Cristobal Aguilar
Encyclopedia
José Cristóbal Aguilar was a pioneer of Los Angeles, California
politics in the early days of American rule. He was the last Hispanic
mayor of the City
, until 2005.
. His parents were José María Aguilar and María Ygnacia Elizalde. José Maria Aguilar was the grantee of Rancho Cañada de los Nogales
. The Aguilars lived in a spacious adobe located on what is now North Main Street. This old adobe was a prominent landmark that later served two important, but very different functions. The first was as the town calabozo or jail, and then as the town's first hospital in 1858
On October 30, 1848, Aguilar married Maria Dolores Yorba at the San Gabriel Mission
just east of Los Angeles. His wife was the daughter of José Antonio de los Remidios Yorba and María Catalina Verdugo. The Yorbas
possessed vast land holdings including most of the Santa Ana Valley (in present-day Orange County, California
).
Cristóbal and Dolores had five children, which were as follows:
system was abolished in favor of an American mayor and city council system in 1850, Aguilar was among the first members of the Los Angeles Common Council, the predecessor of the Los Angeles City Council
. He served several non-consecutive terms from 1850 until the early 1860s.
He was also elected several times to the office of county supervisor. He served on the third Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in 1854, the 4th (1855), the 5th (1856), the 9th (1860), the 11th (1862), and the 12th (1864). The latter two (1862, 1864) were both two year terms when that office had such a term beginning in 1862. Prior to 1862 the term was for one year.
Aguilar was first elected mayor on May 7, 1866. The election was certified three days later and he assumed office that same day. One of his earliest accomplishments was the establishment of a park site, which later became known as Pershing Square. However, all was not rosy in city hall.
In a bit of political maneuvering, Aguilar was unseated for three months in the middle of his first term and replaced by Damien Marchesseault
. During that time he served as zanjero or Water Overseer. Being in a desert with risks of both drought and flooding a constant threat, this position was actually considered more important than the mayor and paid the highest salary of any city official at the time. On August 8, 1867, Aguilar was re-instated as mayor and served the remainder of his term. His decision in 1868 to retain control over the city's water rights and reserves is considered one of the most important in Los Angeles' history.
In 1868, Aguilar lost re-election to Joel Turner
and was subsequently appointed as Water Overseer once again. After resigning his post, Aguilar challenged Joel Turner again in 1870, defeating him this time. He served until 1872, when he lost decisively to James R. Toberman
, who made Aguilar's limited English an issue in the race.
A year later, Aguilar received still another appointment as Water Overseer and served until December 5, 1878. During the period of December 9, 1875 through December 6, 1877, it is not clear whether Aguilar or anyone served in that capacity because the position is not addressed in the council minutes.
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
politics in the early days of American rule. He was the last Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
mayor of the City
Mayor of Los Angeles, California
The mayor of Los Angeles is the chief executive officer of the city. He is elected for a four-year term and limited to serving no more than two terms. Under the California Constitution, all judicial, school, county, and city offices, including those of chartered cities, are nonpartisan...
, until 2005.
Background
Aguilar was born in 1815 in Los Angeles, which was then under Spanish ruleNew Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
. His parents were José María Aguilar and María Ygnacia Elizalde. José Maria Aguilar was the grantee of Rancho Cañada de los Nogales
Rancho Cañada de los Nogales
Rancho Cañada de los Nogales was a Mexican land grant in present day Los Angeles County, California given in 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to José Maria Aguilar. The name means "canyon of the walnut trees" and refers to stands of California Black Walnut trees...
. The Aguilars lived in a spacious adobe located on what is now North Main Street. This old adobe was a prominent landmark that later served two important, but very different functions. The first was as the town calabozo or jail, and then as the town's first hospital in 1858
On October 30, 1848, Aguilar married Maria Dolores Yorba at the San Gabriel Mission
Mission San Gabriel Arcángel
The Mission San Gabriel Arcángel is a fully functioning Roman Catholic mission and a historic landmark in San Gabriel, California. The settlement was founded by Spaniards of the Franciscan order on "The Feast of the Birth of Mary," September 8, 1771, as the fourth of what would become 21 Spanish...
just east of Los Angeles. His wife was the daughter of José Antonio de los Remidios Yorba and María Catalina Verdugo. The Yorbas
José Antonio Yorba
José Antonio Yorba , also known as Don José Antonio Yorba I, was a Spanish soldier and early settler of Spanish California.-Spanish Soldier:...
possessed vast land holdings including most of the Santa Ana Valley (in present-day Orange County, California
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
).
Cristóbal and Dolores had five children, which were as follows:
- Librada, a daughter born in 1850
- José, born in 1851
- Matias, a second son born in 1858
- Guadalupe, born in 1860
- Rosa, born in 1863
Political life
After Alta California became part of the United States, Aguilar made a name for himself in local government. When the Mexican ayuntamientoAyuntamiento
Ayuntamiento In other languages of Spain:*Catalan/Valencian .*Galician .*Basque . is the general term for the council of a municipality, or sometimes the municipality itself, in Spain and Latin America. Historically Ayuntamiento was often preceded by the word excelentísimo , when referring to...
system was abolished in favor of an American mayor and city council system in 1850, Aguilar was among the first members of the Los Angeles Common Council, the predecessor of the Los Angeles City Council
Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles.The Council is composed of fifteen members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The president of the council and the president pro tempore are chosen by the Council at the first regular meeting after...
. He served several non-consecutive terms from 1850 until the early 1860s.
He was also elected several times to the office of county supervisor. He served on the third Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in 1854, the 4th (1855), the 5th (1856), the 9th (1860), the 11th (1862), and the 12th (1864). The latter two (1862, 1864) were both two year terms when that office had such a term beginning in 1862. Prior to 1862 the term was for one year.
Aguilar was first elected mayor on May 7, 1866. The election was certified three days later and he assumed office that same day. One of his earliest accomplishments was the establishment of a park site, which later became known as Pershing Square. However, all was not rosy in city hall.
In a bit of political maneuvering, Aguilar was unseated for three months in the middle of his first term and replaced by Damien Marchesseault
Damien Marchessault
Damien Marchessault was the seventh Mayor of Los Angeles from May 9, 1859 to May 9, 1860 and then again from January 7, 1861 to May 6, 1865...
. During that time he served as zanjero or Water Overseer. Being in a desert with risks of both drought and flooding a constant threat, this position was actually considered more important than the mayor and paid the highest salary of any city official at the time. On August 8, 1867, Aguilar was re-instated as mayor and served the remainder of his term. His decision in 1868 to retain control over the city's water rights and reserves is considered one of the most important in Los Angeles' history.
In 1868, Aguilar lost re-election to Joel Turner
Joel Turner (mayor)
Joel Turner was the 11th mayor of Los Angeles, California, from December 9, 1868, to December 9, 1870. He served two terms.In 1870, Turner, eight members of the City Council and two members of a previous council were indicted by a grand jury for felony...
and was subsequently appointed as Water Overseer once again. After resigning his post, Aguilar challenged Joel Turner again in 1870, defeating him this time. He served until 1872, when he lost decisively to James R. Toberman
James R. Toberman
James Robert Toberman served six one year terms as Mayor of Los Angeles. He first served between 1872 and 1874 and again from 1878 to 1882. Mayor James R Toberman switched on the city's first electric streetlights. He helped map out the first street car grid and water and sewer systems...
, who made Aguilar's limited English an issue in the race.
A year later, Aguilar received still another appointment as Water Overseer and served until December 5, 1878. During the period of December 9, 1875 through December 6, 1877, it is not clear whether Aguilar or anyone served in that capacity because the position is not addressed in the council minutes.
Later years
After retiring from politics Aguilar wrote for La Cronica, the City's leading Spanish-language newspaper at the time. In the paper, he wrote a regular column on local community issues. He died of heart disease on April 11, 1883 at the age of 68.External links
- Estrada, William. "The Last Latino Mayor of Los Angeles: Jose Cristobal Aguilar, 1866-1868, 1871-1872," Center For Law In The Public Interest, June 30, 2005
- Schmal, John P. "The Four Latino Mayors of Los Angeles," HispanicVista, May 23, 2005
- Schmal, John P. "The Election of Cristobal Aguilar," LatinoLA, October 5, 2005