John (Don Juan) Forster
| John (Don Juan) Forster | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1814 Liverpool, England |
| Died | February 20, 1882 California |
| Spouse(s) | Ysidora Pico |
John (Don Juan) Forster (1814 – February 20, 1882) was born in England; became a Mexican citizen of early California, and was one of the largest landowners in California.
In 1830, John Forster left his home in Liverpool, England to work for his uncle, James (Santiago) Johnson, in Guaymas, Mexico.
Forster then came overland to California, reaching Los Angeles in 1833. In 1836 he became a Mexican citizen and worked as a shipping agent at San Pedro. In 1837 he married Ysidora Pico, sister of a future Mexican governor of California, Pio Pico. The Mexican government appointed him captain of the port of San Pedro in March 1843.
Forster began acquiring land in the 1840s as a result of his connection with Governor Pico, who granted him Rancho Trabuco and Rancho Mission Viejo in what is now Orange County, and Rancho de la Nación in what is now San Diego County. He also owned Rancho Valle de San Felipe in San Diego County.
In 1844 Forster and James McKinley purchased the 44 acres (0.2 km2) and the buildings of the former Mission San Juan Capistrano at public auction for $710.00. Forster made his home here until 1864 when the Mission was given back to the Catholic Church by President Abraham Lincoln.
In the Mexican–American War, Forster, though an Englishman and brother-in-law of both the Californio governor (Pio Pico) and the commander of the insurgents (Andrés Pico), determined that the pragmatic thing to do was to offer assistance to the Americans.
In 1846, José Antonio Pico (Forster’s oldest brother-in-law) and José Antonio Cot acquired the Mission of San Luis Rey. Forster traveled from San Juan Capistrano to take formal title of the property for the new owners. As Forster took occupancy, Frémont and his American force rode into view. Forster fled back to San Juan Capistrano, leaving the property in the hands of the alcalde, Juan María Marrón. Frémont would have been less favorably disposed had he anticipated that four days later Forster would begin to plan the escape to Mexico of another brother-in-law, Governor Pio Pico. For several weeks, Forster hid Pico in the mountains near San Juan Capistrano; then, at an opportune time, Forster outfitted Pico for a dash to the border on September 7, 1846. Governor Pico fled to Mexico, leaving Forster in charge of Pico's Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores.
...
Wikipedia