As Hispanic Heritage month comes to a close, I have to say that I really appreciated NBC’s television coverage this year. They tested DNA of selected “Hispanic” personalities, and found that many were unexpectedly more “European” than “Hispanic.”
It seems like a timely reminder that we are all just people, and we should simply enjoy the many cultures from which we are drawn. These celebrations are meant to be inclusive, not to separate us.
In this area, Rancho La Ballona was the larger of the two ranchos from which Culver City was carved. We are most familiar with its founders, the Machado and the Talamantes families. Agustín Machado took the leadership role of managing Rancho La Ballona, while his brother, Ygnacio, moved to what is known as the Centinela Adobe today. Some of the Talamantes family lived nearby on Rancho Rincón de los Bueyes.
Agustín Machado lost his wife during the birth of their first child, Juan Bautista. He then married Ramona Sepulveda, from nearby Rancho San Vicente y Santa Monica to the north. Ramona Sepulveda took care of Agustin’s first born, and gave birth to 14 additional children. The youngest child was José de la Luz Machado, born in 1853.
According to family lore, José de la Luz Machado, made regular visits to some friends in “Palms.” The aging bachelor appreciated their housekeeper/cook’s extraordinary skills. The young woman, Marie Greber, from Alsace-Lorraine, could not be enticed to work for Mr. Machado. So, he married her in 1913
They had two children, José Carlos and José Oscar before he died in 1923. Both sons retired from the City of Culver City, Carlo as a police officer, and Oscar in public works. They raised their families in Culver City. Mrs. Machado brought her sister, Rose, to this country. Rose married John Lugo, (one of my uncles), whose grandmother, Vicenta Machado, was one of José de La Luz Machado’s older sisters.
José de la Luz and Marie Machado raised their boys in a home on the east side of Overland Avenue, just north of Ballona Creek. Many still remember Mrs. Machado surrounded often by her chickens, sweeping off her porch, “shooing away” young school children in her older age. She was also known for her forthright comments at city council meetings. One, in particular, dealt with raw sewage coming down Ballona Creek. She had a gift for saying things very clearly.
Just a reminder that we all share in our local Hispanic heritage.