By all accounts, Secundino Robles — a 19th century Californian — has a legacy that loomed large in the Bay Area and the state. But in the 131 years since his death, his name has faded into the pages of history.
As a boy in 1824, he stumbled onto the onetime Ohlone cinnabar mine south of San Jose that became known as the New Almaden Quicksilver Mine. He was a bear hunter, a bullfighter and a rancher who is said to have broken his steel sword over his knee during the brief Battle of Santa Clara in 1847. Later that year, he and his brother sold their shares in the mine just before the gold rush to purchase more than 8,000 acres in what is present-day Palo Alto.
A gregarious man who loved to entertain, Robles and his wife, Maria Antonia Robles, welcomed travelers heading from San Francisco to San Jose at the grand adobe home on their rancho near El Camino Real, where the couple also held parties. But Robles, who had a generous and trusting nature and no real business sense, ended up selling off most of the land, giving away much of his fortune and was swindled out of the rest.
When he died in 1890, his wife could only afford the $10 for a plot at the Santa Clara Mission Cemetery. The gravesite, where Maria was laid to rest with her husband following her death in 1896, lacked even a simple headstone. At least until this past Sunday.
A historical marker was unveiled at the couple’s gravesite by the California Pioneers of Santa Clara County and the Mountain Charlie chapter of the historical society E Clampus Vitus, with a ceremony attended by a couple dozen “Clampers,” local historians and descendants of the Robles family.
“After 131 years, Secundino Robles and his wife, Maria Antonia — outstanding Californians — finally have a monument to mark their final resting place,” said James Zetterquist, president of the California Pioneers of Santa Clara County and a fourth-great grand nephew of Robles. He recently finished a book, “Californio Connections,” about his 45-year mission to piece together his ancestor’s story — a tale that entwines with California’s transition from Spanish rule to Mexican territory and, finally, to U.S. statehood. (It is available for purchase on the California Pioneers website, www.californiapioneers.com.)
“Californio” is a term used to describe the Spanish-speaking native inhabitants of California who lived here from the 17th century until statehood. Their families and descendants were often a mix of Native American, Mexican and White ancestry, and that includes Zetterquist, who can trace branches of his family back to the Ohlone tribes of Santa Clara County.
Other descendants at Sunday’s ceremony included Martin Ucovich, Linda Herschbach and Steve Tollner, who is Robles’ closest direct descendant and helped fill in many blanks for Zetterquist in the Robles story with his own research. And, of course, there were the Clampers — a heritage preservation group that has placed hundreds of historical plaques around Santa Clara County, participated in parades and is known for being a fun group, and maybe a little rowdy at times.
“I think Secundino would have appreciated them being here,” Zetterquist said. “He liked to have fun.”
VACCINATION FESTIVAL: East Palo Alto put together a great event last Friday at the outdoor amphitheater of the recently completed EPACENTER building to urge young people to get the COVID-19 vaccine. The VAXX UP! event at the nonprofit youth development center, scheduled to open later this year, included stilt walkers, bubble artists, live music by percussionist James Henry — and San Mateo County Health Workers providing vaccinations.
Kini Evaimalo, who turned 12 this month, and his grandmother, Pogisa Evaimolo got to the event an hour early and he was the first in line to get his vaccine — which he said didn’t hurt a bit.