DON JOSE ANTONIO ESTUDILLO was Alcalde (Mayor), Judge and Treasurer of Mexican San Diego and later held office as County Assessor after CA became part of the USA. His father, JOSE MARIA ESTUDILLO, was born in Spain and came to Mexico as a Spanish soldier. He served at the Presidio of Monterey, CA, and then as Commandant of the San Diego Presidio until his death in 1830. The Casa de Estudillo in Old Town State Park is a museum of San Diego's Hispanic heritage, and a colorful reminder that this community is a mosaic of many cultures.
From San Diego Historical Society, www.sandiegohistory.org
José Antonio Estudillo (1805-1852)
Son of José María, born at Monterey, 1805. Grantee of house-lot at San Diego, 1827. In 1828-30 was revenue collector and treasurer. Grantee of Otay rancho, in 1829. Member of the assembly in 1833-5. Received a grant of the Temecula rancho in 1835. In 1836-8 alcalde and juez. Administrator and majordomo at San Luis Rey in 1840-3 and owner of land at San Juan Capistrano in 1841. Treasurer in 1840. Juez de paz in 1845-6. Collector in 1845. Neutral in Mexican War. First county assessor, 1850. He died in 1852. He was a man of excellent character and large influence. His wife was María Victoria, daughter of Sergeant Cristobal and María de los Reyes Dominguez, whom he married in 1825. Their children were: José María, who married a daughter, Luz, of Juan María Marrón; Salvador, married Piedad Altamirano, sister of José Ant.; José Guadalupe; José Antonio, who is a rancher at San Jacinto; and Francisco, who lives at San Jacinto. He married first, Carmen Roubidoux, daughter of the celebrated trapper; second, a daughter of Don Jesus Machado. They had two daughters, both of whom were married to José Antonio Aguirre; Francisca being his first wife, and María del Rosaria his second, and afterward marrying Col. Manuel A. Ferrer. Another daughter, María Antonia, was married to Miguel de Pedrorena, and another, Concepcion, was the first wife of George A. Pendleton.
[from William Ellsworth Smythe's History of San Diego, 1907, page 169, courtesy of Professor Steven Schoenherr, University of San Diego, Dept. of History]
The Estudillo house in Old Town is restored and open to the public.
José Antonio Estudillo (1805–July 20, 1852) was a Californio and an early settler of San Diego, California when California was part of New Spain.
José Antonio Estudillo was born 1805 in Monterey, Alta California to Captain José María Estudillo who was born in Andalusia, Spain.. José Estudillo probably came to San Diego as a boy with his father in 1820.
Estudillo joined the Spanish Army at the Presidio of San Diego and eventually made lieutenant around 1824. He was granted Otay Rancho in 1829 and Temecula Rancho in 1835. He was member of the assembly 1833-35.
During 1837-38 he was Alcade and Juez de Paz of San Diego Pueblo. At various times he was also treasurer and tax collector for San Diego.
During the Mexican-American War he remained neutral. Under the U.S. Government, Estudillo was the first county assessor in 1850.
Estudillo's home La Casa de Estudillo is located in Old Town San Diego, at the southeast side of the town square. It was popularly known as "Ramona's Marriage Place," based on the fictional character in Helen Hunt Jackson's novel Ramona. Estudillo built the house in 1827 for his father. The family lived there until 1887. The house has been restored and is open to the public.
Estudillo married María Victoria Dominguez in the Presidio of San Diego on March 1, 1824. She was born c. 1799, and they had 7 sons and 5 daughters. Dominguez was daughter of Sergeant Cristobal and María de los Reyes Dominguez. Their daughter María Antonia married Miguel Pedrorena. Their son José Guadalupe Estudillo was State Treasurer.
Estudillo died 1852 and is buried at El Campo Santo Catholic Cemetery in Old Town San Diego. His wife died October 19, 1875. In his biography in Smythe's History of San Diego, he was mentioned as "a man of excellent character and large influence."
