part. He
has lent the weight of his influence to every worthy and progressive public
project and has won as hi reward the high regard and complete confidence of his
fellow citizens.
Transcribed by
Mary Ellen Frazier.
Source:
California of the South Vol. V, by John Steven McGroarty,
Pages 789-796, Clarke Publ., Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis. 1933.
© 2013 Mary Ellen Frazier.
GOLDEN
NUGGET'S RIVERSIDE BIOGRAPHIES