Signing of 1847 Treaty Ending War Is Reenacted

Katie Lach, 13, learned a valuable lesson Sunday afternoon at the 49th annual reenactment of the signing of the Campo de Cahuenga Treaty.

“It taught me that there can be peace and we don’t have to fight out our differences,” said Lach, who lives in Sylmar. “I really had a lot of fun watching it.”

The event, held at Campo de Cahuenga California State Historical site, celebrated the Jan. 13, 1847, signing of the treaty that bears its name and marked the end of the Mexican-American War.

It was a perfect day--sunny and warm--for a celebration at the beautiful but hidden little park on Lankershim Boulevard, across from Universal Studios.

An opening ceremony included history of California and the signing, featuring actors playing American Lt. Col. John C. Fremont and Mexican Gen. Andres Pico.

The officers are credited not only with ending hostilities between the two nations, but also with setting the wheels in motion for Mexico to cede California to the United States in 1848. A subsequent 500,000-square-mile land deal also secured portions of what are now Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming and Texas.

About 200 people listened as the actors who portrayed the historical figures read from a script.

“This is a great way to help maintain our cultural heritage and educate people on why L.A. is made up the way it is,” said Cathy Romo, who brought along her 7-year-old son, Anthony.

A performance by Spanish-style dancers in colorful sequined costumes followed the reenactment. There were also free refreshments and plenty of live music.

Some people went into the adobe adjacent to the park to check out authentic items from the 19th century. On display were war items, including uniforms, documents, letters, paintings and guns.

“The best thing about this is that it teaches children the historical significance of California,” said Pat Heydon, who said she has been a regular at the annual event for the last decade.