Tag Archives: Rancho de Nuestra Senora de Refugio de Los Feliz

Breathe, Calm Down, Reaffirm Sanity and Reality in Fern Dell

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Green is so soothing.

This gorgeous spring-fed canyon in the oak woodlands of Griffith Park was formerly the site of the Tongva village of Maungna; it was among the first, if not the first, rancheria to be “reduced” to the Mission at San Gabriel in 1777. That left the land free to grant to Cpl. Feliz and his family (“Los Feliz”) in 1795. This spring was probably a very valuable part of the rancho grant — for though the LA River flowed right past the ranch, that was the Pueblo’s water. Water tumbling down from Santa Monica Mountain springs would have been invaluable.


Between 1910 and 1920 Griffith Park Superintendent Frank Shearer gave the city this Olmstead-inspired half-mile meander along the creek, stunningly landscaped with native and exotic wonders. Decades of neglect have been reversed in the past two years. They’ve cleaned out the muck and leaf litter and crashed tree limbs of a century, which had made the place pretty wild. It has probably never looked this good, with everything all grown in and all the water flowing and clear.

It’s turtles all the way down, in this photo from 6/30/2017. I didn’t see any this time — I hope they come back.
The best picture I ever took was in Griffith Park, 6/30/2017. A father escorting a bride to the wedding, which I’d just passed up the creek. Of course it’s all about the light, and the bridges. The moment was pure and magical and for once my thumb wasn’t over the lens.

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The Feliz Adobe, now part of the Griffith Park staff headquarters (note the brusque signage warning the public away.)

Jose Vicente Feliz received the original 1795 grant for 20 years of royal service. “Rancho de Nuestra Senora de Refugio de Los Feliz” included almost all of Griffith Park, Silverlake and Los Feliz. I believe it may also have come with water rights to the LA river, specially granted in the deed.

Cpl. Felix had come with the de Anza Expedition in 1775; he was widowed just outside Tubac, helped found San Francisco, and rose from private to corporal as a guard at San Gabriel, while raising five motherless Felizes. Then, despite his low rank he was named Comisionado of the infant Pueblo de Los Angeles. (He may have been a mestizo, thus not “white” enough to have been eligible for commissioned rank in the Spanish army.)  As Comisionado he was LA’s military honcho, above the alcalde and the city council, reporting directly to the governor. Pretty good for a mere corporal.

His mission was to protect the pueblo – not so much from invaders as from deserters. Gov. de Neve had invested a great deal in the pueblo as a farming community to produce food surpluses. Colonists were scarce; fewer than half the families recruited, actually arrived to settle LA. Among these, good farmers were even scarcer. Incompetency at cultivation and demoralization took time to correct; unfit or dissipated colonists might sell off their precious tools, like hoes and rakes, for liquor. There were quitters, disappearances, Indian troubles, and deaths – conditions were extremely tough the first few years. But the farmers were under binding contracts with the King, and would only get their town lots and arable grants if they stuck to LA and tilled the soil.

Thanks to Corporal Feliz, most of them did. This plum of a land grant – one of the earliest, prettiest and most advantageously sited –  reflects Spain’s gratitude.