Joseph Rice

Acknowledgments: Before we begin, I must thank Los Angeles County Rice family researcher Bill Rosar who provided me with much information and many links pertaining to George Rice and Joseph Rice and their families. Bill also kindly shared with me Native American research which he obtained from researcher Dr. John R. Johnson which included many of the early church baptism record numbers. Johnson is currently the head of the Department of of Anthropology at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History and very well-known and respected in his field.


Joseph Rice was born in Los Angeles, California, on March 20, 1834, to George Rice and Catalina Lopez. He was baptized at the Los Angeles Plaza Church eight days after he was born as Jose del Sacramento Lugardo Rice.

Baptism record number 428 for Jose Del Sacramento Lugardo Rice(1) with a rough translation to English. The Pueblo was Los Angeles.

Joseph's father, George Rice, was born on June 29, 1800, in Nantucket, Massachusetts(2), and died on September 26, 1881, in Somerset, Massachusetts(2b). His mother Catalina Lopez was born on May 23, 1815, San Juan [Capistrano], California(2), and died on May 3, 1852, in Somerset, Massachusetts. George came to Los Angeles in 1826 or 27. He partnered with fellow Massachusetts native Jonathan (soon to be called Don Juan) Temple (1796-1866) to open the first general store in the pueblo of Los Angeles.(3a-3i)

On April 5, 1828, the 27 year old George Rice was baptized at the San Gabriel Mission as Jorge Jose Rice. His parents were listed as Randolph and Elizabeth (Isabel in Spanish) Russell.(4) His tombstone middle name was "I", presumably for Isaiah.(BR) All through his life, when his middle initial was given, it was either "I" or "J." The "I" and "J" look very similar when hand-written, so it was often difficult to tell which letter was intended.

In Los Angeles, on November 9, 1829, George married a 16 year old Californio (a Spanish-speaking resident of California during the Spanish and Mexican era of 1769 1848) named Catalina Lopez.(BR) She was the daughter of Esteban Ygnacio Maria Lopez and Maria del Sacramento Valdez.(5) The well-known Lopez family had settled in San Diego in the late 1700's. One of Catalina's brothers was Geronimo Lopez. In 1871 he would build an adobe home, called Lopez Station, near the San Fernando Mission. Later, Geronimo and his wife would live in the Lopez Adobe, built by Valentin Lopez, in San Fernando. This building is still standing.(6) Catalina was also a relative of Francisco Lopez, the man who discovered gold in Placerita Canyon in 1842.

George and Catalina's first child, Jorge Antonio, was baptized at the Los Angeles Plaza Church on January 19, 1831.(1) Their second child, Jose Antonio Rice was born on December 6, 1832, but died only a few months later in March of 1833.(2) Their third child Joseph (Jose del Sacramento Lugardo) was baptized on March 28, 1834.(1) He is the Joseph Rice of this story.

George Rice dissolved his partnership with Temple in 1831 or 32(3c,3d). He then operated a billard-saloon, obtaining the first mahogony billiard table made in California.(3a) He sold out to Francisco Figueroa in 1835.(3c)

Then, in 1835, for unknown reasons, George returned to Massachusetts with his wife, two sons, and a younger brother of Catalina, 14 year old Jose Antonio Lopez. They sailed from San Diego to Boston on the ship Lagoda arriving on October 5th, 1835.(7) It is believed that Jose came with them to get an education in Boston and didn't return to California until the mid-1840s.(BR) In Massachusetts, Catalina would be called Catherine (although her tombstone would say Catalina).

In the July 8, 1837, issue of the Fall River Monitor (Massachusetts) there was a notice by a Dr. A. Farwell. He advertised that "All persons ... may rest assured of being restored to health as speedy as the nature of their cases will admit." At the end of the notice, Farwell noted that he was a B.T. (Botanic Thomsonian) Physician and could be found at the residence of Mr. G. I. Rice. Farwell was a practitioner of the Thomsonian school of medicine, named after its founder Samuel Thomson. This was a nineteenth-century American movement prescribing herbs and plants for cures. Farwell moved to Rhode Island in December of 1837(8), but was still accepting orders given to George J. Rice at least in middle 1838.(9) In the future, George Rice himself would advertise as a doctor. Was he a B.T. Physician? Did he first get his training with the Thomsonian methods by Dr. Farwell? It would seem so. There is no evidence of him being trained as a regular doctor.

In August of 1849, it was reported that George Rice and Joseph Rice of Somerset (Massachusetts) arrived by ship at San Francisco on July 1st after a passage of 169 days from Nantucket. For young Joseph, that must have been an exciting trip. These were the days of the gold rush in California - the 49ers.

Fall River Monitor, August 18, 1849.

After they returned, George started to advertise as Dr. Rice recently returned from the California "Gold Regions." He probably now considered himself a Botanic Thomsonian physician like Dr. Farwell. This notice ran constantly until the beginning of 1851.

Dr. Rice - Fall River Monitor, February 9, 1850.


1850 US Census for Somerset, Bristol County, Massachusetts, taken on September 3.

From the 1850 US Census, we see George (age 49) and Catherine (age 35). Joseph was 16, born in 1834 in California. Both George and Joseph were listed as farmers. George's doctoring must have been a secondary activity. Joseph had two sisters (Mary, age 7, and Isadora, age 6) and two younger brothers (Charles, age 4, and John, age 2). These brothers and sisters were born in Massachusetts. Joseph's older older brother George, born in 1831 in California, had moved out. The other brother born in California, Jose Antonio, had died there. 35 year old Catarina had seven children by 1850.

However, she was not done giving birth. George and Catarina had their eighth child, Frederick, on April 6, 1852.(10)

On May 8, 1852, tragedy struck the family. Catarina died of consumption (an early term for tuberculosis).(11) It would be reasonable to think that Dr. George would have attempted some sort of cure, but TB was incurable at that time. What a tough life Catarina must have endured. She was living far from California where all her relatives lived and in an environment that was probably foreign to her. Then she contracted TB, which killed her.

Before the end of the year, Joseph moved back to his birth state of California. Since his mother was a Lopez, he would have plenty of relatives there. Then, on August 4, 1853, young Frederick also died of consumption.(12)

A little over two months after Frederick's death, George Rice re-married. On October 16, 1853, 53 year old George married 27 year old Mary Ann Lawton.(13) It was his second and her first marriage. The 1855 Massachusetts census shows not only Catalina's children Mary, Isadora, Charles and John, but a new arrival - George William Rice. On the 1860 US census, Kate, and Cyrus were added. George was listed as a physician. By the 1870 US census, all of Catalina's children had left the home. George's new family consisted of wife Mary Ann, George W., Catherine, Cyrus, Effie and Elizabeth. George was a "retired physician." Finally, on the 1880 US Census, there are no more new children. George had fathered eight children with Catalina and five with Mary Ann. Finally, on September 26, 1881, George Rice died of heart disease.(14) His life had been long and fruitful.

Catalina Lopez tombstone at the Gibbs Cemetery in Somerset, Massachusetts (Find-a-Grave). Wife of George I Rice, Born in San Juan [Capistrano] May 23, 1815, died in Somerset [Massachusetts] May 3, 1852, Aged 36 Years. Frederick died August 1, 1853, Aged 1 year & 3 months.

George Rice tombstone at the Gibbs Cemetery in Somerset, Massachusetts (Find-a-Grave). His middle name has been listed both as Isaiah and Joseph (see Spanish-Mexican Families of Early California by Northrop)


Returning to our main character, Joseph Rice, we find him on the 1852 California Census (see above) for Los Angeles County working as a laborer. As we have seen, he came here from Massachusetts after his mother died in May of 1852.


No records or newspapers were located mentioning Rice until a court case was filed in January of 1855. This case (No. 163) was filed in the 1st Judicial District Court of Los Angeles County and involved Joseph Rice, plaintiff, vs. Joseph L. Mossman and Lewis Granger, defendants. On November 13, 1854, Rice had loaned Mossman and Granger $315 with 5% monthly interest. They gave him a note promissing to repay him in 30 days, which they did not do, so Rice filed a lawsuit on January 6, 1855. Mossman and Granger failed to appear in court so Rice was awarded a judgement of $442.79. A brick house and lot owned by Mossman was sold by the sheriff (see below) at auction on April 11 for only five dollars. The case documents state that no other assets of Mossman were found. Granger was apparently dropped from the lawsuit, because none of his assets were mentioned.

Los Angeles Star, March 17, 1855. Sheriff's sale for court case No. 163.

Seemingly not learning his lession from the previous case, Rice filed another complaint in the 1st Judicial District Court (case #324) against Lewis Granger on February 25, 1856. On May 3, 1855, Granger gave Rice a note promising to pay $224 in four months with interest of 5% per month until paid, long overdue. The defendant Granger again did not appear in court, so Rice was awarded the $224 plus interest and court costs. There evidently was a sheriff's auction on May 19, 1856, in San Bernardino (see below), but how much money Rice got is not known.

Los Angeles Star, March 26, 1856. Sheriff's sale for Joseph Rice and another man.


Ord's 1849 Survey of of the City of Los Angeles. Rice's lots were the red rectangles in section 17. See the complete survey here.

Turning to real estate, on April 13, 1855, Rice purchased Lot 5 of Block 17 in Los Angeles from the City of Los Angeles for $41.(15) Almost a year later, on March 19, 1856, he purchased Lot 10 of Block 17 from the City of Los Angeles for $20.(16) He seemed to be doing pretty well for himself - loaning out money and buying land.


Either in late 1855 or early 1856, Joseph Rice met and began a close relationship with a Native American named Maria Trinidad. She was already a widow who had given birth to at least four children. She was probably living around the San Gabriel Mission at that time. He may have hired her to work at his soon to open or newly opened fruit and vegetable stand in Los Angeles. It is impossible to know the details of their early relationship, but on October 16, 1856, their four day old baby, Maria Griselda, was baptized at the Los Angeles Plaza Church (LA Baptism #1436).

Let's backup and attempt to trace the life of Maria Trinidad up to here.(JJ)


Maria was a Native American baptized at the San Fernando Rey Mission on June 2, 1822, recently born (SFR Baptism #2500 - see above). Her father was Angel Clavasio from Tujunga. He was also baptized at the San Fernando Mission in 1798 as about 1 year old (SFR Baptism #76). Her mother was Ponciana from Najayabit, a Native American ranch near the San Gabriel Mission. Ponciana was baptized at the San Fernando Mission in 1809 at six years old (SFR Baptism #1766). Angel married Ponciana in 1816 (SFR Marriage #614).

Maria Trinidad married another Native American named Atilano on September 10, 1841, at the San Gabriel Mission (SG Marriages #1923). No baptism record has been found for Atilano. Atilano and Trinidad are known to have had at least three children - Juana, baptized on April 7, 1845 (SG Baptism #8747), Maria, baptism date unknown, and Jose Dolores, baptized on July 5, 1848 (SG Baptism #8970). All the children were baptized at the San Gabriel Mission, so apparently Atilano and Trinidad were living near there at that time. Tragically, young Maria died on March 12, 1849, and Jose Dolores died the next day. (SG Burials #6075 & #6075). Their causes of death are unknown, but many diseases were active at that time in the Native American community around the missions. Juana disappeared from the records. She was not on the 1860 census with Trinidad.

At some point between 1849 and 1854, Atilano died because Trinidad had a child in 1854 with an unknown father. The child, named Catarina, was baptized this time at the Los Angeles Plaza Church on October 25, 1854 (LA Baptisms #1060). It is possible that Catarina was fathered by Joseph Rice, but I doubt it. Joseph had just arrived in California in the middle of 1852 and probably had enough problems just trying to earn a living. He was just a 19 year old kid and would have had to meet and have relations with Trinidad within about seven months. That scenario just doesn't seem reasonable to me, although in his will he did call her one of "my children."(43)

There is also a story about Trinidad having a child named Jose Dolores by a William Cook. There was a real Jose Dolores who would take the last name of Cook when he grew up. According to his Los Angeles County voter registrations, he was born about 1852 (and was killed in 1890). This would mean that Atilano was dead or gone by 1852, which would fit. Unfortunately, there was no William Cook in Los Angeles County on the 1850 U.S. census, the 1852 California census, or the 1860 U.S. census. Plus, no baptism record for this Jose Dolores can be found.

Whether or not the Cook story is true, Trinidad was an unmarried Native American woman in tough times. They had a "pragmatic attitude toward sexual activity"(17) so living with a man she wasn't married to who provided her with food and a place to live was something she probably would have no qualms about doing. In fact, she was evidently doing so with Joseph. On October 12, 1856, baptism records (LA Baptism #1436) show that Trinidad and Joseph had a child, Maria Griselda.


Los Angeles Star, May 31, 1856.

By May of 1856, Rice had opened a fruit and vegetable stand on Main Street in Los Angeles. This may be one of the first advertisements for that stand.

The June 21, 1856, issue of the Los Angeles Star reported that Jose Rice was appointed a Judge of the Plains for Rancho Cerritos by the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors. Joseph was not normally called Jose in non-Spanish newspapers, but this was apparently an exception. Judges of the Plains settled any ownership disputes for horses, mules, cattle, sheep, and hogs. They also confirmed the count of and ownership of any herds of these animals arriving in a city or town. They were also supposed to attend all rodeos or other similar gatherings of horses or cattle. Their term of office was one year. It would seem that Joseph would have had to be living on Rancho Cerritos, but there is no evidence that would support that. He had just started his fruit and vegetable stand at the time so it doesn't seem logical that he would accept this position. He was a farmer in Massachusetts. He was never a rancher. Rancho Cerritos (in Long Beach today) is about 20 miles from Los Angeles so it is possible that he traveled back and forth between the two towns whenever it was necessary.

Los Angeles Star, December 27, 1856.

Los Angeles Star, January 17, 1857.
There were many ads by Rice in 1856 and the beginning of 1857. Above are the last two that I found.


On January 3, 1857, Rice sold the southeast corner of Lot 5 for $500 to his relative Jose A. Lopez.(18) As we have seen, Lopez, brother of Joseph's mother Catalina Lopez, had traveled east with baby Joseph Rice in 1835.

Sometime in early 1857 Joseph Rice decided to move to the Sebastian (also called the Ft. Tejon) Indian Reservation. We don't know the reason. Maybe his Los Angeles store was not doing well. There were other larger stores (for example see the January 17, 1857, LA Star for Mellus and for Newmark advertisements) that may have been giving him too much competition. Maybe he saw an opportunity on the Reservation. Official letters were indicating problems with the food supply on the reservation in 1857:

For example, on June 25, 1857, Thomas P. Madden wrote to Thomas D. Henley, the Superintendant of Indian Affairs:(19)
"Without exception this has been the most disasterous season for crops since the [Sebastian] Reservation has been established. The drought however was not confined to this place, but throughout the entire Southern Country the crops have failed."
Then on July 10, 1857, there was a letter from Thomas D. Henley to J. R. Vineyard, Indian Agent of the Tejon Reserve:(19)
"There seems therefore to be no alternative but to subsist the Indians upon the natural resources of the country upon which they have lived before the assistance of the Government had been extended to them. There is time now to provide for this emergency and no effort should be spared to do so effectually."
Since supplies for the Reservation were purchased in Los Angeles, maybe he knew about the problems and thought that if he had a store there, he could profit from the situation.

Whatever the reason, by August, he and Maria were living at the Reservation. The $500 from land sale to Jose Lopez probably helped him in setting up his store or trading post there.

The Sebastian Indian Reservation was located in the Tehachapi Mountains Los Angeles County, California. Today, that area is now part of Kern County. It was established by Edward F. Beale, the then U.S. Superintendent of Indian Affairs for California, in 1853 and was the first Indian reservation in California. In 1854, Fort Tejon was built by the U.S. Government 25 miles to the southwest to protect the reservation's Native Americans from other Native Americans and American raids. It was also there to protect the white settlers. In 1861, U.S. troops were removed and the Overland Mail route discontinued. In 1853, at the start of the Civil War, California volunteer troops re-occupied the fort. The reservation was closed in June of 1864.(20) Fort Tejon was closed and abandoned in September of 1864. It is now a California Historical Landmark and usually opened to the public.

The Los Angeles Star, August 15, 1857, printed a notice that a general election would be held on September 2, 1857. For the "Sebastian Reservation - Election to be held at the house of J. R. Vineyar. R. F. Hayes, Inspector; L. Anderson and Joseph Rice, Judges."

In a letter from Thomas P. Madden to Thomas J. Henley, Superintendent of Indian Affairs, September 20, 1857:(19)
"In obedience to instructions of the 28 July ultimatum, Agent Vineyard directed the trader to vacate the public building and remove beyond the limits of the Reservation. The first part of the order has been obeyed. The trader (Joseph Rice) has commenced building a trading post about 1/4 of a mile from the large granary immediately on the creek that flows past the agent's residence, and is, in the opinions of the agent and every one on the place, within the limits of the approved survey of the Reservation."
The July 28, 1857, ultimatum can be read in Appendix 3. Agent Vineyard was James R. Vineyard the Sebastian Reservation Indian Agent. The ultimatum was in regards to a circular from the Office of Indian Affairs reminding agents that the use of alcohol on the Reservations was forbidden and that employees should stay away from the Indian women. Rice was probably selling alcohol in his store and he was certainly living with an Native American, Maria Trinidad. They already had a daughter.

On February 6, 1858, Joseph and Maria Trinidad sold Lot 5 and 10 in Block 17, excluding the Jose Lopez section sold in 1857, to George Lehman for $329.(21) Joseph Rice apparently no longer owned any real estate in Los Angeles.

On November 27, 1859, there was a murder at the house of Joseph Rice near the reservation. After drinking, George Hodges and John Grey (or Gray) got into an argument. Grey hit Hodges with a broomstick causing Hodges to pull out his knife and plunged it into Grey's chest. Grey was killed instantly. Hodges was taken into custody and given to the commandant of Ft. Tejon, no civil authorities being in the area.(22) Brought to trial in 1860, Hodges was was found to be innocent - he acted in self-defense.(23) Rice was one of the witnesses at the trial.


1860 US Census for the Tejon Township, Los Angeles County, taken on July 25. This census is problematic. We have Joseph and Trinidad with 6-year old Maria. In 1860, the Catarina with an unknown father born in 1854 would be 6. Maria Griselda would be 4. Is the Maria here supposed to be Catarina or Maria G. with an incorrect age? Then there are also two other Native American children. They are probably not Joseph and Trinidad's and would not be on the 1870 census. Trinidad is listed at 30 years old but she was really 38. I doubt that Trinidad really knew when she was born or even really cared.


The Los Angeles Star of November 24, 1860, has a Delinquent Tax List for the year 1860. Listed is Joseph Rice, living on the Reservation, delinquent on the "lot and house on Spring street adjoining J Lopez." This entry is apparently incorrect because on February 6, 1858, Rice had sold that to George Lehman.(21)

Joseph and Trinidad would have another child in early 1861. On February 17, 1861, Francisca Isadora was baptized at the Los Angeles Plaza Church (Baptism #758). She would be called Francis in the future. Soon after that, on March 10, 1861, the couple were finally married at the San Fernando Mission.

March 10, 1861, marriage record of Joseph Rice and Maria Trinidad with rough translation to English. The marriage was done at the San Fernando Mission but the record was actually in the Los Angeles Plaza Church marriage register (#609).

In May of 1861 it was reported ("Reservation-Rice's store; J. Rice; 1") that his store was a place of an election and he was the election inspector for one delegate.(24)

On December 19, 1861, Jose was born (LA Baptisms #1028). This was Joseph and Trinidad's third child (although, as I have said, it may have been their fourth).

Then, in 1862 or 1863, Joseph Rice moved to San Fernando. He took out an annual lease from uncle Geronimo Lopez, a brother of Joseph's mother Catalina. This fact was revealed in an 1864 court case of Andres Pico vs. Geronimo Lopez and Joseph Rice. Pico claimed that that land was his because it was on land of the Rancho ex-Mission San Fernando, which he was a part owner of. In Rice's answer to the suit he stated that "he is a tenant under the said defendant, Jeronimo Lopez, from year to year." Not until 1866 did the plaintiff Pico order that the case be dismissed. He evidently gave up.(25)

This portion of a plat map of 1871 shows us where Joseph Rice lived. Here, north is to the left and south is to the right. In the red box on the far left is the tollgate for Fremont Pass (or the San Fernando Pass or Beale's Cut). Just past the tollgate entering the San Fernando Valley is the Akers home (blue box). The far right red box is the San Fernando Mission. The green box would soon be the location of Lopez Station. Lopez just purchased the land from Maria de Los Angeles Feliz de Burrows, the owner of the dark blue square. To the left of that, in the orange box, is the location of Joseph Rice's home.

The map is entitled "Plat of the Ex Mission de San Fernando finally confirmed to Eulogio de Celis," surveyed by William P. Reynolds and completed in March of 1871. The entire plat map can be seen on the Huntington Library website.

Here is a closer view of the map (north is top, west is left) showing "J. Rice", the Maria de Los Angeles Feliz de Burrows tract, and the Mission of San Fernando. Rice is positioned next to the road and the telegraph. Besides indicating him on the map, surveyor Reynolds also mentioned Rice in his field notes: "The first 2 miles of the line east is hilly and broken; has some good land in the narrow valley through wich the road passed via Joseph Rice's house, from Los Angeles to Fort Tejon and Owens River."(26) He also surveyed the Maria de Los Angeles Feliz de Burrows tract (also called the 1000 Vara tract)(27), which she purchased in 1858.(28) Nowhere does Reynolds mention Lopez Station or place it anywhere on his map.

We know that Geronimo Lopez was living in the area by 1860(29), but contrary to most histories, Lopez Station apparently did not exist until after this map was completed in early 1871. On February 27, 1871, Geronimo purchased 27 acres from de Burrows for $260.(30) If Lopez Station did exist before this time, it would have been on the map. The station was supposed to be a major stopping place with rooms, a store, and a post office. The Lopez Station post office was established in January of 1873.(31)

In San Fernando, Joseph and Trinidad apparently operated a store in their house and rented out a room or rooms. He also did some farming.

Joseph and Trinidad added to their family by having two more children to go along with their first three (Maria Griselda, Francisca Isadora, and Jose). Maria del Rosario was baptized on December 20, 1863 (LA Baptisms #1604). She evidently died before 1870 because she was not on that year's US Census. Jorge Valentiniano was born on March 22, 1866 (LA Baptisms #382).

As we have seen, Rice was involved in elections throughout his adult life. He was appointed as an election inspector for San Fernando in a primary election in 1863.(32) In another primary election to be held on March 5, 1864, "Jos. Rice" was the election inspector for San Fernando at Andres Pico's house.(33) In still another primary election (of July 20, 1865), the house of Joseph Rice would be a place of voting.(34)


In January of 1865 petroleum was discovered in Pico Canyon(35) by Jesus Hernandez and Ramon Perea. Since Rice's house was on the main road from Fort Tejon to the San Fernando Mission to Los Angeles, he must have been one of the first to get the news. Rice staked his claim in what was then known as Grizzly Run Canyon in Book A of the Los Angeles Petroleum Mining District. Unfortunately, the records of that district have disappeared, but we do have another record in Los Angeles County Miscellaneous Records of the consolidation of the Rice Petroleum Mining Company and the Grizzly Run claim, which was next to Rice's claim, giving us a hint of Rice's original claim.(36) As the discoverer, Rice was allowed to have two claims while the other six claimants were allowed one claim each. Each claim was 1000 square feet.(37) Within a few years, the canyon was being called Rice Canyon. Unfortunately, the Rice Canyon oil field would not be commercially successful, but in the 1860's and 1870's this was not known.

Even today, there is an oil seep in Rice Canyon right on the trail (Photo taken on September 16, 2022)

Closeup of seep. Nearby, oil is still oozing into the water from layers of earth cut by the creek.

This article from the Wilminton Journal of May 26, 1866, is interesting because it mentions Joe Rice's place and documents traveling through San Fernando twice. Starting in Los Angeles, it is 12 miles to San Fernando (more than likely the Mission - we know there was a stage station there right next to the road). Then 8 miles to Wileys. That was Henry C. Wiley's (of Wiley Canyon) ranch. It would not become Lyon's Station until 1869 when Sanford Lyon purchased the property. On the return trip, Wileys is again mentioned. 7 miles from Wileys is Joe Rice, where they camped for the night. The next day they reached San Fernando (Mission) after 2 miles and would reach Los Angeles after 22 miles. Note that there is no mention of Lopez Station. That is because it didn't exist at that time, as I have already stated.


Los Angeles County Great Register of Voters. Joseph Rice registered on May 29, 1866. Here, he is calling himself a hotel keeper, but he was probably only renting out rooms in his house and maybe only one room. He needed some rooms of his own because of his family of seven.


For the October 16, 1867, special Judicial election, voting in San Fernando would be done at the house of Joseph Rice.(38)

John Boessenecker writes in his book "Lawman: The Life and Times of Harry Morse" in 1868(39):
"The next day we drove down the Soledad Canyon forty miles and camped at San Fernando Valley, and the day following drove on to Joe Rice's and finding good feed, concluded to stay there the balance of the day and rest our tired horses."

1870 US Census (page 21) for the Los Angeles Township, Los Angeles County, taken on July 1 by Jonathan Dunlap. The LA Township included San Fernando and towns north of Fremont Pass. The previous day's count (on page 20 of the census) on June 30 for the Lyon's Station area (which included Sanford Lyon and his family) with the Petroliopolis post office (at Lyon's Station) was also done by Dunlap and was also for LA Township. He must have spent the night at Lyon's Station.

The 1870 Census contains all of Joseph Rice's living children. His wife Maria T(rinidad) was reported as 37, but she was really 48 (born in 1822). Mary Catherine was the daughter of Trinidad with the unknown father. Maria Griselda evidently was given the nickname of Sarah. Francisca Isadora was called Francis. Then there were the two boys Joseph R (he was not baptised with a middle name) and George B (actually V - the letters B and V were sometimes interchanged).

There was also a school teacher named Louisa Carter boarding with them. Mrs. Louisa Carter, school teacher, was listed in the San Francisco Directory in both the 1863-64 and the 1868-69 issues.(40) Now, in 1870, she is in San Fernando as a school teacher boarding with Joseph Rice. In 1924 it was written (41) that the "the first public school was organized at Lopez Station... There were twenty-five children to attend school. Mrs Catherine Carter was the first teacher. She was paid sixty dollars a month... It was taught in English. The teacher boarded with with Mrs. Lopez for twenty-six years, as long as the school remained." Unfortunately for this statement, there is no Catherine Carter on the 1870 or 1880 US Census living with Geronimo Lopez and his wife Catarina. In fact, no teacher was listed as living with the Lopez family. I'm guessing that Mrs. Louisa Carter and not Mrs. Catherine Carter was the teacher and that the writers mistakenly mixed up an Americanized version of Catarina Lopez's first name for the teacher's first name. In 1870, there is no evidence that that Lopez Station existed yet, so Mrs. Carter either taught at the Mission or in a school house built by Lopez on his property before he purchased the Lopez Station land in 1871. However, there is a school house indicated on William P. Reynolds' Plat of the 1000 Vara Tract surveyed in February of 1871.(27) The school is very close to the home of Joseph Rice on Reynolds' Plat of the Ex Mission de San Fernando of 1871, shown above. He actually worked on both maps at the same time. This school house was probably built by Lopez on the land he also leased to Rice. When Lopez Station was built, a new school house was built there. This is probably the school where Carter taught. Some of Rice's children probably went to that nearby school. When Lopez Station was built, Lopez built a new school house there.

The 1870 Census is also interesting because we can see Joseph Rice's neighbors. Looking on Page 21, we see that the first entry for July 1 is Larkin B. Akers. Since the census taker probably stayed at Lyon's Station the previous night, this is the first person he encountered after passing through the Fremont Pass. The Akers' home is also shown on the 1871 plat map seen above on the far left in a blue box. Glancing down the census page we see Jesus Hernandez, one the discovers of oil in Pico Canyon. No wonder Rice was one of the first people to make a claim in 1865. Hernandez was his neighbor and probably knew him. At the bottom of Page 21 is Joseph Rice. On Page 22 we see Valentin Lopez, the brother of Catarina Lopez, the wife of Geronimo Lopez. Valentin is said to be the one who built the Lopez Adobe in San Fernando in 1882 or 83. Below Valentin is Geronimo and Catalina Lopez and their large family. Lopez would soon build a new home, probably with Valentin's help, which would be called Lopez Station. Rice was renting his home from Geronimo. Below Lopez is Andres Pico, who was living at the San Fernando Mission.


Rice is mentioned twice in Frank Latta's book "Saga of Rancho El Tejon", which is based on the memories of Jose Jesus Lopez, the oldest son of Geronimo Lopez:(42)
p. 85 - "The Telegraph Stage Line was established [to LA in 1872] after the Overland Stages had stopped running on this route. It was named because of the telegraph line [erected in 1860]. The stage line had regular stops at almost all of the old Overland Stage Stations: Poso Creek, Bakersfield, Rancho de las Canoas, Fort Tejon, Gorman's, Cow Springs, Gordon's, Lyons', Lopez Station, Carpenter's, and Los Angeles. They also would make stops for mail or packages at Moore's Station and at Joe Rice's."
"p. 173 - [Steamboat] Miller would stay on his place for three or four months, and then go into San Fernando on a spree. He would be drunk for a week or so. Then he would go out to my father's station or Joe Rice's store one mile north of Lopez Station, lay in provisions, and go home."
Ominously, on June 24, 1872, Joseph Rice wrote his will. He was only 38 years old so he must have known or suspected that something was wrong with him.(43)

The Cronica of September 14, 1872, reported that Joseph Rice was again a voting inspector in San Fernando.

On January 17, 1873, Rice sold his Rice Canyon petroleum claim to Dr. Vincent Gelcich for $300.(44a) Soon after that, on June 28, 1873, Christopher Leaming also sold to Vincent Gelcich all his rights to the "Rice Discover Claim and the Rice No. 1 and the Rice No. 2 claims" for $500.(44b) Then, on January 3, 1879, Gelcich would sell off all her "Rice Canon Claims, or as they are sometimes called, the Rice No 1 Claim, the Rice No 2. Claim, and the Rice No. 3 Claim" to Charles N. Felton(44c), who would give them to the Pacific Coast Oil Company, which he would soon organize with others. PCO would eventually become Standard Oil.


On June 26, 1873, 39 year old Joseph Rice died. The Los Angeles County Register of Deaths gives no cause of death, but incorrectly lists his death as June 27.(45) All the probate documents say June 26.(43)

"Jose Rice, resident of San Fernando, 40 years old."Translation from La Cronica (of Los Angeles) of June 28, 1873.

"On June 26 in his residence two miles from the San Fernando Mission, Joseph Rice died at the age of 39 years. He knew many who travelled on the road to Lone Pine, the Owens River, etc. His funeral was in this city on Friday the 27th [of June]. He leaves a widow and five children. May the earth weigh lightly" Rough translation from La Cronica (of Los Angeles) of July 2, 1873.

Joseph's probate, which included his will, was filed on June 28 in the Probate Court of Los Angeles County. The will was in possession of one of his daughters. Samuel B. Caswell, the executor of the estate, petitioned for an allowance of $70 per month to Trinidad for her support and the support of her five children. It would be paid by Caswell, as the executor, on the first day of each month. The five children listed in the will were Mary Catherine (age 19), Maria Griselda (17), Francisca Isadora (14), George B. (11), and Joseph (7). Actually, George was 7 and Joseph was 11. Trinidad was never mentioned in the will by name. After selling off the assets and paying all debts, the estate would be worth $1515. At $70 per month, that would last only 22 months. The probate judge, H.K.S. O'Melveny, "allowed, approved and settled" the final settlement on July 17, 1874.(43)

Notice of hearing to approve will for probate. From the Los Angeles Evening Express of June 30, 1873.

Notice to creditors of Joseph Rice probate. From the Los Angeles Evening Express of August 14, 1873.

With Joseph dead, two of his daughters quickly married. On July 8, 1873, 19 year old Mary Catarina married 26 year old Levi Lucas Smith.(46) Smith was a teamster born in Iowa.(47) They probably met when he made stops at Rice's place. Then, on August 26, 1873, 16 year old Francisca Isadora (a.k.a. Francis or Florence) married 33 year old William Wilkinson. (48) Wilkinson was a stage driver (or teamster) from Kentucky.(49) They also probably met when the stage stopped at Rice's.

On May 6, 1874, a petition for the appointment of a guardian for 12-year old minor Joseph Rice was filed in the Probate Court of the County of Los Angeles. The petition was filed by Luke Smith, a friend of the minor Joseph Rice, and requested that J. M. Donaldson to be appointed guardian of Joseph. The only information provided was that Donaldson was a "brother-in-law of Joseph Rice, minor child of Joseph Rice deceased." The petition mentions that the only relatives of minor Joseph living in Los Angeles County were Francis Wilkinson, Sarah (Maria Griselda), George, and mother Trinidad Rice. Married (to Levi Smith) Mary Catarina was evidently not living in the county anymore. So, if Donaldson was minor Joseph's brother-in-law, what sister was he married to? Sarah was unmarried at that time, so it couldn't be her. Another sister, Maria del Rosario (born in 1863) was not on any documents after her birth and is presumed to have died young. Maybe Donaldson was supposed to be the brother-in-law of the recently deceased Joseph Rice, but I could not verify that. Whatever the case, Trinidad agreed and Donaldson was appointed the guardian of Joseph.(50) Why Joseph was chosen instead of the younger George is not known.


1880 US Census of the first ward of Los Angeles City taken on June 3, 1880, lists 55 year old Trinidad with 14-year old Jorge (George). Two other ladies, along with Jorge, were also living in the same household.

On August 21, 1886, George (Jorge) Rice married Dominga Luquin in Los Angeles. She was only 15, but her father consented to the marriage. Both of her parents were born in Mexico.(51)

At this point, information about the Rice family ends and so does this biography. I could not find any death record for Trinidad or any of her children who lived past 1880 except possibly for Sarah (Maria Griselda). There is a 26 year old Sarah Rice listed in the California County Death Register for 1800-1994 as having died on August 16, 1882, but there is not enough information to verify whether or not she was Joseph and Trinidad's daughter.

In his short life Joseph Rice had many life experiences. After being born in California in 1834, his family moved to Massachusetts. As a 15 year old he returned to California for a few months in 1849 during the gold rush. He probably had a great time. Back in Massachusetts, his Californio mother Catarina Lopez died in 1852. He returned alone to California to start a new life. Working hard, he was able to save enough money to make some land purchases in the growing City of Los Angeles. He made a nice profit selling the land and started his own store. He married a Native American lady. Maybe the store wasn't as profitable as he hoped, so he moved north to Fort Tejon to start a new store. That probably also wasn't successful, so he moved south to San Fernando near the Mission, starting another store. He was located right on the main road from Los Angeles to Tejon, so stages and freight wagons probably frequently stopped at his place. When oil was discovered nearby in 1865, he was one of the first to stake a claim. He had a growing family to take care of. It must have been a difficult life, but he never gave up. He supported his family until the end, which came much too quickly at the age of 39.

----- APPENDIX 1 - The George Rice Families

George I. Rice: 1800 - 1881 (Parents: Randolph Rice & Elizabeth Russell)
1. Catalina Lopez Rice: 1815 - 1852 (Parents: Esteban Ygnacio Maria Lopez & Maria del Sacramento Valdez)
(Married 1829)

--- Jorge Antonio: 1831 - 1843
--- Jose Antonio: 1832 - 1833
--- Jose Del Sacramento Lugardo (a.k.a. Joseph): 1834 - 1873
--- Mary Francis: 1843 - 1859
--- Isadora B.: 1844 - 1882
--- Charles: 1846 - 1873
--- John: 1848 - ?
--- Frederick: 1851 - 1853

2. Mary Ann Lawton: 1826-1891 (Parents: William Lawson & Betsy Johnson)
(Married 1853)

--- George William: 1854 - 1939
--- Catherine: 1856 - ?
--- Cyrus: 1859 - 1930
--- Effie: 1861 - 1906
--- Elisabeth: 1862 - ?

----- APPENDIX 2 - The Maria Trinidad Families

(Church records from SFR: Mission San Fernando Rey, LA: Los Angeles Plaza Church, SG: San Gabriel Mission. Early record numbers from Dr. John Johnson.)

Angel Clavasio: 1798 (SFR Baptism #76) - ? [from Tujunga]
Ponciana: 1809 (SFR Baptism #1766) - between 1822&1824 (Father - Eulogio Tomearsaxabia, SFR Baptism #1862) [both from Najayabit, a Native American ranch near the San Gabriel Mission]
(Married 1816 - SG Marriages #1923)

--- Maria Trinidad: 6/2/1822 (SFR Baptism #2500) - ?
--- 1. Atilano (Baptism not found)
--- (Married Sept 10, 1841 - SG Marriages #1923)

------ Juana: 4/7/1845 (SG Baptisms #8747) - ?
------ Maria: (Baptism not found) - 3/12/1849 (SG Burial #6075)
------ Jose Dolores: 7/5/1848 (SG Baptisms #8970) - 3/13/1849 (SG Burial #6076)

--- 2. Father Unknown [Joseph ?]

------ Catarina: 10/25/1854 (LA Baptisms #1060) - ?
------ [Called Maria on 1860 US Census and Mary Catherine on 1870 US Census]
------------ (Married Levi L. Smith, 7/8/1873)

--- 3. Jose (Joseph) Rice: 3/28/1834 (LA Baptism #428) - 1874
--- (Married 3/10/1861 - LA Marriages #609)

------ Maria Griselda (a.k.a. Sarah): 10/12/1856 (LA Baptism #1436) - ?
------ Francisca Isadora (a.k.a. Francis): 2/17/1861 (LA Baptism #758) - ?
------------ (Married William Wilkinson, 8/26/1873)
------ Jose (a.k.a. Joseph): 1/5/1862 (LA Baptism #1028) - ?
------ Maria del Rosario: 12/20/1863 (LA Baptism #1604) - ? [not on 1870 US Census, dead by then?]
------ Jorge Valentiniano (a.k.a. George): 3/22/1866 (LA Baptism #382) - ?
------------ (Married Dominga Luquin, 8/21/1886)

----- APPENDIX 3 - The July 28, 1857, The Bureau of Indian Affairs Ultimatum and July 25 Circular

(National Archives; Record Group 75: Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1793 - 1999; Series: Letters Received, 1824 - 1880; File Unit: M234 - Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-1881; Microfilm: 234, Roll 35.

Office Supt. Indian Affairs, San Francisco Cal.
July 28, 1857

Hon. J. W. Denver, Com. Indian Affairs, Washington City, D.C.

Sir:

The subjects alluded to in the circular which has been sent to each of the Agents and Sub Agents in this State, a copy of which is herewith enclosed, have created some trouble and require in my judgment firm and decisive adherence to the orders which have been issued in reference to them. A letter addressed to me from the Department approving the order, a copy of which could be sent to the Agents, would, in my opinion, have a good effect.

Respectfully
Thos. J. Henley, Supt. Ind. Affairs

CIRCULAR
Office Supt. Indian Affairs, San Francisco Cal.
July 25th 1857

Sir:

The order forbidding the use of ardent spirits [distilled alcoholic liquors such as whiskey, brandy, or gin] on the Reservations must be rigidly enforced. It will be your duty to allow none to be brought upon the Reservation grounds on any pretext whatever, except in the medical department. This order has the approval of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs and any neglect to enforce it I shall be compelled to report to the Department. The intercourse of Employees with Indian women, if tolerated, is calculated to cast a stigma and disgrace upon the service. Rumors on this subject, by no means of a creditable character to some of the Reservations, are in circulation.

Your attention therefore is called to this subject. Any omission upon the part of the Agent to preserve the character of his charges in this respect coming to my knowledge cannot pass unnoticed, and will be reported for the action of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs.

Very Respectfully
Thos. J. Henley, Supt. Ind. Affairs

----- NOTES

(BR) Personal communication from Bill Rosar.
(JJ) Personal communication from Bill Rosar of Dr. John Johnson's native American notes concerning Maria Trinidad & her family.
All the court cases were obtained from the Huntington Library, Los Angeles Area Court Records.

(1) Almost all of the California church baptism, marriage, and burial records were found on the FamilySearch.org website (free membership required) - either online at home or online at the Family History Genealogy Center in Valencia, California. Some were the original Church registers in Spanish filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah in 1940's. Some were the records translated to English and typed by the Daughters of the American Revolution, Thomas Workman Temple II Chapter (San Gabriel, California) in the 1940's and later filmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah in the 1950's.
(2) On their tombstone at Find-a-Grave.
(2b) Fall River (Massachusetts) Daily Evening News, September 28, 1881.
(3) George Rice partnered with Jonathan Temple sources from Bill Rosar: SEE HERE for (3a) - (3i).
(4) View baptism record here from (1).
(5) - (JJ) Spanish-Mexican Families of Early California: 1769-1850, Volume II, Marie E. Northrop, Southern California Genealogical Society, Burbank, California, 1984. See here for page 226;
Annual Publications of the Historical Society of Southern California, Vol. 14, Part 1, 1928, "The Awakening of Paredon Blanco Under a California Sun" by Francisca Lopez de Belderrain, p. 66: "Another daughter [of Don Esteban Lopez], Catalina Lopez, married Dr. George Joseph Rice of Boston, Massachusetts. In 1835 Dr. Rice took his family east. With him went also his seven year old brother-in-law, Jose Antonia Lopez, who did not return until a young man." [Note: George was not a doctor at this time.]
(6) Wikipedia website for Lopez Adobe; Wordpress website for the Lopez Adobe.
(7) From (BR) but also on FamilySearch.org - Massachusetts, Boston Passenger Lists, 1820-1891.
(8) Fall River Monitor, December 2, 1837.
(9) Fall River Monitor, July 14, 1838.
(10) FamilySearch.org: Massachusetts State Archives Births (Film 4285086).
(11) FamilySearch.org: Massachusetts Deaths, 1841-1915, 1921-1924, p. 87.
(12) FamilySearch.org: Massachusetts Deaths, 1841-1915, 1921-1924, p. 88.
(13) FamilySearch.org: Massachusetts Marriages, 1841-1915, p. 45.
(14) FamilySearch.org: Massachusetts Deaths, 1841-1915, 1921-1924, p. 145. Also see note 2b.
(15) Los Angeles County Recorder's Office, Deeds, Book 3, pp. 115-116.
(16) Los Angeles County Recorder's Office, Deeds, Book 3, pp. 387-388.
(17) "For everything there is a season: Chumash Indian births, marriages, and deaths at the Alta California missions," Phillip L. Walker and John R. Johnson, in Human Biologists in the Archives, Edited by D. Ann Herrin and Alan C. Swedlund, Cambridge University Press, 2003, p. 65.
(18) Los Angeles County Recorder's Office, Deeds, Book 3, Pages 541-542.
(19) National Archives; Record Group 75: Records of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 1793 - 1999; Series: Letters Received, 1824 - 1880; File Unit: M234 - Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-1881; Microfilm: 234, Roll 35.
(20) National Park Service - Tejon Indian Reservation.
(21) Los Angeles County Recorder's Office, Deeds, Book 4, Pages 40-41.
(22) The Los Angeles Star, December 10, 1859.
(23) District Court of the 1st Judicial District, State of California, County of Los Angeles. Case #543, People vs. George Hodges for the murder of John M. Grey. Verdict filed on April 21, 1860. Not guilty. Acted in self-defense. From the Huntington Library, Los Angeles Area Court Records.
(24) Semi-Weekly Southern News, May 31, 1861.
(25) District Court of the 1st Judicial District, State of California, County of Los Angeles. Case #1008, Andres Pico vs. Jeronimo Lopez and Joseph Rice. From the Huntington Library, Los Angeles Area Court Records.
(26) District Court Case No. 1526, Field Notes of Exterior lines of lands of the Ex Mission of San Fernando and Township and Range lines within same. Copied from original notes by Wm. P. Reynolds, Surveyor. Found at Public Works of Los Angeles County, Land Records Information, Township Plats/Gov. Notes, CS9100.
(27) Los Angeles County Recorder's Office, Miscellaneous, Book 2, Pages 250-251, Plat of the 1000 Vara Tract.
(28) Los Angeles County Recorder's Office, Deeds, Book 4, Pages 189-190.
(29) United States 1860 Census of Los Angeles Township, p. 28. Andres Pico (at the Mission San Fernando) was on p. 26.
(30) Los Angeles County Recorder's Office, Deeds, Book 16, Pages 363-365.
(31) San Francisco Examiner, January 31, 1873.
(32) Los Angeles Tri-weekly News, May 13, 1863.
(32) Los Angeles Tri-weekly News, March 2, 1864.
(34) Los Angeles Daily News, June 13, 1865.
(35) Daily Alta California, January 28, 1865.
(36) Los Angeles County Recorder's Office, Miscellaneous, Book 1, Pages 209-210.
(37) According to the laws of the San Fernando Petroleum Mining District as recorded in the Los Angeles County Recorder's Office, Miscellaneous Records, Book 1, pp. 212-214.
(38) Los Angeles Semi-Weeky news, October 1, 1867.
(39) Lawman: The Life and Times of Harry Morse 1835-1912, John Boessenecker, University of Oklahoma Press, 1998, p. 124.
(40) The San Francisco Directory and Business Guide, 1863-64, 1868-1869, Compiled by Henry G. Langley, Published Annually.
(41) The Valley of San Fernando, Daughters of the American Revolution, San Fernando Valley Chapter, 1924, p. 39-40.
(42) Saga of Rancho El Tejon, Frank F. Latta, Bear State Books, 2006, p. 85 & p. 173.
(43) Los Angeles County Probate Court, Case No. 562, Filed June 28, 1873. From the Huntington Library, Los Angeles Area Court Records.
(44a) Los Angeles County Recorder's Office, Deeds, Book 24, Pages 165-167.
(44b) Los Angeles County Recorders Office, Deeds, Book 25, Pages 134-136.
(44c) Los Angeles County Recorders Office, Deeds, Book 65, Pages 474-477.
(45) Los Angeles County Register of Deaths, from California County Birth, Marriage, and Death records 1849-1980, Ancestry.com.
(46) California County Marriages, 1850-1952, p. 56.
(47) Great Register of LA County.
(48) California County Marriages, 1850-1952, p. 87.
(49) Great Register of LA County.
(50) Probate Court, County of Los Angeles. In the matter of the Estate and Guardianship of Joseph Rice. Case 620, Filed May 6, 1874. See the Petition for Appointment and the Order Appointing Guardian documents. From the Huntington Library, Los Angeles Area Court Records.
(51) FamilySearch.org: California County Marriages 1850-1945.