Mariana W. de Coronel (February 26, 1851 – 1925) was an American collector of Native American and Mexican curios and antiques. These were gathered during the course of many years, the largest and most valuable collection of historical materials of its kind in the United States.

Early years

Mary "Mariana" Burton Williamson was born in

San Antonio San Antonio ( ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

, on February 26, 1851, the oldest of a family of six children. Her father, Nelson Williamson, was a

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

er from

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

. Her mother, Gertrude (Roman) Williamson, was a woman of Spanish descent, “a Mexicano

Tejano Tejanos ( , ) are descendants of Texas Creoles and Mestizos who settled in Texas before its admission as an American state. The term is also sometimes applied to Texans of Mexican descent. Etymology The word ''Tejano'', with a ''J'' instead ...

woman from Los Brazos River area.” The Williamsons were among the earliest emigrants to the United States, and were noted for patriotism as well as for longevity, both of Coronel's grandfathers having survived to the age 104 years. One of them, John Williamson, a soldier as well as a Christian minister, was a cousin of

Hugh Williamson Hugh Williamson (December 5, 1735 – May 22, 1819) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father, physician, and politician. He is best known as a Signature, signatory to the U.S. Constitution and for representing Nort ...

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

. The family removed to

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...

, where Coronel's grandfather founded a college, the first in the place. Her father engaged in carrying the mail between Cincinnati and

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, and was the first long-distance messenger employed. Later, he became first-mate on the first

steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. The term ''steamboat'' is used to refer to small steam-powered vessels worki ...

which made a trip down the

Ohio River The Ohio River () is a river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing in a southwesterly direction from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to its river mouth, mouth on the Mississippi Riv ...

. In 1837, he went to

, and for some time served as a Texas Ranger under Gen.

Zachary Taylor Zachary Taylor (November 24, 1784 – July 9, 1850) was an American military officer and politician who was the 12th president of the United States, serving from 1849 until his death in 1850. Taylor was a career officer in the United States ...

. He served in the battles of Vera Cruz, Palo Alto, Buena Vista, Cerro Gordo, Cherubusco, Chapultepec, San Pascua and Tobasco. After the war, he settled in San Antonio, where he engaged in contracting and building, and also held the office of judge. The discovery of gold became the impetus for the family's move to

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. Arriving in Los Angeles in the latter part of 1859, when Mariana was eight, Mr. Williamson engaged in the real estate and mercantile business. Her siblings included Elena, Roberto Owens, Antoina Jefferson, Louisa, and Gertrude.

Career

In 1873, she married Don Antonio F. Coronel (1817–1894), a

Californio Californios (singular Californio) are Californians of Spaniards, Spanish descent, especially those descended from settlers of the 17th through 19th centuries before California was annexed by the United States. California's Spanish language in C ...

, and one of the most prominent participants in the early history of

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

, having served as the city's Mayor, as well as State Treasurer. For many years, by travel in Mexico and California, and by correspondence, the husband and wife collected Native American and Mexican curiosities, developing one of the best private collections in Los Angeles. Having from infancy been familiar with the English and Spanish languages, Coronel spoke them with equal fluency, and her knowledge of both aided her materially while collecting her curios. The collection included the carefully preserved school books used in the pioneer school established in Los Angeles by her father-in-law,

Ygnacio Coronel Ygnacio Coronel (1795–1862) was a settler in the Pueblo de Los Ángeles of Mexican Alta California. He was a member of the Los Angeles Common Council. Life Jose Ygnacio Franco Coronel was born in Mexico City, during the colonial New Spain p ...

. The Coronels were deeply interested in the

Mission Indians Mission Indians was a term used to refer to the Indigenous peoples of California who lived or grew up in the Spanish mission system in California. Today the term is used to refer to their descendants and to specific, contemporary tribal nations ...

of California, having joined with their friend,

Helen Hunt Jackson Helen Hunt Jackson (pen name, H.H.; born Helen Maria Fiske; October 15, 1830 – August 12, 1885) was an American poet and writer who became an activist on behalf of improved treatment of Native Americans by the United States government. She de ...

, in aiding this group. It was at the suggestion of Coronel that Jackson made the

Rancho Camulos Rancho Camulos, now known as Rancho Camulos Museum, is a ranch located in the Santa Clara River Valley east of Piru, California, and just north of the Santa Clara River, in Ventura County, California. It was the home of Ygnacio del Valle, a Ca ...

hacienda the scene of action of her ''

Ramona ''Ramona'' is an 1884 American novel written by Helen Hunt Jackson. Set in Southern California after the Mexican–American War and annexation of the territory by the United States, ''Ramona'' explores the life of a mixed-race Scottish– Native ...

'' novel. In 1887, the Coronels visited

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

, and in 1893, they went to the World's Fair at

, where their stay was cut short by Antonio's illness, and subsequent death the following year. After Antonio's death, Coronel superintended the estate, which included valuable property in Los Angeles and a ranch of at Whittier, besides important mining interests in Aliso Canon and

Oaxaca Oaxaca, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Oaxaca, is one of the 32 states that compose the political divisions of Mexico, Federative Entities of the Mexico, United Mexican States. It is divided into municipalities of Oaxaca, 570 munici ...

, Mexico. She presented the collection they had enmassed to the city of Los Angeles, and it went on exhibit in the Chamber of Commerce. Since 1961, the collection has been held by the

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the laws, elements and phenomena of the physical world, including life. Although humans are par ...

. She again married, December 28, 1895, to Dr. C. Edgar Smith of Los Angeles, thereafter being known as Mrs. de Smith. They divorced five years later. Later photographs dating to 1913 refer to “Mariana Coronel de Dominguez”, which may be evidence of a third marriage. She died in 1925. Among the numerous organizations with which she was actively connected were the Indians Rights Association, the Southern

California Historical Society The California Historical Society (CHS) was the official historical society of California, until it dissolved and transferred its collections to the Stanford University Libraries in an agreement that was announced in January 2025. Founded in 1871 ...

, Ladies' Aid Society, Children's Home Society, Society of Los Angeles Pioneers, and others.

References

Attribution

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Bibliography

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coronel, Mariana W. de 1851 births 1925 deaths American women art collectors People from San Antonio People from Los Angeles Californios American art collectors American book and manuscript collectors 19th-century American businesswomen 19th-century American businesspeople Tejano people