Matthew Keller
Matthew Keller | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1810 Queenstown, County Cork, Ireland |
| Died | 1881 |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, agriculturalist, winemaker, public official |
| Years active | 1830s–1881 |
| Known for | Pioneering agriculture and winemaking in Los Angeles; public service on Los Angeles Common Council and County Board of Supervisors |
Matthew Keller or Mathew Keller[1] (1810–1881) was a pioneering figure in agriculture, winemaking, and distillation in Los Angeles, California, shortly after the region became part of the United States following the Mexican War. Additionally, he held positions on both the county Board of Supervisors and the Common Council, which governed the city.
Personal
Born in 1810 in Queenstown, Ireland Queenstown, County Cork, Ireland, Keller's educational background was notable, although records do not confirm attendance at Trinity College, Dublin, despite his grandson’s claim; this is likely because Catholics were excluded from the institution until 1970. His broad education is evident through his varied entrepreneurial activities.[2] He was married to Eliza Christie and had three surviving children: Caroline E. Shafer, Alice Shafer, and Henry Workman Keller.[3] Unfortunately, eight other offspring passed away before them.
In social circles, he was respectfully addressed as Don Mateo, using the Spanish equivalent of "Matthew".[4]
Business and agriculture
Keller relocated to Texas during the mid-1830s and subsequently spent over ten years residing in Mexico. While in Guadalajara, he formed an acquaintance with Andrew A. Boyle; both eventually returned to the United States. Keller’s travels took him through New Orleans and San Francisco (1849) before settling in Los Angeles in 1851.[2]
In Los Angeles, he established a general store at the intersection of Los Angeles and Commercial streets and acquired ten acres at Alameda and Aliso streets—currently the location of Union Station.[2][4][5]
On this property, he constructed his residence and cultivated fruit orchards along with vineyards. By 1852, he founded the Rising Sun and Los Angeles Vineyards winery equipped with a brandy distillery. His business extended to maintaining storage facilities in San Francisco, New York City, and Philadelphia. He also experimented with various agricultural products such as fruit trees, castor oil plants, hops, and cotton.[2]
Operating at full production capacity, his winery yielded 200 gallons of brandy and 1,000 gallons of wine each day. His sherry received accolades at local county fairs for its quality.[6]
Recognized as the "father of horticulture in Los Angeles," Keller introduced orange trees sourced from Central America and Hawaii in 1853. He also conducted trials with exotic crops including cotton, rice, and tobacco.[5] In 1856, when he submitted grape samples to the U.S. Patent Office, their excellence was regarded as exceptional for California standards.[7]
Keller was among the founding directors of both the Farmers & Merchants Bank and the Pioneer Oil Company. In 1857 he purchased the 13,000-acre Rancho Malibu, securing its title after legal proceedings concluded in 1864; he later transferred ownership to Frederick H. Rindge.[3][4]
Public Service
Keller held the position of public administrator for Los Angeles County from 1854 to 1858 and was a member of the Board of Supervisors between 1864 and 1867. His community involvement extended to participation in the Los Angeles Rangers, a Vigilance Committee, as well as the city's fire department.
Additionally, he served on the Los Angeles Common Council, the municipal legislative body, during the periods of 1852–53 and again in 1868–69.
Legacy
The Keller family name remains visible in Downtown Los Angeles through Keller Street and Mateo Street, both situated on land once owned by the family.
In the Santa Monica Mountains, the Rising Sun Trail within Solstice Canyon honors his historic winery. Close by were the ruins of a stone cottage constructed by Keller in 1865, which was regarded as Malibu’s oldest stone structure until it was destroyed by the 2007 Corral Fire.
Further reading
- [1] Danette Cook Adamson, "A History of Wine in Southern California," California State University, Pomona
- ↑ "The spelling 'Matthew' has been adopted for this collection since most reference works use that form. His grandson John Mathew Keller entitles his biographical sketch 'Mathew Keller', so the family may have preferred the spelling with a single 't'. Keller himself used either the signature 'M. Keller' or the Spanish form 'Mateo'." — Inventory of the Matthew Keller papers
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "Inventory of the Matthew Keller Papers, 1851–1861," Huntington Museum, Online Archive of California
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Online Archive of California
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Judi Gerber, "Laying the Foundation: How Los Angeles Became the Commercial Wine Capital of America," Los Angeles Agriculture, February 26, 2011
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Farewell — to Old Los Angeles", Los Angeles Times, October 22, 1933, page H-11
- ↑ John McKinney, "New Sunny Trail to Explore in Solstice Canyon," Los Angeles Times, December 23, 1989, page 18
- ↑ Juan José Warner, An Historical Sketch of Los Angeles County . . .