Joe Walker just now sent an encouraging E-mail to me, off-list, so I guess there's one person anyway who doesn't mind my floundering around trying blindly to describe some ancient places. I guess I can squeeze out one quickie before I take my lousy flu viruses and myself to bed tonight. Here goes. Source: Reproduction of "History of Los Angeles County California..." [long title], Thompson & West, publishers, Oakland, CA, 1880. EL MONTE TOWNSHIP: "The township of El Monte was erected out of San Gabriel township by the Board of Supervisors August 8, 1853, and consisted originally of the following ranches: La Puente; Los Coyotes; Nietos, with all its lines and boundary; Cienega; Mission Viega, with all its lines and boundary; and San Francisquito. [new paragraph] The township, as at present [1880] constituted, contains the following ranches:-- [table listing ranchos Azusa (Duarte), Santa Anita, San Francisquito, Potrero Grande, La Merced (old Mission), La Puente, and Potrero De Filipe; and the Lugo ranch]." This indicates that, in 1880, El Monte Township was more or less basically the western San Gabriel Valley, but east of Mission San Gabriel. The ranchos are shown on a map in "Los Angeles In Civil War Days, 1860-65," by John W. Robinson, Dawson's Book Shop (publisher), 1977. It's *not* a wonderful map, but it's all I can find so far. Ranchos Santa Anita and Azusa (Duarte) are up against the southern edge of the Sierra Madre (San Gabriel) mountains. Rancho Santa Anita is north of Mission San Gabriel. Rancho Azusa (Duarte) is east of Rancho Santa Anita. Rancho San Francisquito is south of both (and east of Mission San Gabriel), and Ranchos Potrero Grande and Potrero de Felipe are south of San Francisquito. Rancho La Puente is east of San Francisquito and Potrero de Felipe and is southeast of Rancho Azusa (Duarte). It's the western San Gabriel Valley, but east of Mission San Gabriel. Or something like that. It's late. Past time for bed. El Monte Township included the "settlement" of Duarte. I cannot find the town or settlement of Agala anywhere. Lester Powers lesterps@juno.com ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.