Juana Briones of Nineteenth-Century California

by Jeanne Farr McDonnell

Juana Briones de Miranda lived an unusual life, which is wonderfully recounted in this highly accessible biography. She was one of the first residents of what is now San Francisco, then named Yerba Buena (Good Herb), reportedly after a medicinal tea she concocted. She was among the few women in California of her time to own property in her own name, and she proved to be a skilled farmer, rancher, and businesswoman. In retelling her life story, Jeanne Farr McDonnell also retells the history of nineteenth-century California from the unique perspective of this surprising woman.

Juana Briones was born in 1802 and spent her early youth in Santa Cruz, a community of retired soldiers who had helped found Spanish California, Native Americans, and settlers from Mexico. In 1820, she married a cavalryman at the San Francisco Presidio, Apolinario Miranda. She raised her seven surviving sons and daughters and adopted an orphaned Native American girl. Drawing on knowledge she gained about herbal medicine and other cures from her family and Native Americans, she became a highly respected curandera, or healer.

Juana set up a second home and dairy at the base of then Loma Alta, now Telegraph Hill, the first house in that area. After gaining a church-sanctioned separation from her abusive husband, she expanded her farming and cattle business in 1844 by purchasing a 4,400-acre ranch, where she built her house, located in the present city of Palo Alto. She successfully managed her extensive business interests until her death in 1889. Juana Briones witnessed extraordinary changes during her lifetime. In this fascinating book, readers will see California’s history in a new and revelatory light.

288 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2008

Reviews

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both scholarly and accessible, this is a must-read for anyone interested in California history. The research is thorough, the subject matter is fascinating, and the feminist angle provides a much-needed counterpoint to the academic machismo of old-school scholars like Bancroft, who would just as soon interview a dog than a woman.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like 2.5 stars. Interesting story but so poorly written it was hard to follow. Needed severe editing. Needed a genealogy chart to keep the family relations straight in Juana's 11 sibling life with stepmothers, stepchildren, unmarried sisters with children, and many early deaths. Needed an editor to keep the verb tenses straight - 'might have' done or 'would have likely' done is not a good way to keep a reader's attention. And the timeline should have been clear, not jumping around from her childhood to where she last resided because it's geographically close. It's not necessary to repeat the same story 10 times throughout the book because you have 10 sources you are quoting from. I'm surprised this book was published in 2008 and was such poor quality.

[Julia Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

My mother's book is out! People from the Bay Area will be interested in this account of the life of Juana Briones.