Luís Antonio Argüello

Infobox Governor
name = Luis Antonio Argüello

---

order = flagicon|MEX
office = Governor of Alta California
term_start = 1822
term_end = 1825
lieutenant =
predecessor = Pablo Vicente de Solá
successor = José María de Echeandía
birth_date = birth date|1784|6|21|mf=y
birth_place = San Francisco, California
death_date = death date and age|1830|3|27|1784|6|21
death_place = San Francisco, California
party =
spouse = Doña María Angela Barryesa
profession = Explorer, politician, soldier
religion = Catholic

Luis Antonio Argüello (IPA: IPA| [luˈis anˈt̪onjo aɾˈɣweʝo] ) (June 21 1784ndash March 27 1830) was the first native governor of Alta California from 1822 to 1825, during the period California was under Mexican rule, twelfth overall. [cite news |url=http://www.sandiegohistory.org/books/pourade/data/governors2.htm |title=Governors of California |publisher=San Diego Historical Society |date= |accessdate=2006-12-29 |author=] He was the only governor to serve under the Mexican empire, and the first native Californian to hold that office. He also served as acting governor under the provisional government which preceding the Mexican Republic.

He was born in San Francisco, to José Darío Argüello and Maria Ygnacia Moraga, members one of the most distinguished and influential families in early California history. His father "Don" José served twice as governor of California.

In August, 1806, Argüello succeeded his father as Commandant of California with the rank of lieutenant. In 1821, he launched an exploration of Northern California to investigate the rumors of "Foreigners" setting up a base. This expedition has come to be popularly known as "The Last Spanish Expedition in California". ["The Diary of Captain Luis Antonio Argüello 1821: The Last Spanish Expedition in California", Translated by Vivian C. Fischer, Published and Copyright by Friends of the Bancroft Library, University of California, 1992.]

Argüello and his second wife Maria Soledad Ortega owned the 142 km² (35,000 acre) Rancho de las Pulgassituated in what is now San Mateo, Belmont, San Carlos, Redwood City, Atherton & Menlo Park. Though Luis never actually lived there, his widow and children settled there after his death in 1830.

He published his diary "The Diary of Captain Arguello: The Last Spanish Expedition in California, October 17-November 17 1821".

References

*"Who Was Who in America, Historical Volume 1607-1896." Chicago: Marquis Who's Who, 1963.

External links

* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10547648 Luis Antonio Argüello's biographic sketch] at Find A Grave
* [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/01706b.htm Catholic Encyclopedia: Luis Antonio Argüello]