Since Torrance and Carson lie on the old property of the Domínguez family – indeed, Torrance‘s work-in-progress name was “Dominguez” – it’s only right that the family should be honored with a street. Some history: In 1784, when California was a Spanish colony, Sinaloa-born soldier Juan José Domínguez (c. 1736-1809) received the colony’s first land grant: the 75,000 acre Rancho San Pedro. Juan José had no children of his own, so upon his death the rancho was inherited by his nephew Cristóbal (c. 1761-1825). Cristóbal’s six kids shared rancho ownership after his passing, but eldest son Manuel (1803-1882) was the true manager and steward of the land. A former alcalde (mayor) of Los Angeles, Manuel Domínguez got his family’s claim to the rancho validated by the U.S. government in 1858; by then, their share had shrunken to “only” 26,000 acres. Manuel and his wife Engracia (née Cota, 1807-1883) were survived by six daughters, all of whom would have a stake in Rancho San Pedro’s subsequent development, especially Victoria Domínguez de Carson, Susana Domínguez del Amo, and Dolores Domínguez de Watson. Their descendants still control significant South Bay land holdings, and of course the family name lives on in Dominguez Hills.
Find it on the map:
