LUSARDI
The first Lusardi brother came to California in 1860 when he was 22 years old. Pietro Lusardi was born in Parma, Italy in 1838. He came to San Francisco by way of New York where he worked selling fruit to get enough money to get to Panama. He was robbed and had to work even longer to save the money he needed. In 1866 he traveled by boat and made it to Panama and crossed the Isthmus of Panama by mule train and then took a ship to San Francisco. Pietro Lusardi and Marco Bruschi were the first Italian pioneers of significance in San Diego. Lusardi arrived in San Diego in 1866, Bruschi in 1869.
Marco Bruschi was born in Parma, Italy in 1840. Marco's brother, Francesco, had a store in Coulterville, in Mariposa County since 1850. Gold brought Bruschi and thousands overland and around the horn to California. In 1864, Marco Bruschi joined with his childhood friend, Pietro Lusardi and they became partners in a mining business near Coulterville. Although they enjoyed some success, Bruschi's gold fever cooled. He heard that G. Ginocchio's large grocery firm in San Francisco planned to set up a store in San Diego. Bruschi became a partner in the firm and moved to San Diego in 1869.
After nine years spent in Mariposa County mining, Pietro came to San Diego in 1866. Some of his money went into San Diego real estate on the urging of Father Horton. Lot 772, in Horton's addition is assessed at $200.00 against “Pete” Lusardi's name in 1872. Pete Lusardi traveled to Lower California (Mexico) to investigate mining opportunities there. Returning to San Diego, he abandoned his mining work. He then started a large sheep ranch on the lower slopes of what was then called Smith Mountain. The name was later changed to Palomar Mountain. It was at this time that he was joined by his younger brother, Francisco. Francisco was also born in Parma, Italy. He was born in 1848. In 1873 when he was 30 years of age he came to the United States. He worked in a jute mill in Arizona before heading west to join forces with his brother and taking up government land. In the area where the brothers herded their sheep, Lusardi Canyon runs north and south just west of the San Jose Honor Camp. The canyon was named for them.
In 1880 Francisco returned to Italy, intending to marry Rosa Bernieri. Rosa had already married another. Francisco then took Rosa's sister, Marguerite Bernieri, as his bride. The newlyweds, along with Marguerite's brother, Angelo Bernieri, came to the United States in 1882. Francisco and Angelo planned to go into business as partners. Francisco was naturalized on January 14, 1884.
Pietro also took an Italian bride, Angelina Sanguinetti, who had emigrated from Genoa, Italy. Pietro and Angelina were married in San Francisco in 1885. Pietro was was naturalized as an American citizen on July 19, 1879.
In 1887 the brothers, ending their sheep business, settled on government land on a ranch near Black Mountain, between Black Mountain and the present day Rancho Santa Fe. The brothers homesteaded their first land along a creek which flows in the rainy season, between the present day communities of Penasquitos and Rancho Bernardo. Today it is known as Lusardi Creek, although in the 1880's it had no name. The Lusardi's added to their homesteads by buying out neighbors who wished to leave the area until they owned approximately 3,000 acres where they raised hay and grain. The area became known as the Lusardi District. The little community of Lusardi was located in this area 5 miles south of Lake Hodges and 3 miles northwest of Black Mountain. There the Lusardi Post Office was established on September 18, 1889. Pietro was their first postmaster . A Lusardi School was also located in the area. One of the teachers was Maggie O'Connell, member of an old-time Poway family. In 1892 Maggie O'Connell's monthly salary for teaching was sixty dollars. Other teachers at the Lusardi School were Estelle Tyson, Lulu Doheney and Josey Clogston. Pietro, N.S. Doak and M.A. Stockwell were trustees of the Lusardi School. On July 14, 1903 the Lusardi Post Office was moved to Black Mountain and on November 27 of the same year it was moved back to Lusardi. The post office was in business there until April 15, 1911, when it was moved permanently to Del Mar. The Lusardi School was in operation from 1890 - 1904. At the time, families in the Lusardi District included those of:
Nathaniel S. Doak T.C. Pritchard
T. Guglimetti Benjamin Eaton
Bernard Hageen The Stellings
J. D. Osuna F. M. Bates
The Marcos T. Watkins
J. Santors Charles T. Caldwell
H. Gottesburen Ramon Osuna
F. N. Orbin F. Sterlig
V. Catino P. P. Hanson
John Stanovich
Peter and his wife, Angelina, had five children: Ida, August, Mary, Emma and Louise. Peter retired in 1903 and moved to San Diego, where he died in 1929 at the age of 91. He was laid to rest in the Greenwood Mausoleum.
In 1896 Francisco traded his interest in the Lusardi District for 160 acres in Aliso Canyon, southwest of Escondido. The land of the Lusardi's was later sold to Douglas Fairbanks Sr. and it became part of the sprawling Rancho Zorro, named for one of his favorite motion pictures. Rancho Santa Fe had some illustrious neighbors in the persons of America's Sweetheart Mary Pickford and her husband Douglas Fairbanks, the two biggest box office names in the era of the silent screen in the 1920's. On October 22, 1926, it was announced that the couple had bought 800 acres in Rancho Santa Fe, and on May 27, 1927, that they had purchased an adjoining 2,000 acre tract formerly belonging to the “Sheep King” Peter Lusardi for $125,000 dollars cash. Although in bad shape, a hacienda on the old Lusardi ranch was still standing and Doug and Mary planned to restore it and turn it into a clubhouse. They damned the creek running in front of the old adobe to create a little lake. They planned to build an elaborate home on the shore of the lake across from the clubhouse. There was also to be an entire village for workers on the ranch, a re-creation of an old Spanish town. Their huge spread was called Rancho Zorro. Their elaborate plans for it never materialized. Doug and Mary separated and were divorced on January 10, 1935. In the settlement, Doug got Rancho Zorro and Mary got their home in Beverly Hills, Pickfair. Doug's death on December 11, 1939 at the age of 56, ended the Ranco Zorro dreams.
Francisco and his wife, Marguerite, had eleven children (plus 2 children that died as infants, possibly during childbirth.) Henry, born on Palomar Mountain; Josephine, Camille, Louis, Rachel, Mary and Frank born on the ranch at Lusardi, near Black Mountain and John, Peter, Julia and August, born after Francisco (now thoroughly Americanized and known as Frank) and Marguerite moved with their children to a ranch along Aliso Creek. They farmed there for a while, moved to San Luis Rey and then returned to Aliso Canyon. Their son, Frank, recalls that he attended classes at both the Aliso School and at the Libby School in San Luis Rey.
When son Frank was 16 years old, around 1911, he left his parents home and with his brothers, Louis and John, leased a large tract of land on the Rancho San Bernardo Land Grant and began dry farming hay, grain and beans. Their farm was located west of present day Pomerado Road.
In 1912, when he was 38 years old, oldest son Henry became critically ill with typhoid fever, at one point he had lost the power of speech. He came down with the fever due to the drinking of water from an abandoned well while out with a hay bailing crew.
In 1915, when son John was 19 years old, he was at the home in Aliso Canyon when his father Francisco became very sick. John rode his horse to Escondido to get Dr. Larzalere. The doctor rode back to the home and spent the night there. Dr. Larzalere could not save him. Francisco died January 24, 1915 at the age of 65 and was laid to rest at the historic San Luis Rey Mission in Oceanside. The body was taken to the mission in a horse driven hearse. His sons walked along side the hearse. After Francisco's death, Marguerite and her unmarried daughters went to live with Frank, Louis and John in a two story house on the farm, which they called the Red Mountain Ranch.
Marguerite died in 1933 and was laid to rest at the San Luis Rey Mission alongside her beloved husband Francisco.
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