Rancho La Merced and the Adobe                  

In 1844 Dona Casilda Soto de Lobo bought the Rancho la Merced from the Mexican government by paying 50 head of cattle to the San Gabriel Mission . In 1845, she and her 3 grown sons built an adobe on the property. In 1850, she hit hard financial times due to the irresponsibility of one of her sons. She sought a loan from William Workman. When she was unable to repay it, Workman bought the property from her and she lived there until her death. Workman sold the property for a dollar to his son-in-law F.P.F. Temple and partner Juan Matias Sanchez as a gift.  Juan Matias settled in the adobe.  In 1872 he and Temple received a patent from the United States Government on the property. Not long after this, the property was put up for collateral on a loan obtained by Temple to shore up the ailing Bank he and Workman owned together. The lender, Lucky Baldwin, required Juan Matias as co-owner to put up his half of the property as well. The loan could not be repaid and the property was foreclosed on. Baldwin allowed Juan Matias to keep the adobe and 200 surrounding acres (possibly a lease agreement) Juan Matias deeded his interest in the adobe to his wife, Matilda Bojorquez in 1882.  In 1885 he passed away and the family lived there until 1892 when Balwin filed an action and acquired the remaining interest in Rancho la Merced. After Baldwin's death his estate was sold and the adobe and 45 acres was purchased by W.B.Scott in 1915. After Scott's death, the property passed to his wife, Luna M. Scott and later to his children Josephine Scott Crocker and William Keith Scott.. In 1972, the adobe was given by the Scott family to the City of Montebello, CA which maintains it as a historical landmark.