Pio de Jesus Pico was born on May 5 at Mission San Gabriel to Jose Maria Pico and Maria Estaquia Gutierrez. California was a wild west on the edge of Mexican New Spain. Pico's parents had Spanish, African and indigenous-Mexican roots that put them at the bottom of new Spain’s caste system. They walked to California from interior Mexico, with the Spanish explorer Juan Baptista de Anza. Violence, revolts and Indian uprisings meant Pico’s father, Jose Maria, found steady work as a mission guard. He was never promoted or given a land grant, the ultimate recompense. By contrast, Pico would rise from his humble background to become one of California’s greatest landowners, wealthiest citizens and remembered as the savviest of politicians. He realized as a young man that land was a source of power and influence and set himself to acquiring everything he could. During Pico’s early career, the land where the state historic park is today was a mission cornfield. He later would purchase the land -- calling it El Ranchito -- and make it his primary residence.
Pio Pico cemented his political rise when he organized a rebellion to overthrow a conservative governor. Pico, who was the highest-ranking member on California’s advisory committee, was made Governor in January 10, 1832. He yielded the governorship just three weeks later to a former governor he had recruited for the rebellion. Nevertheless, the change in leadership began secularization of the church missions and their vast land holdings – essentially seizing the land for the state. Secularization was a point of view that promised great economic growth -- but it never materialized. Before secularization, the Catholic missions had been an economic engine of California. Indian forced labor produced goods that merchants sold. Pico and others scrabbled to become the appointed administrators of the land. In 1835, Pico was appointed control of Mission San Luis Rey, known as the “King of Missions.” Yet secularization promised freedom for Indians. This meant Pico and other administrators struggled to find ways to make them work. Pico brutally oppressed the Indians. Their continued complaints and protests led to Pico’s removal in 1840. However in 1841, he was given Rancho Santa Margarita, one of the mission’s 13 ranches of 131,400 acres.
California had already become part of independent Mexico when Pio Pico became governor in 1845. He had pushed for and profited greatly from the period of secularization where land was taken from the missions and redistributed -- albeit preferentially to wealthy ranchers like Pico. The noreño (northern) and sureño (southern) hostilities, Indian rebellions and an inevitable war with the United States threatened stability. Pico and his government sold the remaining missions just before the war. It is likely that he did so to put as much property as possible into private hands before the war started. When Americans invaded California, Pico fled to Mexico in 1846 and petitioned Mexico City for troops and ammunition. Mexico declined because it had more pressing concerns during the war. (Source: "Pio Pico; The Last Governor of Mexican California" by Carlos Manuel Salomon)
1848 was a pivotal year for Pico. It also marked a new chapter in California’s history. Pico returned to his land of birth after the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, which provided the United States purchase rights to California, New Mexico and Texas. The treaty also promised citizenship to native Californios and guaranteed them legal claim to their land. However, the new Anglo settlers brought a new language and culture – along with racist prejudices. Pico, who was part Black, faced new challenges. Additionally, Anglo officials viewed the former governor with suspicion due to his continued prominence and influence. Despite this, Pico adapted with ease and learned to navigate the new system. He increased his wealth and reinserted himself into politics through the new anti-slavery party -- the Republican Party. He purchased the 8,894-acre Rancho Paso de Bartolo and built a 22-room adobe mansion. He affectionately called it “El Ranchito," or little ranch, and made it his primary residence. Today, the adobe and the small area around it is Pio Pico State Historical Park.
By this time, Pico was juggling multiple lawsuits to land claims, managing properties, expelling squatters and working to keep his ranch successful. In 1873 alone, Pico had three cases go before the California Supreme Court. Newly imposed property laws and a new official language (English) meant that many Californio’s lost their land to new American rivals in court. But no lawsuit would be as significant as the lawsuit with John Forster, his brother-in-law and confidant, over Ranch Santa Margarita. Pico had become overextended in real estate when he sold half of the ranch to Forster -- or so he thought. Pico, who did not read English, had unknowingly signed away the entire deed to his brother-in-law.
Many factors led to the demise of Pico’s wealth: Cattle values plummeted, legal battles were lost and business ventures failed. The aging land baron could have sold some of his land and secured a peaceful retirement. However his insatiable ambition led him to take greater risks that cost him dearly. Some historians argue the loss of El Ranchito epitomized his overly trusting nature and was perhaps the biggest blow to Pico and his estate. Thinking he was securing a loan, Pico unknowingly turned the deed to El Ranchito over to an American layer, Bernard Cohn.
Before his death, Pico pressed his lawyers for a fourth appeal to win back his beloved El Ranchito. Even in old age, Pico’s ambition and determination were unbridled. Ninety-three and penniless, Pio Pico died in Los Angeles on September 11 at the home of his daughter Joaquina Moreno.
Harriet Russell Strong, a friend of Pico and guest at El Ranchito, led a group of Whittier citizens, to save the Pico adobe from a building contractor who wanted to use the material as fill. The Governor Pico Museum and Historical Society entered into a lease with the City of Whittier for the purpose of restoring and preserving the Pico adobe. In 1927, the site became one of the first State Historic Parks in California.
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