When was juana briones born

The rancho took in what is today Sunnyvale and Los Altos. She had learned the medicinal values of the various herbs in the San Francisco region from the local Ohlone Indians, including yerba buena , which provided the first name of the city of San Francisco. Her aid to the people of the town of Bolinas during a smallpox outbreak was well-known, and she was loved among Hispanic settlers, native people and Anglo-Americans alike.

She was also a sought-after midwife, and helped deliver many babies amongst the people of northern Alta California. Juana was a woman of deep faith, and was a friend of Fr. Later in her life, Juana was one of those who testified to the saintliness of Fr. Juana had a long and impactful life — she lived to be almost 90 years old. Although Juana was not a famous politician or military figure, she left an important legacy in California.

She was an active and caring person who impacted the lives of many people — Hispanic, indigenous and Anglo-American. It was a testament to her contribution to the community and to the esteem in which she was held in both the Mexican and American eras.

In , however, after many years of struggles with preservationists and local history organizations, the owners of the land on which it stood went through with plans to tear it down.

Although her house, built some time in the s, was demolished, members of local history organizations managed to recover a portion of one of its walls. It was later put on display in an exhibit in her honor at the California Historical Society. There is much to learn about Juana Briones and her legacy. I recommend some of the following resources:.

Juana Briones of Nineteenth-Century California. The author does a splendid job of using all the historical sources available. While many land grant owners lost their property during the tumultuous period following the Gold Rush, she successfully fought for and retained title to her land. Briones later sold most of her land to the Murphy family, who came to California with the first wagon train to successfully reach the west—two years before the ill-fated Donner Party.

In , she died in Mayfield now part of Palo Alto. The remnants of her early rancho home in the Palo Alto foothills were demolished in , but local residents purchased the adobe wall section, which will be displayed in the future Palo Alto Museum. Pages: 1 2. Fort Mason, Bldg. Leave a message otherwise and we will get back to you.

Explore This Park. Presidio of San Francisco California. Briones excelled not only in business and farming: her reputation for hospitality and skills in herbal medicine and midwifery were widely recognized. She trained her nephew, Pablo Briones - who was later known as the Doctor of Bolinas California - in medicinal arts, although she never received a formal education and could not read or write. In Juana, who already had more than one home, gained a clerical separation from her physically abusive alcoholic husband and dropped his surname.

From the late s through the s she had to fight to retain the title to her land in both San Francisco and Santa Clara counties but succeeded with the help of attorney Henry Wager Halleck. She sold part of the rancho to members of the Murphy family, who came to California with the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party.

Other sections she gave to some of her children.