Name/Title
Rafaela Martinez Tennent (Vincent)Description
Rafaela Martinez Tennent was the seventh child and one of nine daughters of Don Ygnacio and Doña Maria Martinez of El Rancho Pinole. She was born at the Presidio of San Francisco, where her father was comandante of the fort. She died on August 5, 1868, at the age of 44. Her 1/11th inheritance of the old family rancho included all of present-day downtown Pinole and all of its bayfront. There were many families and individuals who helped shape the beginnings of Pinole in the 19th century. The earliest of these newcomers was the family of Don Ygnacio Martinez, who settled in the valley in 1837. Don Ygnacio named his holdings Rancho El Pinole, and brought his wife, Maria Martina, and most of his 11 children to live in the large adobe home he had built there. They were called Californios, people of Spanish-speaking heritage but born in California. But the quiet pastoral life of the Californios was soon to end.Copyright
Copyright Holder
Pinole Historical Society