Francisco María Alvarado (1793) was an early settler of San Diego, California. The son of
a Spanish soldier. He married Tomasa Pico, the sister of Pío Pico, the last Mexican
governor of Alta California.
In 1833, with five other male citizens, Alvarado urged the governor to establish a pueblo
(town) government for San Diego, to replace 60-some years of military rule. Alvarado was
active in San Diego Pueblo government. During 1837–1845 he was regidor (councilman),
1840–41 treasurer, and, in 1845, was Juez de Paz (Justice of the Peace or Mayor). In
1837, Alvarado bought "Rancho Los Peñasquitos" (Little Cliffs Ranch) from Captain
Francisco María Ruiz, who received it as a Mexican Land Grant in 1823. In exchange,
Alvarado cared for Ruiz in his old age. This area is still known as Rancho Penasquitos.
After Ruiz died in 1839, Alvarado moved from Old Town San Diego to his beloved ranch.
He lived in an adobe home in the western part of the ranch built by Ruiz. Some walls of the
adobe still stand, and are protected with a shed roof. Due to an $420 unpaid debt, Pio
Pico bought the Ranch. Pico was twice Governor of Alta California and relative of Alvarado,
and returned the Ranch to Alvarado.
Alvarado married Tomasa, who was born c. 1801. Their daughter, also named Tomasa
after her mother, married Captain George A. Johnson, who inherited the Ranch by the time
the U.S. Government finally granted a patent to the land in 1876.