Francisco María Ruiz (1754–1839) was an early settler of
San Diego
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
, California.
Biography
Ruiz was born 1754 in
Loreto, Baja California Sur
Loreto is a city and municipal seat of Loreto Municipality, Baja California Sur, on the West Coast of Mexico. Located on the Gulf of California, the city had a population of 16,311 inhabitants in 2020. Loreto is a regional economic and cultura ...
. He enlisted in the army when he was 26 and sent to
Upper California. He was promoted from sergeant to lieutenant in 1805 in
Santa Barbara and transferred to San Diego.
Lieutenant Ruiz was acting
commandant
Commandant ( or ; ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ...
of the
Presidio of San Diego
El Presidio Real de San Diego (Royal Presidio of San Diego) is a historic fort in San Diego, California. It was established on May 14, 1769, by Gaspar de Portolá, leader of the first European land exploration of Alta California—at that time a ...
during 1809–1820 then captain and commandant during September 1821–1827. During this time, the Presidio was relinquished by the Spanish on April 20, 1822. Captain Ruiz retired in 1827 at the age of 73.
In 1823, Captain Ruiz received the first private land grant in present San Diego County, the
Rancho Los Peñasquitos (Little Cliffs Ranch). This area is still known as
Rancho Peñasquitos
Rancho or Ranchos may refer to:
Settlements and communities
*Rancho, Aruba, former fishing village and neighbourhood of Oranjestad
*Ranchos of California, 19th century land grants in Alta California
** List of California Ranchos
* Ranchos, Buenos ...
. Ruiz built an adobe home in the western part of the Ranch, at the eastern end of
Sorrento Valley. Some walls of the adobe still stand, and are protected with a shed roof. He kept his home in San Diego and only occasionally visited his ranch. In 1837 Ruiz sold his ranch to his great nephew
Francisco María Alvarado who cared for him in his old age.
Ruiz never married, and died in 1839.
William E. Smythe ''History of San Diego 1542–1908''
/ref>
See also
* María Ygnacia López de Carrillo
Doña María Ygnacia López de Carrillo (January 31, 1793 – February 28, 1849) was a Californio ranchera. She was the founder of Santa Rosa, California, Santa Rosa. She married into the prominent Carrillo family of California and was the a ...
References
External links
* "Los Peñasquitos Rancho", ''Historic Ranchos of San Diego'' by Cecil C. Moyer, Richard F. Pourade, ed. (1960)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruiz, Francisco Maria
1754 births
1839 deaths
Military personnel from California
People from San Diego
People of Alta California
People from Loreto Municipality, Baja California Sur
Mayors of San Diego