Ygnacio Nicanor Martínez (1774–1848) was a Californio politician, soldier, and ranchero, who served as the fourth Alcalde of San Francisco (then known as

Yerba Buena Yerba buena or hierba buena is the Spanish name for a number of aromatic plants, most of which belong to the mint family. ''Yerba buena'' translates as "good herb". The specific plant species regarded as ''yerba buena'' varies from region to regi ...

). He was an important figure in the development of Contra Costa and the city of

Martinez, California Martinez ( Spanish: ''Martínez'') is a city and the county seat of Contra Costa County, California, United States, in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Located on the southern shore of the Carquinez Strait, the city's popul ...

is named after him.

Life

Ygnacio Martínez was born in

Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...

, New Spain (now

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

), and was a soldier in Alta California by 1822. In 1827, as a lieutenant stationed at the Presidio of San Francisco, Martínez met with the American explorer Jedediah Smith and helped to facilitate the continuation of Smith's northward travels toward the Columbia River. Martínez was the fourth Alcalde of

(now San Francisco) in 1837. In 1842, he was granted the Rancho El Pinole, which included the Alhambra Valley. A part of the rancho later became the city of Martinez.

Family

Martínez married Martina Arellanes in 1807, and the couple had eleven children: nine daughters and two sons. One of the daughters, Maria Antonia Martinez (1803-1887), married William A. Richardson in 1825. Ygnacio Martínez died in June, 1848, in the area that would become Contra Costa County, and is buried at Mission San Jose Cemetery in Fremont, California.

Legacy

The city of

, which serves as the county seat of Contra Costa County, was named after Ygnacio Martínez by his son-in-law, William M. Smith, founder of the city. The actor

Will Kuluva Will Kuluva (May 2, 1917 – November 6, 1990) was an American actor. He appeared in the films '' Abandoned'', ''Viva Zapata!'', '' Operation Manhunt'', '' The Shrike'', ''Crime in the Streets'', ''Odds Against Tomorrow'', ''Go Naked in the World ...

played Martinez in the 1966 episode "Water Bringer" of the syndicated

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

, ''

Death Valley Days ''Death Valley Days'' is an American old-time radio and television anthology series featuring true accounts of the American Old West, particularly the Death Valley country of southeastern California. Created in 1930 by Ruth Woodman, the program ...

'', hosted by Ronald W. Reagan,

Rory Calhoun Rory Calhoun (born Francis Timothy McCown, August 8, 1922April 28, 1999) was an American film and television actor. He starred in numerous Westerns in the 1950s and 1960s, and appeared in supporting roles in films such as '' How to Marry a Milli ...

played William Richardson in his first experience of California, when the British whaling ship ''Orion'' docked near the San Francisco Presidio. Calhoun's real-life wife of almost 20 years at the time, Lita Baron, was cast as Martinez's daughter, Maria, who would become the future Mrs. Richardson.

References

People from Contra Costa County, California Martinez, California Pinole, California 1774 births 1848 deaths People of Alta California People of Mexican California People from Mexico City {{OldWest-bio-stub