The story of Agua Mansa Pioneer Cemetery is deeply intertwined with the early pioneering spirit of California and the establishment of communities along the Santa Ana River in the 1830s. Initially part of the Mission San Gabriel lands, Antonio Maria Lugo and Juan Bandini played a crucial role in this narrative, establishing the San Bernardino and Jurupa ranchos. To create a buffer against potential threats along the Santa Fe-Los Angeles trade route, they offered land to settlers from Abiquiu, New Mexico.
These emigrants first settled in Politana within Rancho San Bernardino in 1842. Subsequently, a group of ten families, under the leadership of Lorenzo Trujillo, relocated from Politana to a 2,000-acre area known as the “Bandini Donation.” This land, situated on the east side of the river and marking the northern edge of the Jurupa Rancho, became the village of “La Placita de los Trujillos,” later simply called La Placita. A second wave of settlers established themselves on the west side of the river, giving rise to Agua Mansa by 1845. These twin settlements quickly took root, with farmsteads laid out, irrigation systems developed, and cultivation of grapes, grains, vegetables, and fruit trees flourishing. Livestock grazed on the mesa towards present-day Riverside.
Agua Mansa thrived for nearly two decades until disaster struck in January 1862. A massive flood, swelling the Santa Ana River to unprecedented levels, devastated the west bank community of Agua Mansa. Amidst the widespread destruction, remarkably, the Agua Mansa Pioneer Cemetery, along with the chapel and Cornelius Jensen’s store (dating back to 1854), survived. La Placita also suffered significant damage, with many homes destroyed or damaged in the deluge.
While both communities were rebuilt, they never fully recovered their former prominence. The advent of the railroad, the burgeoning cement industry, and the expanding citrus industry gradually drew inhabitants away from these once-vibrant farming settlements. La Placita remained a recognized community within Riverside until 1926. The Trujillo cantina, a local landmark, eventually closed during World War II, and the last burial in the Agua Mansa Pioneer Cemetery took place in 1963.
Today, Agua Mansa Pioneer Cemetery stands as a silent testament to the resilience and history of these early Californian communities. It serves as a poignant reminder of the pioneers who shaped the landscape and laid the foundations for the region’s future.
