JULIAN ESTRADA
Was born in Monterey, California, in 1813, and there he lived through all the peaceful years that so blessed his native country until the Americans came to disturb its repose. Through the years of Mexican control Señor Estrada lived the life of a ranchero. In 1849 he left his native home in Monterey for his rancho in San Luis Obispo County, he having then a grant of three leagues of land obtained from the Mexican Government. This is known as the Santa Rosa Rancho, and is located on Santa Rosa Creek, near the village of Cambria. Here he engaged largely in stock raising, at times having as many as 3,000 head of cattle on his rancho, driving and selling to the San Francisco market. For many years this was a most lucrative business, producing an enormous revenue to the landed and stock proprietors. Señor Estrada was married in 1842 to Señorita Nicolasa Gajiola. This lady was born in Monterey, California, September 10, 1820. There were eight children by this marriage, three sons and five daughters, all of whom are living, the father of the family dying December 27, 1872, in the town of San Luis Obispo. Three of the children, two daughters and one son, still reside with the mother on the ranch, occupying the old adobe building first erected by Señor Estrada in 1849, a view of which may be found in this volume. Doña Nicolasa is now upwards of sixty-two years of age, and the ranch is managed by Mariano Estrada and her other children.
Source: History of San Luis Obispo County, California, p341. Transcribed for the CAGenWeb Project by Cathy Portz.