Hier - Granada Hills

On September 8, 1797, Franciscan missionaries founded San Fernando Mission Rey de Espaa, the 17th of 21 missions eventually established by the Catholic Church. The mission and its more than 120,000 acres encompassed most of the San Fernando Valley. Early missionaries called the rolling foothills northwest of the San Fernando Mission La Encantada Cuestas, the Enchanted Hills. Today this area is known as Granada Hills. (Courtesy San Fernando Mission Archives.)

Following Mexicos independence from Spain in 1822, Mexican leaders confiscated the vast holdings of the Franciscan missions. The San Fernando Mission was secularized in 1834. In December 1845, Gov. Pio Pico, the last Mexican governor of California, granted his brother Andres Pico a nine-year lease for most of the land that today comprises the San Fernando Valley. (Courtesy San Fernando Valley Historical Society.)

The 1834 secularization proved disastrous for the San Fernando Mission. Buildings fell into disrepair and were heavily vandalized. After obtaining his lease, Andres Pico opted to live at the old mission and enjoyed a reputation for entertaining and utilizing the missions convento , or long building, for lavish parties. Pres. Abraham Lincoln confirmed church ownership to 170 acres, including the mission buildings, in 1862. (Courtesy San Fernando Mission Archives.)

In 1846, Eulgio de Clis, a successful Los Angeles merchant, purchased the mission lands. In 1856, he failed to sell Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando for 50 an acre. Following de Cliss death in 1869, his heirs sold more than 50,000 acres, including the old mission, to former state senators Charles Maclay and George K. Porter, and to Porters cousin B. F. Porter in 1874. (Courtesy San Fernando Valley Historical Society.)

Andres Pico distinguished himself during Mexicos war with the United States, leading Mexican forces in California. On January 13, 1847, he met John C. Fremont at Campo de Cahuenga and signed the Treaty of Cahuenga. Following the wars end, Pico returned to his home at the old mission. Andres Pico remained active in California politics, including serving as state senator in the 1860s. (Courtesy San Fernando Valley Historical Society.)

In 1861, Geronimo and Catalina Lopez bought about 40 acres of land north of the mission where they built Lopez Station. The station served as a stop on the Butterfield Overland Mail Stage Companys Los Angeles to San Francisco route. Today Lopez Station lies beneath the land once covered by the Van Norman Reservoir. (Courtesy San Fernando Valley Historical Society.)

Lopez Station housed the first English-speaking school in the San Fernando Valley, with approximately 25 students regularly enrolled. The school closed in 1884. The station also served as a general store, the valleys first post office, and a popular place to rest for weary travelers. One frequent guest was the infamous bandit Tiburcio Vasquez. (Courtesy San Fernando Valley Historical Society.)

In April 1874, with financial assistance from former California governor Leland Stanford, former state senators Charles Maclay, George K. Porter, and Porters cousin Benjamin Franklin Porter purchased Rancho Ex-Mission San Fernando. On seeing the San Fernando Valley for the first time, Maclay is said to have proclaimed, This is Eden! The Porters owned two-thirds of the property, the area west of present-day Sepulveda Boulevard. Maclay owned the land east of Sepulveda Boulevard, including the old mission and the area that today encompasses the City of San Fernando and Pacoima. Maclay concentrated on subdividing his property, while the Porters focused on agriculture. (Courtesy San Fernando Mission Archives.)