California Biographies 

Source:
History of Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura Counties, California
by: C M Gidney - Santa Barbara. Benjamin Brooks - San Luis Obispo. 
Edwin M Sheridan - Ventura
Volumes II - Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, ILL., 1917

This file is part of the California Genealogy & History Archives
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cagha/index.htm


PORFIRIO R. PALOMARES. The Palomares family is descended from Don Francisco de 
Palomares, governor of the castle of Saint Gregory, at Oran, Spain. In his family there were six 
children: Esteban, who was lieutenant-colonel of. the Knights of the Order of Santiago; Don 
Juan, who became governor of the castle after his father's death; Don Antonio, who was a 
judge; Don Jose; Eugenic, who lost his life as a result of his attempts to overthrow the Catholic 
religion; and Donna Francisca, who married Don Diego Francisco, Knight of the Order of 
Santiago and governor of the plaza of Oran.
 
Capt. Juan Palomares, the second of the sons, is remembered in history as the officer who led 
his troops in a determined but hopeless resistance against the Turkish troops at Boreha. After 
the majority of his troops had been killed, not being able to defend himself and the castle, he 
set fire to the powder house or depository and blew up the castle and beneath the ruins the 
dead bodies of himself and his devoted followers were later found.
 
Tracing the history of this noble family, it is found that Don Francisco de Palomares was a well 
known citizen of Toledo, Spain. A letter written to his sister and dated Mexico, 1777, states 
that he was born about 1701 and died in Madrid in 1771. His children were: Don Francisco, 
who was clerk of the City of Madrid and died in 1795; and Donicio, Maria Josefa and Juan 
Leocadio. The last named crossed the ocean from Spain to Mexico and established a home at 
Sonora, and there married Donna Maria Antonia Gonzales de Zayas, sister of Father Elias, an 
influential priest. Their only son, Juan Francisco, was born at Sonora. He became the father of 
the following children: Herman, Antonio, Juana, Francisca, Procopio, Almara, Tranquilina, 
Fibrucio, Manuel, Ygnacio and Jesus.
 
Among the children of Manuel Palomares was Juan Leocadio, by whose marriage to Maria 
Antonia Gonzales was born one child, Christopher. He came to Los Angeles as a sergeant in the 
Mexican army and later in life served as a judge in Los Angeles. By his marriage to Beneditia 
Luisa he had the following children: Concepcion, Barta, Rosario, Francisco, Ygnacio, Louis, 
Dolores, Marie Jesus, and Josefa. Of this family Ygnacio married Concepcion Lopez and their 
children were: Louise, Teressa, Tomas, Francisco, Manuel, Josefa, Concepcion, Caroline and 
Marie.
 
The second son of the above family, Francisco, at the age of eighteen years was engaged as 
assistant on a ranch and later he became a large land owner and a wealthy cattleman and it is 
said that for years he was the largest land owner in the Pomona Valley and over his fields 
roamed thousands of cattle and horses. On the ground where the residence of Mr. Nichols now 
stands, he built a large adobe house and here the happiest days of his life were passed. In 
those days an abundance of rain kept the pastures in excellent condition and stockraising was 
very profitable. The increase in the value of land induced him to dispose of much of his 
property and his last days were spent in retirement from business cares. He was influential in 
the democratic party in his section and for some years served in the office of supervisor. He 
died comparatively young, aged but forty-two years, in 1882, leaving a wife and four children. 
He had married Lugardia Alvarado, a native of Los Angeles, who died June 14, 1896. Their 
children were: Coucepcion, Christina, Francisco and Porfirio R.
 
Porfirio R. Palomares was born June 4, 1872, at Pomona, California, where he was educated. 
During his father's life he assisted him on his cattle and sheep ranch. At his father's death he 
inherited seventy-six acres and to this he has gradually added until he now owns 182 acres 
which he devotes to grain and alfalfa, and has a 16-acre orange grove near Pomona. Since 
1910 he has had his own property under rental, his entire time being taken up with his duties 
of superintendent of the 1,000-acre Ross Ranch in Ventura County, which is mainly planted in 
beans.
 
Mr. Palomares was married December 18, 1901, to Hortense Yorba, of Yorba, California, and 
they have two children: Allesandro, a bright youth of thirteen years already a student in the 
high school at Oxnard; and Vincent, aged six years. The family belongs to the Roman Catholic 
Church. In politics Mr. Palomares votes with the democratic party. He belongs to the Knights of 
Columbus, to the Elks and to the Latin-American Union.