David D’Ancona and the last stagecoach from Mojave to LA

In 1827, Jedediah Smith (17991831), mountain man, explorer and fur trader, was the first non-Hispanic American to journey across the Antelope Valley. Accompanying him were men of different races, nationalities and religions. One member was Emanuel Lazarus, a German Jew. Very little information exists on this man who is believed to be the first Jew to enter the Antelope Valley. He perished in the Umpqua Native

American massacre in Oregon in July 1828.

David Arnold D’Ancona (1827-1908), was born the same year Smith trekked across our valley. He is notable as he gave descriptions of the AV during 1876 — before the railroad would reach what would become Lancaster and thereafter our histor y would be forever changed.

Born in London, D’Ancona was the descendant of an old Sephardic

Jewish family. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1850 and eventually settled in San Francisco (1870), where he became a prominent journalist, businessman and leader in the Jewish community.

In 1876, he was elected president of the District Grand Lodge No. 4 of B’nai B’rith chapter in San Francisco, and, during that summer, he made the customary tour of lodges in California and Arizona. Although he discussed pioneer

Jewish life in great detail in these areas, what is interesting here is his description of the Antelope Valley.

During the summer of 1876, he started from San Francisco on July 9 by train and traveled south through the San Joaquin Valley, taking a train across the Tehachapi

Mountains to the end of the existing railroad in the developing town of Mojave. The train had not yet reached the area which would become Lancaster. From Mojave he continued on toward Los Angeles across the AV via a stagecoach and wrote a vivid description in his journal, which follows:

“Mojave at that time was the end of the railroad and we had to stage it for 75 miles to the other side of the San Fernando Tunnel. Our stage is drawn by six good

horses and we are a jovial company of nine, eight inside, and for convenience sake one rides next to the driver.

“We are five hours crossing the Mojave Desert, a distance of 30 miles. Beneath our feet, there is nothing but bright sand. On each side of us there rises large cactus trees [ Joshua trees]. These wild cactuses are a peculiar variety and, in some cases, grow as large as apple trees. Besides the cactus the desert produces nothing, but a small bush called greasewood.

“We have often read that Southern California in all its characteristics strongly resembles the Holy Land. We fancy as we cross the Mojave Desert that it must bear a strong resemblance to the wilderness over which Moses led the children of Israel and perhaps that high peak yonder is but a counterpart of Mount Sinai.

“We stop once at a solitary station [Willow Springs] in the desert to change horses. It is indeed a lonely spot to be made more lonely in a few days when the railroad shall be completed. After crossing the desert, we go over the divide and descend into a valley where there is a lake called Elizabeth, about two miles square, whose waters shower plenty around.

“There are some ranches on the banks of the lake mostly occupied by Mexicans, and at one of these where we change horses, we take our dinner. In this neighborhood the wild sage abounds, which is so important an element in gaining the great reputation of Los Angeles for honey.

“After leaving the lake we ride 22 miles through a canyon, all the time by the side of a little stream which feeds Lake Elizabeth, to which there is no outlet. After emerging from the canyon, we enter a lovely valley called Santa Clara, destined in the future years to be the home of a thriving population, but now occupied by only a couple of solitary stations where the stages change horses. It is in this valley where the ceremony of laying the last spike is soon to take place.”

D’Ancona stayed only briefly in

Los Angeles, which he described as “the Damascus of America.” He returned to San Francisco on Aug. 26. His son, Arnold, later became a San Francisco Supervisor in 1908, the same year David died. D’Ancona is buried in Colma, San Mateo County,

California — Hills of Eternity Memorial Park.

Another interesting side note — the first documented Jewish pioneers in the Antelope Valley probably resided in Old Ravenna (Soledad City), an important gold, silver and copper mining town in the 1860s and 1870s. Located three miles southwest of Acton, one general store was owned by Edward Green; A. Goldbaum, who was born in Prussia, worked for him as a clerk.