Pio Pico, an African-Mexican, was the last governor of California under Mexican rule.
His name is everywhere. There is the city of Pico Rivera, Pico Park, Pico Canyon, and, of course, Pico Boulevard. The corner of Pico and Sepulveda in West Los Angeles even has its own music video:
Mas…Remember when California had an African-Mexican governor?
The lyrics in this wack video feature many of the most famous Spanish-named streets of L.A.
“Who was this Sepulveda guy?” you may ask. Don Francisco Sepulveda used to own the Rancho San Vicente y Santa Monica. That’s the area of West L.A. from UCLA to the Pacific. So who was the intersecting Señor Pico? Pio Pico was the last governor of Mexican Alta California.