Lemuel Carpenter

1808 (age 51)

Kentucky, United States of America

He migrated to Missouri about 1828, where he served in Searcy"s Company of Missouri Militia in 1829. Carpenter was in southern California by January 1833, arriving in the company of trappers Cyrus Alexander, William Chard, Joseph Paulding, and Albert Toomes. Early California settler John Bidwell includes him in this recollection of people he knew in the Pueblo de Los Angeles: "Los Angeles I first saw in March, 1845. lieutenant then had probably two hundred and fifty people, of whom I recall Don Abel Stearns, John Temple (Jonathan Temple), Captain Alexander Bell, William Wolfskill, Lemuel Carpenter, David West. Alexander. Also of Mexicans, Pío Pico (governor), Don Juan Bandini, and others". Carpenter started a soap manufacturing business on the San Gabriel River in El Monte that profited sufficiently for him to purchase Rancho Santa Gertrudes, on the site of Tongva Nacaugna and present-day Downey, California, southeast of what is now downtown Los Los Angeles He was among the first of the Americans to plant a vineyard for the making of wine. His original settlement was known as "Carpenter"s Farm" from 1837 until it was destroyed by a flood in 1867. He was active in revolutionary activities, sided with the Americans in the Mexican War, tried gold mining, and in general prospered in his new home. A popular travel guide notes: "Rancho Santa Gertrudes…was sold to Lemuel Carpenter, a Kentuckian, who married the beautiful María de los Angeles Domínguez.. The Carpenters happy and prosperous under Mexican rule". Rancho Santa Gertrudes was owned by Lemuel Carpenter until 1859. In 1859 the rancho was sold at sheriff"s auction to John G. Downey and James P. McFarland. "Samuel", actually "Lemuel" but misspelled by the recorder, Carpenter was recorded as the legal possessor as late as 1862. Lemuel"s father is believed to be Jonathan Carpenter (c 1785 Virginia-c 1853 Missouri) and grandson of Matthew Carpenter (c 1761 Virginia-c 1798 Virginia). In the 1850 census, Lemuel Carpenter is listed as age 42, with a real estate value of $8,000 dollars, a farmer. Susana Carpenter, age 11. José Antonio Carpenter, age 9. (born 20 November 1837 in California. His descendants still live in Los Angeles) Refugio Carpenter, age 6. Francisco Carpenter, age 3. Carpenter"s prosperity took a precipitous downturn when a $5,000 loan from John G. Downey taken out in 1852 ballooned into a $104,000 debt by 1859. Unable to repay the debt, he eventually killed himself. lieutenant made me weep.".

Lemuel Carpenter

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California metropolitan

Background

Lemuel Carpenter was born c. 1808 in Kentucky.

Career

He migrated to Missouri about 1828, where he served in Searcy"s Company of Missouri Militia in 1829. Carpenter was in southern California by January 1833, arriving in the company of trappers Cyrus Alexander, William Chard, Joseph Paulding, and Albert Toomes. Early California settler John Bidwell includes him in this recollection of people he knew in the Pueblo de Los Angeles: "Los Angeles I first saw in March, 1845.

lieutenant then had probably two hundred and fifty people, of whom I recall Don Abel Stearns, John Temple (Jonathan Temple), Captain Alexander Bell, William Wolfskill, Lemuel Carpenter, David West. Alexander.

Also of Mexicans, Pío Pico (governor), Don Juan Bandini, and others". Carpenter started a soap manufacturing business on the San Gabriel River in El Monte that profited sufficiently for him to purchase Rancho Santa Gertrudes, on the site of Tongva Nacaugna and present-day Downey, California, southeast of what is now downtown Los Los Angeles

He was among the first of the Americans to plant a vineyard for the making of wine. His original settlement was known as "Carpenter"s Farm" from 1837 until it was destroyed by a flood in 1867.

He was active in revolutionary activities, sided with the Americans in the Mexican War, tried gold mining, and in general prospered in his new home.

A popular travel guide notes: "Rancho Santa Gertrudes…was sold to Lemuel Carpenter, a Kentuckian, who married the beautiful María de los Angeles Domínguez.. The Carpenters happy and prosperous under Mexican rule". Rancho Santa Gertrudes was owned by Lemuel Carpenter until 1859.

In 1859 the rancho was sold at sheriff"s auction to John G. Downey and James P. McFarland.

"Samuel", actually "Lemuel" but misspelled by the recorder, Carpenter was recorded as the legal possessor as late as 1862. Lemuel"s father is believed to be Jonathan Carpenter (c 1785 Virginia-c 1853 Missouri) and grandson of Matthew Carpenter (c 1761 Virginia-c 1798 Virginia).

In the 1850 census, Lemuel Carpenter is listed as age 42, with a real estate value of $8,000 dollars, a farmer. Susana Carpenter, age 11.

José Antonio Carpenter, age 9.

(born 20 November 1837 in California. His descendants still live in Los Angeles)

Refugio Carpenter, age 6. Francisco Carpenter, age 3.

Carpenter"s prosperity took a precipitous downturn when a $5,000 loan from John G. Downey taken out in 1852 ballooned into a $104,000 debt by 1859.

Unable to repay the debt, he eventually killed himself. lieutenant made me weep.".

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