The inspiration for our brand, María Rita Valdez de Villa, was a true Mexican American pioneer and one of the first female landowners in California. Maria Rita was the granddaughter of Luis and Maria Quintero, two of the original settlers of Pueblo de Los Angeles. In 1838 she was granted 4,539 acres of land that she built into the cattle ranch known as El Rancho Rodeo de las Aguas or “The Ranch of the Gathering Waters,” named for the two canyon streams in the area.

As the owner of Rancho Rodeo de las Aguas, María Rita managed her land by raising livestock, selling hides and beef tallow, and building adobe homes near present-day Sunset Boulevard and Alpine Drive. Despite her hard work and determination, the challenges of maintaining the vast property became overwhelming. Ceded to the United States in 1848, California became the 31st state in 1850. In 1854, Maria Rita sold the property to Benjamin Davis Wilson and Henry Hancock.

Over the following decades, the land changed hands several times. By 1906, Rancho Rodeo de las Aguas was transformed into Beverly Hills by Burton Green’s Rodeo Land & Water Company. By the mid 20th Century, the iconic Rodeo Drive was developed and became a tribute to the rich rancho legacy.

Modern day Rodeo Drive stands as an international symbol of luxury and glamour with its roots tracing back to the vision and pioneering spirit of María Rita Valdez de Villa, a Mexican American legacy that continues to inspire.

Photography of El Rancho Rodeo de Las Aguas.