Juan Jose Warner

Juan Jose Warner (1807–1890), a naturalized American-Mexican citizen, developed Warner's Ranch in Warner Springs, California. From 1849 to 1861, the ranch was important as a stop for emigrant travelers on the Southern Emigrant Trail, including the Gila River Emigrant Trail and the Butterfield Overland Mail stagecoach line. Warner established the only trading post between New Mexico and Los Angeles. Warner's Ranch was designated a National Historic Landmark.

Warner was born in 1807 as Jonathan Trumbull Warner in Connecticut. He went west, travelling with a trading party from St. Louis in 1830, bound for Santa Fe. The following year he traveled with fur trappers to California. In 1907, Colonel J. J. Warner wrote about his California trapping days in "Reminiscences of Early California – 1831 to 1846".

In California Warner first trapped beaver for several years. From 1834–1841 he worked in a merchandising store in Los Angeles. As Mexico had controlled California since Mexican independence in 1821, Warner became a naturalized Mexican citizen and changed his name to Juan Jose Warner. About 1843 he moved to San Diego.

In 1844, Warner was granted the Rancho San Jose del Valle Mexican land grant, previously granted to José Antonio Pico and abandoned. He established what became known as Warner's Ranch near Warner Springs, California. The ranch property included hot springs. After he started serving travelers in 1849 on the Southern Trail, Warner set up the only trading post between New Mexico and Los Angeles.

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