Address: 15415 East Don Julian Road, City of Industry, CA 91745
I was interested in visiting this site after going over to the Matias Sanchez Adobe House in Montebello this past Monday. This site which is now a museum was home to William Workman. (The man who sold the Adobe house in Montebello ) This site has two structures from the past the Workman Adobe House which was built in 1841 and the Casa Nueva which was built during the early 1920's.
Thinking that I did not need a guided tour around the outside of the house, I looked and tried to get in realizing all gates were all closed. I entered the museum information center where I was greeted by a volunteer who took me on a guided tour of the property. First, I was shown an introductory video which describes much of the history of the Workman-Temple family. After watching this brief film by myself in this conference media room, I was then escorted to see the inside of the Workman Adobe House.
William Workman was born in England and immigrated to New Mexico as a boy. In New Mexico he worked with this man by the name of John A. Rowland (think Rowland Heights) and together they began several business ventures which included fur catching, and manufactured Whiskey. Along with Rowland they decided to head out west to Alta California. After arriving to the San Gabriel Valley, Rowland was given a land grant known as Rancho La Puente by then Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado. According to my tour guide she was not sure why at first Workman was left out as owner but further historical research (you cannot say mean things about the owner) indicates that he was not given ownership because he was wanted in New Mexico for smuggling Texans and for trying to assasinate their Governor, he was also not a Mexican naturalized citizen. After 4 years, then friend and Governor Pio Pico was able to change the land grant to include Workman. The adobe house at first consisted of 3 rooms and later expanded to ten rooms by 1856 and then remodeled with brick rooms at the corners and on a new second floor, by 1870.
Picture from 1974 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/hhh.ca3144 /photos.378433p
Picture taken 7/23/14
So William Workman had a daughter by the name of Antonia Margarita who married Francis Pliny Fisk Temple. Workman granted parts of Rancho La Merced to them in 1850. (Montebello Area) Temple was also a very ambitious person like his father in law and began investing in railroads, real estate and started their own bank in Los Angeles. Their bank was the 2nd bank to open in Los Angeles and was the most popular bank for bad reasons. Workman and Temple were issuing loans to anyone which led to bankruptcy. This led to losing it all including the Workman Adobe House. William Workman out of depression committed suicide in 1876.
The Temple's resurfaced, Walter Temple the son of F.P.F Temple and grandson of William Temple began his rags to riches ambition. In 1915, while still living in what is now known as the Montebello Hills discovered oil this once again gave him enough money to re-purchase the Workman House and surrounding area. He also created his own town called City of Temple (now known as Temple City) and named streets after people he knew. After purchasing the Workman Adobe House and the surrounding property he decided to make a new house right next to the adobe house and call it La Nueva Casa. This house was built in the late 20's.
Guess again!! Due to the Stock Market Crash they lost the house in the 1930's and was turned into a boys' school and then a small hospital until the land was given to the City of Industry for preservation in the 1960's
I only took a few pictures during the tour of the house just because I was the only getting the tour so it felt weird stopping every minute to take a picture. The inside of the house has furniture from the 1920's and some of the art work and decor was amazing! These guided tours are free and they are open from 1pm to 5pm! The outside of the museum has a lot of green grass and picnic tables and which lead you into another Historical Landmark: El Campo Santo Cemetery, which I will write about tomorrow!
Websites for further Information:
www.homesteadmuseum.org/
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