Antonio Maria Lugo and Juan Bandini played pivotal roles in shaping Southern California in the 1830s by establishing the expansive San Bernardino and Jurupa ranchos. These lands, once part of the Mission San Gabriel, became the stage for early settlements. To secure their territory and create a buffer against potential threats along the Santa Fe trading route, they strategically offered land to settlers from Abiquiu, New Mexico.
In 1842, the first wave of these emigrants established Politana within the Rancho San Bernardino. Led by Lorenzo Trujillo, ten families ventured further, relocating from Politana to a 2,000-acre area granted as the “Bandini Donation.” This new settlement, situated on the eastern side of the Santa Ana River, bordering the Jurupa Rancho, became known as “La Placita de los Trujillos,” and later simply La Placita. A subsequent group established themselves west of the river, founding Agua Mansa. By 1845, these twin communities were thriving hubs of activity.
These early pioneers diligently cultivated the land, establishing farmsteads and an intricate irrigation system. Their labor bore fruit in the form of vineyards, grain fields, vegetable gardens, and fruit orchards. Livestock, including horses, sheep, and cattle, grazed on the mesa to the southeast, in what is now Riverside. Agua Mansa experienced significant prosperity until disaster struck in January 1862. A massive flood, inundating the Santa Ana River from bluff to bluff, decimated the west bank community. Only the cemetery, the chapel, and Cornelius Jensen’s store, a mercantile establishment dating back to 1854, remained standing amidst the destruction. La Placita also suffered considerable damage to homes, though it was rebuilt.
Despite the resilience of the communities, they never fully recovered their former prominence. The advent of the railroad, the burgeoning cement industry, and the allure of the expanding citrus industry gradually drew residents away from these once-vibrant farming settlements. La Placita remained a recognized community of Riverside until 1926. The Trujillo cantina, a local landmark, eventually closed its doors during World War II. The last burial in the Pioneer Cemetery, a silent testament to the passage of time and community change, took place in 1963. Today, the Pioneer Cemetery in San Bernardino stands as a poignant reminder of these early settlements and the lives of the pioneers who shaped the region.
