José Rafael Machado y Palomares and his twin brother Santiago were born at Los Ángeles, Alta California, México, on May 9, 1833. Fearing he may not live, Rafael was baptized immediately on the day of his birth. Rafael received a second baptism alongside his twin brother at the Los Angeles Plaza Church, May 12, 1833 (Santiago: LA Baptism 00371; Rafael: LA Baptism 00372). The twins were the sons of José Ignacio Antonio Machado y Valenzuela and María Estéfana Palomares y Saenz. Following the invasion of Mexico by the United States, Rafael became a U.S. citizen with the transfer of California's sovereignty in 1848. He married María Guadalupe de Talpa Chapman y Villa (Sep. 20, bap. Sep. 23, 1845 [LA Baptism 01502]-btwn 1883-1900, Palms) at the Los Angeles Plaza Church on February 6, 1865. Guadalupe was the daughter of José Juan de los Angeles Chapman y Ortega and Josefa Antonia Villa y Váldez.

Rafael's title to 13,919 acres of his father's portion of Rancho la Ballona was confirmed in 1873. He lost a fair amount of it to a retired British officer who loaned the cash-strapped ranchero money at an exorbitant interest rate. When Rafael couldn't pay, the Shylock foreclosed in 1890. A judgment against Rafael over beach front property extending from Pico Boulevard south to Venice Boulevard also went against him in October 1899, laying the groundwork for Abbott Kinney to swoop in and build his "Venice of America," complete with canals, arched bridges, and gondolas. Rafael died from cardiac paralysis at the home of his daughter Leonides on August 8, 1902 (1870, 1880, 1900 US Census; Los Angeles County Death Records, 1902). The communities of Ocean Park (in Santa Monica), Palms and Venice (in Los Angeles), are all on land he once owned.
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DIED
MACHADO—At the residence of Mrs. J. R. Reyes, Ivy station [Culver City], August 8, 1902. Rafael Machado, a native of California, aged 69 years. Funeral Sunday, August 10, 1902, at 10 o'clock a. m., from residence of Mrs. J. R. Reyes, Ivy station, thence to St. Augustine, where services will be conducted. Friends invited. Interment Santa Monica.
(Los Angeles Herald, Vol. XXIX, No. 310, Aug. 9, 1902; 10:1)
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Three of his children died within just one week!
DEFUNCIONES.
Dec. 13— Encarnación Elvira, hija de Rafael Machado y Guadalupe Chapman, á la edad de 5 años.
(Crónica [Los Ángeles, Calif.], Vol. 3, No. 101, Sat., Dec. 19, 1874; 3:4)

DEFUNCIONES.
Dic. 19 —Adelina, hija de Rafael Machado y Guadalupe Chapman, á la edad de 6 años y 8 meses.
Dic. 21— Domingo Rafael, hijo de Rafael Machado y Guadalupe Chapman, á la edad de 7 meses.
(Crónica [Los Ángeles, Calif.], Vol. 3, No. 102, Wed., Dec. 23, 1874; 2:5)
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Children:
(All born Ballona)
- Leonides (Feb. 17, 1866-Jan. 4, 1933; m. [1] John Robarts; m. [2] Juan Ranolfo Reyes y Domínguez)
- José Ramón (Aug. 1867-aft. 1900)
- José Eduardo (Apr. 19, 1868-bef. 1880)
- Adelina (Apr. 19, 1868-Dec. 19, 1874)
- Encarnación Elvira (1869-Dec. 13, 1874)
- Luísa (1872-??)
- Domingo Rafael (May-Dec. 21, 1874)
- Adelina (Apr. 4, 1876-Aug. 12, 1889)
- Rafael Camillo (Mar. 4, 1878-Nov. 4, 1956, L.A. Co.; m. Lucinda Aguirre y [?] Sep. 20, 1904; ch: Roger)
- Elvira (Mar 1880-aft. 1914; m. [?] Hoke)
- Virginia (Sep 13, 1882-Sep. 15, 1942; m. Eduardo Porferio Machado y [?] on Oct. 18, 1906)