Security Guard in Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA

The peninsula was the homeland of the Tongva-Gabrieliño Native Americans people for thousands of years. In other areas of the Los Angeles Basin archeological sites date back 8,000 years. Their first contact with Europeans occurred in 1542 with João Cabrilho (Juan Cabrillo). Chowigna and Suangna were two Tongva settlements of many in the peninsula area, which was also a departure point for their rancherías on the Channel Islands.

Don Manuel Domínguez, a signer of the Californian Constitution and owner of Rancho San Pedro, which included all of Palos Verdes until 1846.In 1846, Rancho de los Palos Verdes was separated from Rancho San Pedro and granted to brothers José Loreto Sepúlveda (pictured) and Juan Capistrano Sepúlveda.

In 1846, José Dolores Sepúlveda and José Loreto received a Mexican land grant from Alta California Governor Pío Pico for a parcel from the huge original 1784 Spanish land grant of Rancho San Pedro to Manuel Dominguez. It was named Rancho de los Palos Verdes, or “ranch of the green sticks”, which was used primarily as a cattle ranch. It was also briefly used as a whaling station in the mid-19th century.

By 1882, ownership of the land had passed from the Sepulveda family through various mortgage holders to Jotham Bixby of Rancho Los Cerritos, who leased the land to Japanese farmers.

Learn more about Palos Verdes Peninsula.