Alhambra, California
History
Alhambra is known as the Gateway to the San Gabriel Valley. Historians credit its beginnings to Benjamin Davis Wilson (Don Benito), who in the 1840s stopped at the San Gabriel Mission on his way to China. He was so intrigued by the region and its history that he decided to stay.
Sources: Google, Town Square Publications
Fun Facts About Alhambra
1. The San Gabriel Mission was founded nearby on September 8, 1771, as part of the Spanish conquest and occupation of Alta Californi
2. The land that would later become Alhambra was part of a 300,000-acre land grant given to Manuel Nieto, a soldier from the Los Angeles Presidio. In 1820 Mexico won its independence from the Spanish crown and lands once ruled by them became part of the Mexican Republic.
3. These lands then transferred into the hands of the United States following the defeat in the Mexican–American War.
4. Alhambra was founded as a suburb of Los Angeles that remained an unincorporated area during the mid-19th century.
5. In 2003, actress Lana Clarkson was shot to death in the Alhambra home of record producer Phil Spector. Spector lived in Alhambra’s largest and most notable residence, the Pyrenees Castle, built in 1926.
Sources: Google, Tons of Facts
