John A. Rowland
| John Albert Rowland | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 15, 1791 Cecil County, Maryland |
| Died | October 13, 1873 (aged 82) Rancho La Puente |
| Resting place | El Campo Santo Cemetery |
| Known for | early San Gabriel Valley settler |
| Spouse(s) | María Encarnación Martínez, Charlotte M. Gray |
John A. Rowland was an early settler and rancher of the eastern San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles County, California. He and his family were very prominent in the region's early development and the unincorporated community of Rowland Heights, California is named for him.
There is speculation about several aspects of the early life of John Albert Rowland (April 15, 1791–October 13, 1873) starting with his birthplace depending on which reference is accepted as either Cecil County, Maryland or Pennsylvania. Also, there is speculation whether "Albert" was his middlename as he never used it on official or legal documents. His birthdate is also uncertain, as his tombstone indicated his age at death as 82 years rather than specific birth and death dates. Most census listings indicate a later than 1790 birth and differing birthplace: southeastern Pennsylvania (Census 1850, actually 1851: 52 years old), across the river from Cecil County, Maryland (Censuses 1860: 62 years old and 1870: 68 years old).
At an early date in the 19th century, the Rowland family migrated to Morgan County, Ohio, roughly between Wheeling, West Virginia and Columbus, Ohio along a heavily traveled westward route for many in the Eastern states in the first decade or two of the century. As a young man, Rowland, presumably, followed the Ohio River to the Mississippi and then to St. Louis. From there, he would have traveled along the Missouri River to the town of Franklin at the western edge of the United States. In 1823, using the new Santa Fe Trail, he migrated to the Mexico territory of Nuevo Mexico, now the U.S. state of New Mexico.
Rowland, said to have been trained as a surveyor, moved to San Fernando de Taos, and become a fur trapper for a time, although he later operated a flour mill. In 1825, Mexican citizenship followed before marriage to María Encarnación Martínez.
In Taos, a friendship and eventually business partnership was established with William Workman with the manufacture of "Taos lightning," a whisky popular with fur trappers returning to winter in town after a long spring, summer and fall period of trapping. Rowland and Workman were associated with several political actions that may have prompted their move to Alta California. For example, a Taos-based revolt seized the government of New Mexico and the two were presumably forced to swear loyalty to the unsuccessful rebels. The new governor, Manuel Armijo, was in office when Rowland and Workman were arrested for smuggling which although a common pastime may have been retribution for their feigned loyalty to the Taoseño revolt.
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