Andrés Pico

For the American state representative from Colorado, seeAndres G. Pico.

Andrés Pico
California Adjutant General
In office ca 1861 – ca 1864
California State Assemblyman
In office 1851–1860
California State Senator
In office 1860–1876
Personal details
Born	(1810-11-18)November 18, 1810 San Diego,Alta California,New Spain
Died	February 14, 1876(1876-02-14)(aged 65) Los Ángeles,California,United States
Citizenship	United States
Political party	Chivalry Democrat
Relations	Pío Pico
Profession	Rancher,soldier,politician
Awards	Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando Pico Canyon Oilfieldnamed for him Rancho Pico Junior High Schoolnamed after him
Military service
Allegiance	Mexico Alta California United States
Branch/service	Mexican Cavalry California Cavalry
Rank	General (Mexico – until 1847) Brigadier General(California State Militia – after 1858)
Commands	California Lancers
Battles/wars	Mexican–American War Battle of San Pascual

Andrés Pico(November 18, 1810 – February 14, 1876) was aCaliforniowho became a successful rancher, fought in the contestedBattle of San Pascualduring theMexican–American War,and negotiated promises of post-war protections for Californios in the 1847Treaty of Cahuenga.After California became one of the United States, Pico was elected to the state Assembly and Senate. He was appointed as the commanding brigadier general of the state militia during theU.S. Civil War.

Early life

Andrés Pico was born inSan Diegoin 1810 as a member of thePico family of California,a prominentCaliforniofamily. He was one of several sons ofJosé María Picoand María Eustaquia López. An older brother wasPío Pico,who twice served as governor ofAlta California.

Ranchero

In 1845 under thelaw for secularizationof former Church properties, his older brother Governor Pío Pico granted Andrés Pico and his associate Juan Manso a nine-year lease for theMission San Fernando Rey de Españalands, which encompassed nearly the entireSan Fernando Valley.At that time a 35-year-old rancher, Andrés Pico lived inPueblo de Los Ángeles.He ran cattle on the ranch and used themission complexas his hacienda. He gaveRómulo Pico Adobeto his son.

In 1846, to raise funds for theMexican–American War,the Pío Pico government sold secularized mission lands. The Mission San Fernando was sold to Eulogio de Celis, who establishedRancho Ex-Mission San Fernando.Celis returned to Spain, but his descendants stayed in California. Under the terms of secularization, the sale excluded the Mission compound and its immediate surroundings, which were reserved for Don Andrés.

In the Mexican–American War

During the Mexican–American War, Andrés Pico commanded the native forces, the California Lancers, inAlta California.In 1846 Pico led an attack on forces commanded by U.S. GeneralStephen Watts Kearnyat the fierce but inconclusiveBattle of San Pasqual.He is sometimes confused with his older brother Pío Pico, who in 1847, was elected as the lastGovernorofAlta California.

On January 13, 1847, as the acting governor of Mexican Alta California (while his brother was in Mexico raising additional money for the fight against the United States), Andrés Pico approached the U.S. commanderLieutenant-ColonelJohn C. Frémont,man to man and alone. Without firing a shot, Don Andrés and Frémont agreed to the terms of theCeasefire of Cahuenga,an informal agreement that ended the war in California, in exchange for promises of protection of California from abuses by Frémont's forces. Frémont agreed to stop burning Californio ranches and stop stealing horses and cattle; he and Andrés Pico became friends.The Ceasefire was confirmed by the Treaty of San Fernando, formalized at the mission.

Post-statehood activity

In 1853, Don Andrés acquired a half interest inRancho Ex-Mission San FernandofromEulogio F. de Celis;it was split along present-day Roscoe Boulevard, with his brother Pio Pico's land being the southern half of theSan Fernando Valleyto theSanta Monica Mountains.

After statehood, in 1851, Don Andrés was elected to theCalifornia State Assemblyfrom Los Ángeles.Because of perceivedanti-Californio sentiments in San Francisco,Don Andrés authored what was known as the Pico Bill in February 1859, topartition Californiainto two states—north and south. The bill proposed to create the "Territory of Colorado" from the southern counties of the state. The bill passed both houses of the state legislature and was signed by theGovernor John B. Welleron April 18, 1859. But the U.S. Congress never voted on the bill because of the outbreak of the Civil War.U.S. Congress approval was required before the proposed partition could be put to a vote of the people.

In 1858, Pico was commissioned as abrigadier generalin theCalifornia Militia.In 1860, he was elected by the state legislature as aCalifornia State Senatorfrom Los Ángeles.

On May 7, 1861, Pico, former assemblymanJames R. Vineyard,and a partner won permission to make a deep slot-like road cut in the pass between theSan Gabriel Mountainsand theSanta Susana Mountainsranges, making what would become known as theBeale's Cut Stagecoach Pass or San Fernando Pass.The State of California awarded them a twenty-year contract to maintain theturnpikeand collect tolls. Vineyard was elected to theCalifornia State SenatefromLos Ángeles County(Pico's old seat) four months later,but would die in office. A landowner and surveyor namedEdward Bealewas appointed by newly elected PresidentAbraham Lincolnas the federal Surveyor General of California and Nevada. Beale challenged the general's loyalty to the new president and in 1863, Beale was awarded the right to collect the toll in the pass.

Andrés Pico's Rancho ex-Mission San Fernando was confiscated by a federal decree in 1864, which said that he "did not own and never did own" it. Reduced to a pauper, he retired as a Californio ranchero in Los Ángeles.Ex-Mission San Fernando fell into ruins until the mid-20th century, when the Roman Catholic Church conserved about one fourth of the old mission quadrangle.

Since Don Andrés' death, the bulk of the old mission has never been restored. The site of the main mission buildings are now occupied by a parochial high school, including the old, monumental front facing east toward the formerFort TejonRoad. The sites of theButterfield stagecoachstables, and the outbuildings and storage buildings of Don Andrés' ranch and hacienda, have been lost under development of the modern urban community of Mission Hills.

Pico married Catarina Moreno, granddaughter of Los Ángeles pobladore Jose Cesario Moreno, in San Diego. They had one son,Rómulo,and adopted a daughter, also named Catarina.

Legacy

• His son's home, theAndrés Pico Adobe,is the oldest residence in theSan Fernando Valley.Having deteriorated when empty, it was restored by new owners in the early 1930s, who also extended it with an addition.Now operated as a house museum, it holds the archives of the San Fernando Valley Historical Society. Identified as a significant property in the 1935Historic American Buildings Survey,Andrés Pico Adobe is listed on theNational Register of Historic Placesand as aLos Ángeles Historic-Cultural Monument.
• Pico Boulevard,running from Santa Monica to downtown Los Ángeles, is named for Pío Pico, the former governor, but also honors the entire Pico family.