Southern California history

Francisco “Chico” Lopez was an early Californio rancher whose name became attached to what is now Elizabeth Lake, once widely known as La Laguna de Chico Lopez.

He was part of the Lopez family that held long-standing land and grazing rights in the western Antelope Valley during the Mexican and early American periods of California. The Lopez holdings were associated with the Rancho San Francisco grant, centered near present-day Newhall. Still, their herds often ranged north and west into the Sierra Pelona and Antelope Valley foothills.

By the 1840s, Chico Lopez was running sheep and cattle in the region surrounding the lake. Travelers and surveyors used his name to identify the landmark—“Chico Lopez’s Lake” or “La Laguna de Chico Lopez.” The lake served as a watering stop along the early trails crossing the San Andreas rift zone between Soledad Canyon and the Antelope Valley.

Later, as American settlers arrived in the 1860s and 1870s, the Lopez name persisted in maps and local speech until the site was renamed Elizabeth Lake. The renaming is attributed to surveyor Benjamin Davis Wilson (Don Benito Wilson), who supposedly named it for a relative or acquaintance during his expeditions through the area.

Though details of Chico Lopez’s later life are scarce, his legacy survives in the early place-name and in the transition from the Californio ranching era to the American homesteading period in the western Mojave frontier.

Elizabeth Lake

Silver Road

Borax Road

Tejon Pass

Fort Tejon Road

Don Benito Wilson

Tiburcio Vasquez

Tejon Ranch (Winter)

Luther A. Ingersoll was a journalist, editor, and historian active in Southern California in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is best known for compiling and publishing Ingersoll’s Century Annals of San Bernardino County, 1769–1904, a substantial local history volume released in 1904. This book is a detailed chronicle of San Bernardino County, California, combining early exploration, settlement, economic development, and biographical sketches of prominent citizens.

Here are a few key points about Luther A. Ingersoll:

Background: Not much is readily available about his early life, but he appears to have had a background in journalism and was active in publishing and historical writing.
Editor and Publisher: He worked in various editorial capacities and likely contributed to or edited newspapers in California. His writing style shows familiarity with both narrative history and biographical journalism.
Century Annals (1904): This was his best-known work and a common reference source for researchers studying early San Bernardino County. The book includes:
- Explorations and Spanish mission history.
- Rancho and pioneer development.
- Biographical sketches (often based on submitted family or self-authored accounts).
- Civic and institutional growth, including railroads, mining, and agriculture.
Methodology: Ingersoll’s work reflected the historiographical style of his time—often celebratory, biographically focused, and boosterish. Still, it captured primary recollections and early records that might otherwise have been lost.
Legacy: Despite some historical inaccuracies or omissions, Century Annals remains one of the foundational regional histories for San Bernardino County and is still cited in local historical studies.