Vicente Mart?nez was born in Santa Barbara on August 18, 1818, the second son of Don Ygnacio and Martina de Arellano Mart?nez who were married in the Presidio Chapel at Santa Barbara 1802. Don Ygnacio Mart?nez was a Spanish officer at San Diego and Santa Barbara 1788-1819 and became Comandante of the Presidio of San Francisco 1822-1831 and in 1837 was the third mayor of San Francisco. Rancho Pinole was granted to him in 1823 and he moved his family there in 1836 naming his home Nuestra Senora de la Merced being among the earliest settlers of the Contra Costa. The town of Martinez was named for him. Upon retiring from military service September 30, 1831, he moved his family to the Pueblo de San Jose Guadalupe. At Don Ygnacio's death June 18, 1848, Vicente Mart?nez inherited this portion of Rancho Pinole and built this adobe in 1849. He sold the adobe on October 6, 1853, to Edward Franklin for whom Franklin Canyon was named. Dr. John T. Strenzel, father-in-law of John Muir, California naturalist, bought this property from Edward Franklin in 1875.
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