Early Angelinos

Los Angeles Times, 7 June 1904

Hispanic (or Latino) Heritage Month has me looking again at a branch of the Campuzano family that I started researching back in 2015 while writing about the family of Jose Maria Campuzano. In my 2015 research, I frequently ran across news articles and documents on Francisco "Frank" Campuzano, who was born in California in 1859. At the time, I suspected he might be a son of Francisco Campuzano, brother of Jose Maria. I'm now more convinced Francisco (1859) was a son of Jose Maria Campuzano by an earlier marriage or relationship.

The article above describes the funeral plans for Antonio Orfila, an early immigrant to California from Gibraltar or Spain. I will have much more on him in another post. Orfila was the adoptive father of Manuela Dominguez. Manuela married Jose Maria Campuzano. A copy of their marriage entry is below, dated 6 November 1874 in Los Angeles.

Source: Ancestry. California County Marriage Records.

In the 1860 US Census, Antonio Orfila appears as a young cigar maker living in Santa Barbara, California, with wife Maria (Maria Antonia de la Luz Dominguez) and children Maria Antonia, Manuela, Concepcion and Jose. By 1870, Antonio had relocated the family to Los Angeles.

1860 US Census, Santa Barbara, California.

Perhaps Frank Campuzano learned the cigar and tobacco business from Antonio Ofila, although this is not known from the available records. Frank was closely associated with the Orfila family, and regularly appeared at events with Antonio's son Antonio Orfila Jr, a well-known and respected lawyer in Los Angeles. Frank had a cigar stand or store in what is now Downtown LA from the 1880s up to his death in 1921.

Frank also appears in news articles as a musician, community leader and athlete. More to follow soon.