Rancho San Pedro and Rancho Palos Verdes

The Romance of the Ranchos. San Pedro 1800, Smugglers captured an attempt to land in harbor. San Pedro 1846, Americans killed in battle of Dominguez Ranch. San Pedro 1940, 18 million tons of shipping passed through Los Angles Harbor.

The title insurance and trust company of Los Angeles presents the romance of the ranchos recreating for you the vividly colorful yesterday's in the history of Southern California. Each week our wandering Viqueiro Frank Graham takes us back to the days of the dawns to reveal another fascinating story. The title insurance and trust company of Los Angeles believes that some knowledge of the

historical background of the land we live in, of the hardships and heroism of the pioneers whose efforts have given us our great heritage, not only will make of us better citizens, but will also add to our appreciation and enjoyment of the advantages of living where we do. The records of the title Insurance and Trust Company contain verification of the historical facts that provide

the framework for our story tonight, but to most of us facts and dates that are buried in files or history books are dull. It is to make those dry records live and breathe, to recreate for you the true interest, adventure, excitement and romance that actually attended the events themselves that these programs are presented.

Here with tonight's story is our wandering Vaquero, Frank Graham. We now know Chis St. Yores, Yis St. Yores. Our story tonight is concerned with one of the first and perhaps greatest of the early California ranchers, the rancher San Pedro.

And two, it deals with the beautiful Rancho Palos Verdes and the prolonged dispute over it which split two distinguished families. Let's go back through the years and relive the romance of the ranches. It was in 1784 that Juan José Dominguez, soldier of Spain, received permission from his Bluff Old Commander Governor Pedro Fahes to settle with his stock on a piece of land overlooking