Philip Crosthwaite - San Diego Under U.S. Rule

San Diego Under U.S. Rule

In 1847 Crosthwaite was appointed Suplente (Substitute Justice of the Peace or Mayor) of San Diego Pueblo.

Crosthwaite married María Josefa López daughter of Bonifacio López of San Diego in Ensenada, Baja California on June 10, 1848, 1 month after independence from Mexico, at San Diego. López was a great-great-granddaughter of Basilio Rosas, one of 11 families who settled Los Angeles in 1781. Crosthwaite and López had seven sons and three daughters, including Francisco, Felipe, Eduardo, Marcos, Santiago, Carlos, Lizzie, Guillermo. His daughter Mary married J. N. Briseño, of San Diego. His daughter Josefa married Julio Osuna, the grandson of Juan María Osuna, the first Alcalde of San Diego and grantee of Rancho San Dieguito (now Rancho Santa Fe). Most of the family remained in Baja California after the purchase of Rancho San Miguel in 1861 when the cattle were herded south from Rancho Paguay (Poway) in San Diego County. Many of the descendants of Crosthwaite still live in Playas de Rosarito, where some use the surname spelled as "Croswaithe". Jorge Croswaithe is now president of the Red Cross and Rafael Croswaithe was a candidate for the local government in the 2007 Baja California state elections. Many other family members are scattered between Baja California, in Mexico, and Southern California in the United States. Writer Luis Humberto Crosthwaite lives in Tijuana.

During the California Gold Rush in 1849, Crosthwaite went north briefly to mine gold. He didn't get rich, but did bring back 47 ounces (1350 grams) of gold.

In 1851, Crosthwaite served in the Garra Insurrection, with the rank of third sergeant. After these troubles, he was the mainstay of the citizens in preserving the peace, at the time when a gang was terrorizing the town, and was seriously wounded.

Crosthwaite held a number of offices at an early day, being the first county treasurer (1850), deputy sheriff several years, and sheriff one or two terms. He was also school commissioner in 1850, county clerk and recorder in 1853-4, and justice of the peace in 1854. He lived for several years in Mission Valley, above Old Town, and later owned Rancho San Miguel in Baja California. He was lessee of the Mission San Diego de Alcalá in 1848, and later joined the gold rush. He also kept a store in Old Town, and later in new San Diego, in partnership with Thomas Whaley. His old ledger, kept in 1853, later owned by Joseph Jessop, shows many curious things. The first entry in it shows the sale of over $200 worth of provisions to Lieutenant Derby, for the use of the Indians working on the San Diego River dam. The prices charged are also very interesting, now.