This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Rise and fall of Juan Flores and the Manila gang in California
A notorious band led by Juan Flores terrorized Santa Barbara and San Juan Capistrano in the late 1850s. The gang raided stores, fired on townsfolk, and killed Sheriff Barton’s posse before Flores and his men fled north. The Api surge of vengeance produced two armed companies and a brutal chase ending in fatalities.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
California
Juan Flores
Santa Barbara
San Quentin
San Juan Capistrano
Flores
San Juan
Michael Krazewski
Krazewski
Thomas Burruel
Chola Martina
Martina
George Pflugardt
George
Pflugardt
Juan Forster
Forster
Los Angeles
Sher
Iff
Jim Barton
Barton
Jose Sepulveda Ranch
The
Monte Company
Yankees
Californios Company
Andres Pico
Capistrano
Henry