La Purisima Boyle Heights

Before the area of Boyle Heights was developed and associated with names like La Purísima, the land was part of the vast Rancho San Antonio, a 29,513-acre Spanish land grant given to Sgt. Manuel Nieto in 1784 and later re-confirmed to Don Antonio Maria Lugo in 1810. In the mid-19th century, as the Rancho system began to dissolve following the American transition, portions of this land along the eastern bluffs of the Los Angeles River were acquired by Andrew Boyle, who established "Paredon Blanco." The specific shift toward the religious and community naming conventions often linked to Robert Thomas occurred much later. In the early 20th century, Father Robert Thomas was a central figure in the local Catholic community, specifically involved with the establishment and spiritual leadership of the St. Mary’s and La Purísima parishes. He worked to provide a religious anchor for the burgeoning Mexican-American population that was settling in the neighborhood after the original "garden" estates were subdivided into the dense residential streets of Boyle Heights.