Leonardo Cota
Overview
 
Leonardo Cota was a Captain with the Californios in the Mexican-American War; and later a Los Angeles County Supervisor.
Leonardo Cota (1816–1887) was born during the Mexican War of Independence
Mexican War of Independence
The Mexican War of Independence was an armed conflict between the people of Mexico and the Spanish colonial authorities which started on 16 September 1810. The movement, which became known as the Mexican War of Independence, was led by Mexican-born Spaniards, Mestizos and Amerindians who sought...

 in Mexico, the son of Guillermo Cota. Leonardo Cota married Maria Rosa Yorba, daughter of californio (Mexican) Rancho Cañón de Santa Ana
Rancho Cañón de Santa Ana
Rancho Cañón de Santa Ana was a land grant in present day Orange County, California given by Mexican governor José Figueroa in 1834 to Bernardo Yorba. The name means "Canyon of Santa Ana". The grant included present day Yorba Linda.-History:...

 owner Bernardo Yorba
Bernardo Yorba
Bernardo Yorba , was a native of Nueva California and the son of Spanish soldier, José Antonio Yorba. Bernardo became one of the most successful ranchers in Alta California with thousands of cattle and horses grazing on land grants totaling more than 35,000 acres...

. At the time of the Placerita Canyon gold discovery of 1842, Cota was a clerk-registrar at Pueblo de Los Angeles
Pueblo de Los Angeles
El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles was the Spanish civilian pueblo founded in 1781, which by the 20th century became the American metropolis of Los Angeles....

, under the services of his cousin, Governor Pio Pico
Pío Pico
Pío de Jesús Pico was the last Governor of Alta California under Mexican rule.-Origins:...

, who would be known as the last governor of Alta California
Alta California
Alta California was a province and territory in the Viceroyalty of New Spain and later a territory and department in independent Mexico. The territory was created in 1769 out of the northern part of the former province of Las Californias, and consisted of the modern American states of California,...

 under Mexican rule.
 
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