Pío Pico: Last California Governor under Mexican rule

LOS ANGELES - He was California’s last governor before it became part of the United States and he served the population proudly not just once, but twice. 

Pío de Jesus Pico was a man of wealth, power and privilege, and he was Afro-Mexican. He's a part of California’s history that few know today. 

The soldier’s son was born in 1801, and had ancestors who were African, Indigenous and Spanish.  

"His paternal grandmother and both maternal grandparents were listed as mulatto," says Barbara Tejada with California State Parks. 

Pío Pico let his business acumen do the talking. With his younger brother, he started a store that grew into the family’s cattle ranching empire.

Don Pico used that wealth to buy more than 500,000 acres of land throughout Alta California, areas we now know as northern San Diego County, Anaheim and most of the San Fernando Valley. 

He wielded his wealth and power to become governor in 1832, after independence from Spain. He held the post again during the Mexican-American war, becoming the last governor of Alra California under Mexican rule.   

Pío Pico was a proud Californio. He tried to get Mexican forces to help fend off the invading American army but failed. 

He returned to his home and continued building his empire. The power broker built the first three-story building in Los Angeles, a hotel with indoor plumbing. But his fortunes began fading, with gambling losses and lawsuits filed against him. 

Pío Pico was tricked into signing contracts in English, a language he didn’t understand. He placed his trust in a relative who swindled him, and the legal challenges piled up.  

He was eventually evicted from his mansion and died in 1894. 

"It's a hidden part of history and a hidden part of Mexican history," said Michael Imhotep, host of the African History Network and a contributor to Blackthen.com. 

He says Pico was just one of many Afro-Mexicans who help shake the West and us an example of how Black and Latino history are intertwined in our state. 

"When we go back in our histories there are more similarities than differences," Imhotep said. 

Don Pico’s life and legacy are highlighted at El Pueblo de Los Ángeles Historical Monument.