Coronado Family Reunion - 1973

We just had a Coronado Family Reunion on March 2, 2024 and had a great time comparing notes and meeting new relatives.

In 1973 it must have been just as much fun and a chance to see family relatives once again.  My mother, Cecelia Coronado Phipps and Helen Coronado Jenkins arranged the reunion and celebration of Hess Coronado McIntosh's 85th birthday.  The event was held in Helen's side yard in Napa on Wednesday, July 1, 1973.

My cousin, Catherine McIntosh, reminded me that she took the photo below and other group photos that became a record of Coronado family members at the reunion and birthday celebration. More group photos will be added in future posts.  This photo is the seven brothers and sisters of Mariano & Louisa Coronado who were able to attend the reunion:

Standing left to right: Cecelia Coronado Phipps, Frank Coronado, Marian (Toots) Coronado Orsi, Paul Coronado.

Seated left to right: Marion (Dutch) Coronado, Jesusita (Hess) Coronado McIntosh, James Coronado

This is truly a handsome family grouping!

(This is a corrected post with the correct date of the reunion and photographer who took the photo.)

Coronado Family Gathering - Mother's Day 1935

It was the first Mother’s Day for Louisa Coronado after the September 1934 death of her husband, Mariano Coronado.  Six of her children and five grandchildren were there to help Louisa celebrate the day.  Her brother-in-law, Enos Coronado, was also present as well as spouses and other family members.

All were dressed up for the occasion on that Sunday, May 12, 1935, and my Uncle Jim Coronado, as usual, was the official family photographer.  He must have insisted that before they all sat down to eat their meal of enchiladas, beans and salad at the Coronado family home on the Napa-Vallejo Highway, that they pose for a picture to mark the day.  Gathering all the family and spouses in the back yard of the family home on a bright sunny day, Jim brought out a chair for Louisa to sit in the center, and asked all the family members to gather around with the grandchildren in the front near Louisa.  He set up his Kodak on a tripod and when everyone was ready snapped the following photo:

  

On the left was “Uncle” Enos Coronado, Mariano’s brother, with his hand on his hip.  Marion (Dutch) Coronado stood next to him in the buttoned sweater.  Next was Naomi Coronado, wife of husband, Paul, who is standing next to her in light suit and tie.

Next in line from left to right is my mother, Cecelia Coronado, and my father-to-be, Harold Phipps, the tall guy in the center (they were not yet married in 1935).  Next is Marian (Toots) Coronado Hickey.  Next to Toots is Charlotte Campbell, mother of Dorothy Campbell, and mother-in-law to Frank Coronado (Dorothy and Frank are in the photo on the far right).

To the right of Mrs. Campbell is Juanita Coronado, wife of Jim Coronado, the photographer.  Over Juanita’s shoulder is Frank Hickey, first husband of Toots, and father of Paul and Kathleen.

Gathered around Louisa Coronado, seated in the center, are the grandchildren.  On the right, Juanita, the tall one, is standing in front of her mother; and the twins, Jim and Jane are on the far right and left.  Closest to Louisa is Paul and Kathleen, daughters of Toots and Frank Hickey.

Just after this photo was taken, everyone thought Jim Coronado, the photographer should be included in the gathering – so he stepped into the picture and my father took a second photo.  Then everyone breathed a sigh of relief and resumed socializing, eating and drinking.

Frank Coronado Mishap

The following is an article written by cousin John J. Coronado, Jr. for a 1994 edition of The Coronado Newsletter.  John was the son of John (Doc) Coronado.

He describes a harrowing experience for the young Coronado family on the ranch in 1910.

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This is a short story about my uncle, Frank Coronado, told to me many years ago by my father, Doc Coronado.

The Coronado boys were all raised on the Coronado ranch and were all expert horsemen, because they had all learned how to ride at a young age.  They were on their own if they wanted to saddle up a horse and head for the hills for a ride.  In 1910, when this story takes place, Jim was 13, John (Doc) was 11, Frank was 10, and Paul was 9.

One day Uncle Frank saddled up a horse and went out riding.  Some of the other kids saw him leave the ranch. It was mid-afternoon when he left and it was assumed that he would return for dinner, since none of the kids ever missed dinner.

But Frank did not show up at the dinner table and his father, Mariano Coronado, grew worried.  He ordered his other sons and some farm hands to saddle up and head out to look for him.  They spread out and formed a line and rode up to the first hill.  There was a grove of oak trees at the top and they spotted Frank immediately.  He was hanging in one of the trees.  He had ridden under the tree and a sharp branch had entered the back of his neck and was lodged at least a foot along his back.  Frank was out cold and wasn't moving.  Nobody seemed to know what to do, so two riders headed back to tell his father and to get medical help.

Mariano ordered the two to ride as fast as they could to get the doctor and get him back here as fast as possible. Mariano ran for the barn and got a saw and some rope.  He quickly saddled his horse and headed for the scene.

Frank Coronado, as a young man,
 with his mother, Louisa

When Mariano arrived, he could see that the ranch hands had tied rope around Frank in several places, like a harness.  He lassoed a big limb high above Frank and tied it to the harness.  Several of the group pulled on the rope and took the weight of Frank off the limb.  A ranch hand was already in the tree and had the saw ready to cut the limb.  When it was cut, Frank was lowered down to a saddle horse and secured in the saddle with more rope.

The group and Frank arrived at the ranch house about the same time that the doctor arrived.  The rope was cut off Frank and his father carried him into the house so the doctor could look at him.  As it turned out the wound was not as bad as it could have been, nothing deep, just surface cuts.  Frank was given a shot, the branch was removed, and he slept until the next day.  When he woke up, he asked about his horse.  His brothers went out to search and they found the horse grazing in the hills by Blue Rock Springs.  Frank was happy to know his horse was back.  He was a strong kid and recovered fully in a short time.

Remembering My Childhood (Cecelia Coronado) - Part Four

(This is the fourth in a series of posts based on audio recordings made by my mother, Cecelia Coronado Phipps in 1983.  Here she begins to talk about her brothers.)

Doc Coronado practicing the violin

Doc and Paul

Now there was brother Doc.  How he got that name, I don't know.  Someone said they called him "Old Doc Yak". I think that was in the comics at that time.  But that name stuck with him, even after he became a sergeant on the police force. ... Doc was the one in the family who was musically inclined. He played the violin.  Then there was Paul.  He was the one brother who was more quiet and serious – the youngest of the six boys.

Frank

Now Frank was always "tee-heeing" and laughing and smiling.  There was no one to compare with Frank.  He had a constant smile on his face always, where Paul was more serious.

They tell this story about my brother Frank.  Mama and Papa were in the summer kitchen which was adjoining the regular kitchen and they saw a splash in the watering trough.  They ran out there and found Frank had fallen in.  So they pulled him out and dried him off.  He was always doing things.  More things happened to this little guy.  He was a lovable brother.

Since I spoke of my brother Frank, let me tell a few more incidents in his life.  My older brother, Dolph, told me that one time when Frank was real little, maybe two years old, he was sitting on the fence.  Across the road there was a big ball game going on.  Dolph had perched him up on the corner of this fence, because he wanted to watch the game.  Somebody hit a home run and knocked Frank completely off the fence and he was unconscious!  Dolph ran to him and picked him up and brought him home to Mama.  Mama was the all-around nurse and doctor.  What she did only God knows.  She brought him to and he insisted on going back because he wanted to see the rest of the game.  So they let him go back.  That was one of his injuries.

Frank Coronado with his mother, Louisa

In later years, Papa was taking my sister Toots and me to school in Vallejo. One day he was picking us up after school, driving us home, when we went by the high school that Frank attended.  We said, "Oh, something is happening there.  Look, the ambulance has come and somebody got hurt." Well, when we got home, we were notified that it was my brother Frank. He got hit by a ball and was taken to the hospital for a while and then they brought him home.  Poor Frankie – he has had so many injuries.

As he got older, he was going up Main Street hill on a motorcycle, and the darned motorcycle just flipped right over with him and he hit his head on the sidewalk.  That put him out for awhile.

Another injury was when he was in Nevada.  He was driving on one of the streets.  Some kids were playing ball.  Wouldn't you know that the ball came right through the window that he had down and hit him again on the head.  He had a lot of injuries to his head but we loved him dearly.  He was a terrific brother.  We had a lot in common.

This ballpark where Frankie was hit by the ball – I understand that big league games were played there.  So it was quite an important spot around that area.  Also, the first airplanes landed there.  We have pictures to show it – one-seaters with open cockpit. ... I was born in 1906 so that goes a long way back.

Remembering My Childhood (Cecelia Coronado) - Part Two

(This is the second in a series of posts based on audio recordings made by my mother, Cecelia Coronado Phipps in 1983.)

Mama and Papa started out very poor, with a very small little place.  When they were first married, they lived at the Blue Rock Springs.  Mrs. Madrid was my father's sister.  Mr. Manual Madrid was my mother's cousin.  Angela and Manual Madrid lived at and owned the Blue Rock Springs, which was farther out toward the hills, which had natural mineral waters.  That's where Mama and Papa lived when they were first married.  I believe that Dolph was born there.  Marianita was also born there.  She later died at the age of 10[1]. ... Mama always said that she was just too perfect to live.  She was such a beautiful child and just perfect in every way.  She never gave her one minute’s problem or worry. ... They never got over the loss of this one little girl even though they lost two little boys. ...

They wanted to get away and live on their own, so they came ... and bought this 3-5 acres of property bordering the road that is now the Napa Highway.  At that time it was just a path from Vallejo to Napa.

They started out on a very small scale, with a little bar where he sold beer – 5 cent beer and Mama made big kettles of chili beans.  You got a 5 cent beer, you got a bowl of chili beans if you wanted. ... They eventually enlarged the house, very gradually, of course, and added other rooms downstairs and enlarged the bar.  They eventually made six bedrooms upstairs.

The Beanery with living quarters on the second floor

Mama was pregnant with Frankie in September[2].  In those days it never did rain in California in September.  But this year it did.  Papa was building the upstairs and the skies opened up and it stormed on poor Mama.  She recalls walking around in water, I don't know how deep, and trying to take care of all the children.  Here she was expecting Frank, expecting the baby.  The next day she gave birth to brother Frank.  The doctor came.  All her babies were born at home.  The doctor came and said that he can't possibly live.  "I'll come by in the morning but he can't possibly live."  Only God knows what Mama did. She prayed over him.  She got her little tiny lamp that I still have.  All her prayers were answered, because in the morning when the doctor arrived, he said, "I can't believe it. It's just like a miracle."  He was premature, a "preemie", and in those days what could they do for a "preemie"?  He was healthy enough, but he just didn't grow.  His little legs were shorter than they might have been otherwise, but he had the build of Papa.  He had good broad shoulders, a good build, but his legs were shorter – not stunted at all, but he was just short. ...

They did get these six bedrooms built upstairs. ... I remember so well, going upstairs where Dolph had his bedroom.  He would go to town the night before.  He went out a lot and had many friends.  He would bring back a whole big sack of bananas.  I knew that I could go up to his bedroom in the morning and knock on the door.  He would say "Come in" and he would have this big sack of bananas for me.  Well, I eventually got the nickname of "Nanas", because I loved them so.  But I was so tiny and I had to go down this great long staircase, about 25 or 30 steps down this long staircase.  My brothers, Doc, Frank and Paul, would be jumping around me and poking holes through the bag. They would have most of the bananas by the time I had gotten down to the main floor.  But I was happy to have whatever I could get.  This hap­pened very often and this is one of the very nice things he always did for me.

Dutch had one of the front bedrooms.  Dutch got his name because when he was little he had curly hair and his hair was brown, instead of black like all the rest of the kids.  So they said that he looks like a little Dutchman.  I don't know who said this, but that nickname stuck with him. ...

Louise had a bedroom.  Louise became a nurse.  Dutch got her a job at the hospital where he also met his future wife, Ione.  Louise met her future husband and left home very early.  So we never saw her very much.  She lived in town but we just did not see too much of her.  She didn't cling to the family like all the rest of us did and didn't come home as often. ...

Now comes Jimmy.  Jimmy was a terrific brother. He was quiet and gentle, but had a good sense of humor too.  He was the photographer in our family.  He was always taking pictures.  If he hadn't done that, we would not have the many pictures that we enjoy to this day – of the old cars, the family reunions, the family get-togethers on Sundays for dinners. ... He met and married the first girl he ever went with.  He worked for one of the bakeries in Vallejo and he ran a delivery truck. ...

Facing the front and all around the corner of our property, Papa had planted a Cyprus hedge, which made it very private, even though it faced the main road at that time.  There was a picket fence right by the garden gate and next to it was our front porch, which led into the parlor.  Inside this little picket fence gate was a huge grapefruit tree, that was very tall and went above the second story bedroom, which my sister Marian, affectionately known as "Tootsie", and I shared.  She had a habit of walking in her sleep.  Sometimes I would awaken and find her going out the window.  Well there was little place that we used to play dolls out there on a little lean-to, but the fact seeing her going out in her sleep was more than I could handle.  However, instead of catering to her, I would scold her and I'd say, "Tootsie! You get right back in here!"  And she would mind.  Normally she wouldn't under normal circumstances, but she would[3].  Those were kind of frightening experiences for me.  We shared this bedroom all through our school years.  We would enjoy getting out there in the daytime to play with our dolls and pick some grapefruit.  They were huge things – very good and juicy. We had lemons too in the yard.

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[1] Actually Marianita died at age 5.

[2] September 1900.

[3] Toots gave her version of this story in a conversation with John Coronado in 1994: “She said that there were times when she would fake the sleep walking.  She would put a sheet over her head and get up and start walking around.  When Cecelia would take her arm and lead her back to bed, she would pull the sheet off and scream at Cecelia to scare the dickens out of her.”

Introduction to the Family

The purpose of this website is to document and explore the family history of the Coronado Family who lived in and prospered in Napa and Solano Counties in northern California starting in the 1850s.  I hope that this website will become a forum for exchange of information, pictures and stories and that all Coronado relatives and friends will join in the discussion.

My maternal grandfather, Mariano (Marion) Coronado (1859-1934), and grandmother, Louisa Madrid (1862-1950) were married 24 November 1884 at St John the Baptist Catholic Church in Napa.  Both Mariano and Louisa were born in and grew up in Napa.

Family history says that the dashing Mariano was smitten by Louisa’s charms the first time he saw the pretty young lady in the front yard of her home in the “Spanish town” area of Napa.  He vowed to himself at the time that he would marry her.

 

Louisa

Mariano

After their marriage they lived for a time in Napa and then moved to Vallejo by 1887 where Mariano worked on the Tobin Ranch.  Mariano purchased 3 ½ acres of land in August 1891 on the Vallejo Napa Road – the main road between Napa and Vallejo – about three miles north of Vallejo proper.  He and Louisa raised their family there from the late 19^th Century into the early 20^th Century.  They owned the Coronado Inn (sometimes called the Three-Mile House) – Mariano ran the bar and Louisa prepared the food to go with the drink.

They raised a large family - in all they had 13 children, 10 of whom lived past childhood.  The children were fiercely independent and lived highly successful and interesting lives in and around Vallejo and Napa as well as elsewhere in California.  The family contributed to the growth and history of pioneer days in the State

How Mariano and Louisa were able to get all ten children together at one time for a picture will remain a mystery.

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Who were these Coronado children and what did they do?  Where did Mariano’s father and mother come from and why did they settle in Napa?  In subsequent posts to this website, we will explore more details of our Coronado family and its history.