Camillo Ynitia

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José Camillo Ynitia (Heumon)
Born 1803
Marin County, California, USA
Died c. 1856
Marin County, California, USA
Occupation Farmer, rancher
Spouse Elena, Candida, Cayetano, Susanna Maria
Children Juan Pablo, Maxina Antonia, Maria Antonia
Parents Aurelio (Inutia), Aurelia (Mineru)

Camillo Ynitia (original native name Heumon) was born in 1803, probably in the Miwok village of Olompali (located just north of present-day Novato, California) where his father had built an adobe-brick home. Camillo was a notable leader of the Coast Miwok, a Native American people. Camillo was known as the last Hoipu (Headman) of the Miwok community living at Olompali.[1] Camillo was the only Native American on the northern frontier of Alta California to secure and keep a large land grant for his tribe. The Mexican governor deeded him in 1843, the Rancho Olompali a large tract of land that is between present-day Novato and Petaluma, California. A part of this land now comprises the Olompali State Historic Park.[2]

Contents

[edit] Childhood

Camillo was born to Aurelio (Inutia) and Aurelia (Mineru) and baptized January 9, 1819.[3] His father Aurelio was the Chief of the Olompali tribe. The name "Olompali" comes from the Coast Miwok language and likely means "southern village" or "southern people." (It was also spelled "Olompolli" or "Olompoli"). In 1775 the Presidio of San Francisco sent an exploring party into the north bay country and Chief Olompali had made them welcome. Camillo's father had built the very first (adobe) home north of the San Francisco Bay at the Olompali village. Historians think that the natives that built the house had learned how to make adobe bricks at the Mission San Francisco. Camillo inherited and resided in this original home through his life. His birthplace was in "a sheltered valley, with an abundance of game", adjacent to the salt water Bay, with abundant mollusks and fish.[4]

[edit] Adult life

In 1835, the Mexican government sent General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo into the Marin and Sonoma Counties, in order to bring military control in the region from the presidio in Sonoma, California. According to the book Historica de California Vallejo's first day arriving north of the Bay in June 1835 is probably his first meeting with Camillo Ynitia and the people of the Olompali village: General Vallejo recounts sailing into to the North Bay, and first stopping in San Rafael, to form an alliance with a Coast Miwok tribe there, before moving towards Sonoma County to gather all tribes and arrange as many alliances as possible among all tribes. [5]

In 1836, Camillo and Vallejo signed a peace treaty, aligning the Olompali people with the Mexican-Americans.

In 1843, because of this treaty with Vallejo and the Mexican-Americans, Camillo was one of the two Native American to be deeded a large grant from the Mexican-American Government. (The other native to receive one was Vallejo's close friend the Suisunes Chief Solano.) With Vallejo's aid, Camillo petitioned the Mexican Governor for land for his people and received the Rancho Olompali grant, which included the Olompali village and his birthplace home. The land was recorded in California state records, as follows:

"Olompali #48, Marin Co., Grant of 2 sq. leagues made in 1843 by Gov. Micheltorena to Camilo Unitia [sic]. Patent for 8,877.48 acres issued in 1862 to Camilo Unitia [sic] in T 3-4N, R 6-7W, MDM."

– California Ranchos: Patented Private Land Grants Listed by County, Shumway 1988:39

Camillo built his own home partly with the bricks his father had used earlier. The adobe home as adapted by Camillo had walls 32 inches thick, and ceilings 8 feet high. He owned 600 cattle, and was a notable breeder who owned numerous horses and sheep. He raised wheat and some think sold it to the Russians at Fort Ross. He eventually had to sell most of the rancho land to James Black on August 13, 1852 for $5,200, but retained 1480 acres called Apalococha. He died in 1856, either abruptly or of a short illness.[6]

Camillo married four times. He married his first wife Elena in 1822 and she died in 1830. He married Candida in May 1831, she died in 1835. He married Cayetano in 1835. By Cayateno he had a son Juan Pablo and two daughters, Maxina Antonia and Maria Antonia. After Cayetano died, Camillo married a fourth wife, Susanna Maria. His son died young in a boating accident.[7].

[edit] Recognition

Much of the original Rancho Olompali and the ruins of the original Camollo Ynitia home is now within the Olompali State Historic Park. In 1915, Camillo's adobe house was owned by the James and Josephine Burdell and they built a 26-room mansion around it. They used to take people on tours and show the home.[8]

William Heath a contemporary said that Camillo was "fine, intelligent and shrewd." Stephen Richardson called him "clean-cut, capable, and all around."[9]

[edit] The Legends

It is said that Camillo buried all his gold from his sale to James Black on a mountainside, because when he died he had very little money on record. One theory is his last wife or children family knew where the gold was and unburied it later to assist them in purchasing cattle and part of Rancho de Sanel in Mendocino County.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Seif, 2006.
  2. ^ Mason, 1971:112.
  3. ^ Seif, 2006.
  4. ^ Mason 1971:112-113.
  5. ^ Lynch 1997.
  6. ^ Mason 1971:114-115.
  7. ^ Seif, 2006.
  8. ^ Mason 1971:109.
  9. ^ Mason 1971:113.

[edit] Sources