Wolfskill Ranch established

William Wolfskill, a native of Kentucky, came to California in 1831 and settled in Los Angeles in 1836, where he soon met and married Magdalena Lugo, daughter of Jose Ygnacio Lugo. In March 1838, Wolfskill purchased a 100-acre lot bounded by 3rd to 9th streets and San Pedro to Alameda streets, which he named Wolfskill Ranch, and built a large adobe (known as “Wolfskill Adobe”) located at 239 Alameda, between 3rd and 4th streets. This land is located a few blocks away from Azusa Street on the other side of the L.A. River.

In 1839, Wolfskill became a major grape producer when he planted the first vineyard of table grapes in California. Two years later, in 1841, he planted his first 2-acre plot of citrus behind his adobe, between 4th and 6th streets east of Alameda. In a short period of time, Wolfskill’s farm had increased to 28-acres of planted citrus with over 2,500 orange trees. By 1862, he owned 3/4 of all the orange trees in California and was the biggest orange grower in the United States – for which he is considered the father of early California citrus industry.

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