José Manuel Machado

José Manuel Machado (1756 - 1852), Spanish soldier, ranchero, early citizen and regiador on the ayuntamiento of the pueblo of San Diego.

José Manuel Machado was born in 1754, but details of his life before joining the Spanish army are unknown.^[1]

Machado came as a corporal of the Leather Jacket Company to garrison the Presido of San Diego in 1782. During his many years of service he advanced rapidly in rank holding many military offices. He commanded the military guards at Mission San Luis Rey and Mission San Diego. He was involved in the founding of the mission stations at Las Flores, Pala and Temecula.

In 1808, Machado was married at the age of 52 to María Serafina de La Luz the daughter of Eugenio Valdez a fellow soldier from the garrison at Los Angeles.^[1] In the following years they would have 15 children.^[2]

Following Mexican independence from Spain, Machado was a loyal officer of the Mexican army and administered the garrison rancho of the San Diego Presidio, later the Rancho de la Nación. For loyal service he was granted the Rancho El Rosario in 1827 on lands of the in Misión El Descanso in Baja California. During the early 1830s he became a citizen of the new pueblo of San Diego where he built a one story adobe house for his family below the presidio, on what became 2724 Congress Street. In 1836 he was a Regiador (city councilman) in the ayuntamiento of the San Diego Pueblo.^[1][2]

José Manuel Machado died October 18, 1852, and was buried in the El Campo Santo Cemetery in the old town section of San Diego.^[3]

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