William Wolfskill
Wolfskill was highly influential in the development of California's agricultural industry in the 19th century, establishing an expanded viticulture and becoming the largest wine producer in the region.When they arrived in Southern California in early 1831 (using the trail Jedediah Smith had mapped across the Mojave Desert), Wolfskill and Yount went to the coast to hunt sea otter.[5] As a naturalized citizen of Mexico, Wolfskill was allowed to own land and bought a parcel where downtown Los Angeles later developed.[6] His younger brother John joined him, and they named the property Rancho Rio de los Putos, after a nearby creek.Wolfskill's neighbor, friend, and business rival in the tiny pueblo of Los Angeles, was French immigrant Jean-Louis Vignes.It then had probably two hundred and fifty people [referring to non-Native Americans only], of whom I recall Don Abel Stearns, John Temple, Captain Alexander Bell, William Wolfskill, Lemuel Carpenter, David W. Alexander; also of Mexicans, Pio Pico (governor), Don Juan Bandini, and others.
cowboyagronomistLos AngelesCaliforniafur trapperSanta Fe, New MexicoviticultureValencia orangeValencia, CaliforniaJohn Reid WolfskillSacramento ValleyRancho Rio de los PutosWinters, CaliforniaSanta Fe de Nuevo Méxicofur trappingTaos, New MexicoGeorge C. YountJedediah SmithMojave Desertsea otterNapa ValleyYolo CountyLake MiwokJean-Louis VignesschoonerJohn BidwellAbel StearnsJohn TempleAlexander BellLemuel CarpenterDavid W. AlexanderPio PicoJuan BandiniNapa Valley RegisterHistory of California Before 1900Native CalifornianGenocide of indigenous populationCalifornia TrailCaliforniosCalifornia RepublicConquest of CaliforniaInterim government of CaliforniaGold RushCivil WarSince 1900Water warsEtymologyHighwaysMaritimeMissionsRailroadsRanchosSlaveryTerritorial evolutionBy regionBay AreaSan Fernando ValleySanta Catalina IslandYosemiteBy countyAlamedaAlpineAmadorCalaverasColusaContra CostaDel NorteEl DoradoFresnoHumboldtImperialLassenMaderaMariposaMendocinoMercedMontereyNevadaOrangePlacerPlumasRiversideSacramentoSan BenitoSan BernardinoSan DiegoSan FranciscoSan JoaquinSan Luis ObispoSan MateoSanta BarbaraSanta ClaraSanta CruzShastaSierraSiskiyouSolanoSonomaStanislausSutterTehamaTrinityTulareTuolumneVenturaBy citySan JoseLong BeachOaklandBakersfieldAnaheimSanta AnaStocktonChula VistaFremontIrvineModestoOxnardFontanaMoreno ValleyGlendaleHuntington BeachSanta ClaritaGarden GroveSanta Rosa