Benjamin Davis Wilson
Born in Tennessee to parents from Virginia, Wilson eventually settled in Alta California when it was part of the Republic of Mexico, and acquired Rancho Jurupa.In 1845 Wilson was asked to pursue a group of Native Americans led by a man who had escaped from the San Gabriel Mission.He had acquired the property from the widow Victoria Reid, an indigenous woman of social standing in Mexican California who had received the rancho in a land grant in her name.Wilson and Griffin undertook many business deals together in early Los Angeles, including railways, oil exploration, real estate, farming and ranching.In 1876, after the Colony had sold most of its allotted land and established what became the City of Pasadena, Wilson began subdividing and developing his adjacent landholdings which became the eastern side of the new settlement.He gave several acres of property to his son-in-law James de Barth Shorb which he named San Marino,[11] and developed other parts of the land as Alhambra, where he is enshrined as a statue in Renaissance Plaza.The last of his land holdings in the downtown Pasadena area were bequeathed to Central School on South Fair Oaks Avenue.
Wilson about 1850
Chair of Los Angeles CountyAbel StearnsMayor of Los AngelesAlpheus P. HodgesJohn G. NicholsWilson County, TennesseeSan Gabriel, CaliforniaSan Gabriel CemeteryGeorge S. Pattonfur trapperrancheroCaliforniaTennesseeAlta CaliforniaRancho JurupaCalifornioConquest of CaliforniaMayor of the cityJuan BandiniRubidoux, CaliforniaRiverside, CaliforniaBernardo YorbaRancho Cañón de Santa AnaCajon PassSan Bernardino MountainsSerrano peopleBig Bear LakeBaldwin LakeElias J. "Lucky" Baldwina reservoir built nearby in 1884Los Angeles Common CouncilLos Angeles County supervisor1853, 1861–64California State SenateLake VineyardVictoria ReidMexican CessionRancho San PascualPasadenaManuel GarfiasJohn Strother GriffinArroyo SecoaqueductSan Gabriel MountainsMount WilsonFair Oaks AvenueIndiana ColonyCity of PasadenaSan MarinoAlhambraGeorge Smith PattonbequeathedPasadena Unified School DistrictWorks Progress AdministrationPittsburgDorrance Publishing Co.Mayors of Los AngelesHodgesNicholsCoronelS. FosterT. FosterMarchesseaultMellusMascarelAguilarTurnerTobermanBeaudryMacDougallSpenceWorkmanBrysonHazardSnyderMcAleerHarperStephensAlexanderSebastianWoodmanPorterBowronPoulsonBradleyRiordanVillaraigosaGarcettiRequenaPotterSternsWoodworthMorrisonO'MelvenySabichiLawlorSinsabaughKuhrtsCristobal AguilarDavid W. AlexanderJames BaldwinPeter BaltzPhineas BanningJoseph BayerAlexander BellDionisio BotillerNarciso BotelloAndrew A. BoyleGeorge Henry CarsonSamuel Bradford CaswellOzro W. ChildsAntonio Franco CoronelYgnacio CoronelYgnacio del ValleArthur McKenzie DodsonJohn Gately DowneyEzra DrownStephen Clark FosterJohn FrohlingMorris L. GoodmanJohn GollerLewis GrangerVincent A. HooverAlexander W. HopeJoseph Huber Sr.Wilson W. Jones