Manuel Dominguez  Manuel Dominguez (1803–1882) Early-California ranchero holder and politician. His public career included "Alcalde" (Mayor) of the "Pueblo de Los Ángeles" and Third Prefect of the Southern District of Alta California. He was a signee of the first California Constitution. As grand nephew of the childless Juan Jose Dominguez (c.1736-1809), original holder of the vast Rancho San Pedro land grant in the Los Angeles Basin, Manuel inherited the Rancho and solidified his legal claim to it throughout the government transitions from Spanish colonialism to Mexican government to United States statehood. The adobe home he constructed on the rancho is now a California historic landmark. Manuel Dominguez, addressed as Don Manuel, was born January 26, 1803, in the colonial Las Californias province of the Spanish Viceroyalty of New Spain (colonial México). He was born into a prominent Alta California family. In the colonial Spanish racial classification system "sistema de castas" he was an "Español Criollo". The "gente de razón" family traced itself through pure blood generations in Mexico to ancestors in Catalonia Spain. He was baptized Luis Gonzaga Policarpo Manuel Antonio y Fernando Dominguez. Baptismal data at Yglesia del Real Presidio de San Diego indicates father as Christobal Dominguez of military status: "Cabo de la compañia de cuera deste Presidio" and mother as Maria Reyes Yvañez. Godparents are shown as Maria Gorgona Valencuela and Manuel Rodriguez. Manuel’s father was José Cristobal Dominguez (c. 1761-January 6, 1825) and his mother was Maria de Los Reyes Ybanez (c.1763-February 5, 1834). Existing records do not identify the names of Manuel’s grandparents. Manuel’s granduncle, the brother of his grandfather, was Juan Jose Dominguez (c.1736-1809). The father of Juan Jose was Jose Ignacio Dominguez. Juan Jose was the original holder of the vast Spanish land concession known as the Rancho San Pedro. Juan Jose never married and died in 1809 leaving his nephew Cristobal, Manuel’s father, heir. Upon the death of Cristobal in 1825, Manuel and his surviving siblings inherited the rancho.