Salomon Pico
| Salomon Pico | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 5, 1821 Rancho del Rey San Pedro (Salinas, California) |
| Died | May 1, 1860 Baja California |
| Cause of death | Execution |
| Known for | 19th century Californio bandit |
Salomon Maria Simeon Pico (Sept. 5, 1821 - May 1, 1860) was a Californio, a cousin of former governor Pío Pico, who led a bandit band in the early years following the Mexican-American War in the counties of the central coast of California. Pico was considered by some Californios to be a patriot who opposed the American conquest of Alta California and its subsequent incorporation into the United States. He was hated for his banditry by the newly arrived Americans but protected by some as a defender of his people.
Salomon Pico was born on the Rancho del Rey San Pedro near Salinas, California and baptized at Mission San Juan Bautista. His father was José Dolores Pico, a soldier with the Presidio of Monterey. Antonio Maria Pico (1809–1869) and José de Jesús Pico (1806-1892) were his brothers.
José Pico had spent a long career with the military, but by 1821 was partially retired as a manager for the King’s Ranch, which provided food, leather, and other supplies to the Presidio. Salomon’s mother, Maria Ysabel Cota, came from Santa Barbara. Salomon spent his early life on the Rancho del Rey, but returned to Monterey pueblo with his mother when his father died in 1827. Monterey was the capital of Alta California, and here Salomon was exposed to education and international influences not available on the Rancho.
By 1840, Pico was courting a young lady who lived near his brother’s home in Pueblo de San José. On December 13, 1840 Pico married Juana Vasquez at Mission Santa Cruz. They made their home at first in Monterey, where children began arriving regularly. In 1844, Pico received a Mexican land grant of 58,000 acres (230 km2) in the San Joaquin Valley, somewhere near the Stanislaus River and the San Joaquin River in what is now Stanislaus County. The couple's fourth child was baptized at the Santa Clara Mission.
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