Pio Pico: The Last Governor of Mexican California

By Carlos Manuel Salomon

This biography of Pio Pico describes the life of the last governor of Mexican California.  Pio Pico and his wife are buried in El Campo Santo cemetery on the Homestead.  Their remains were interred here after the closing of the old Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles.

The book describes in great detail the early days of California, especially after Mexico obtained its independence from Spain and was struggling to find its place in the world.  Pio Pico and his family accumulated vast amounts of land throughout southern California as Pio Pico assumed greater roles in the government of California.  Pico’s life reflected the on-going struggle between northern and southern California that continues today.  Pico temporarily relocated the capital of California from Monterey to Los Angeles.

Pio Pico’s life spanned the time period when California was claimed by Spain, was a northern state of Mexico and then became part of the United States as the first state west of the Rockies.

No mention us made of his relationship with the Workman/Temple family, neighbors to his Rancho de Bartolo, even though Pico is buried in El Campo Santo.  The author is also remiss in not mentioning that Pio Pico had acromegaly (a pituitary gland condition unknown to the residents of California) that greatly affected Pico’s appearance.  The condition existed for most of his adult life before mysteriously disappearing and his affected features were restored to normalcy.  This condition not only changed his appearance but prevented him from having children.