Hermenegildo Ignacio Peralta (April 3, 1791 – May 9, 1874) was a Spanish

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 settler in California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

, the eldest son of Luís María Peralta

Luís María Peralta

Luis María Peralta was a soldier in the Spanish Army, who received one of the largest of the Spanish land grants, Rancho San Antonio, a plot that encompassed most of the East Bay region of California.-Biography:...

.

Biography

Ignacio Peralta was the owner of the Peralta Home

Peralta Home

The Peralta Home, at 561 Lafayette Avenue in San Leandro was the first brick house built in Alameda County. It was constructed in the Spanish Colonial1860 for Ignacio Peralta, early San Leandro Spanish settler, by W.P. Toler ....

 in San Leandro, California

San Leandro, California

San Leandro is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is considered a suburb of Oakland and San Francisco. The population was 84,950 as of 2010 census. The climate of the city is mild throughout the year.-Geography and water resources:...

, which was built on the southerly portion of Rancho San Antonio, the land grant his father received from Governor Pablo Vicente de Solá

Pablo Vicente de Solá

Pablo Vicente de Solá , the last Spanish governor of Alta California from 1815-1822....

 in 1820.

Initially, he and his wife lived in a simple adobe

Adobe

Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous or organic material , which the builders shape into bricks using frames and dry in the sun. Adobe buildings are similar to cob and mudbrick buildings. Adobe structures are extremely durable, and account for...

 house on the property, constructed in 1842 along San Leandro Creek

San Leandro Creek

San Leandro Creek is a year-round natural stream flowing along the east side of the range which comprises the Berkeley Hills and the San Leandro Hills, immediately east of Oakland. In the hills, it runs into Upper San Leandro Reservoir and then Lake Chabot, both manmade lakes lying north of the...

, across from the home of José Joaquín Estudillo

José Joaquín Estudillo

José Joaquín Estudillo was a Mexican citizen of Alta California who was the second alcalde of Yerba Buena, California , and whose land holdings, known as Rancho San Leandro, formed the basis of the city of San Leandro.-Biography:He was born at the Presidio of Monterey, to José María Estudillo, a...

, where he raised cattle

Cattle

Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...

, as well as various grains. He supplied visiting ships with rawhide and tallow

Tallow

Tallow is a rendered form of beef or mutton fat, processed from suet. It is solid at room temperature. Unlike suet, tallow can be stored for extended periods without the need for refrigeration to prevent decomposition, provided it is kept in an airtight container to prevent oxidation.In industry,...

 in return for what he wanted in goods like saddle

Saddle

A saddle is a supportive structure for a rider or other load, fastened to an animal's back by a girth. The most common type is the equestrian saddle designed for a horse, but specialized saddles have been created for camels and other creatures...

s, fabric

Textile

A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...

s, and wine

Wine

Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...

s.

Peralta's daughter María Antonia married W.P. Toler, an American soldier who is said to have been the person who raised the American flag at the Battle of Monterey

Battle of Monterey

-Preliminaries:Prior to the Mexican-American War the Californio forces had already driven the Mexican appointed Governor Manuel Micheltorena and most of his soldiers from Alta California...

. Toler built a two-story frame house for himself and his new bride, and Peralta looked to have his son-in-law build something fancier than their adobe residence.

After Peralta's death, his wife sold the house and moved into a smaller house the Tolers built on the land.