Victoria Carson Cotton: A descendant of Spanish land grant settlers and owner of Cotton Point in San Clemente before she sold it in 1969 for President Nixon's Western White House, died in her Hancock Park residence. She was the widow of Henry Hamilton Cotton, a financier and a Democratic leader who played a crucial role in the presidential nomination of Franklin D. Roosevelt. She was one of 14 children born to George Cady Carson and Victoria Dominguez. She being the granddaughter of Don Manuel Dominguez, whose great uncle Don Juan Jose Dominguez received a 45000 land grant from the King of Spain in 1784. The Dominguez Ranch covering much of present day southwestern Los Angeles county was the first and largest California land grant. The Cottons acquired the San Clemente property for their home in 1924. At one time, they owned 4.5 miles of coastline.


Los Angeles Herald

13 Feb 1906

Page 5, Image 5

MARRIED AT FAMOUS RANCHO

PRETTY ROMANCE ENDS IN WEDDING

Miss Victoria Carson Becomes Bride of Henry Cotton at Simple Ceremony—Social News of the Day

The culmination of one of the prettiest romances of the season came yesterday when the wedding of Miss Victoria Leonora Carson and Henry Hamilton Cotton was celebrated at the home of the bride on the old Dominguex ranch. Only relatives and intimate friends of the family were in attendance owing to the fact that there has been a recent bereavement in the bridegroom's family.

The house in which the ceremony took place was decorated all in white, and Miss Lucy Carson, the sister of the bride, who served as bridesmaid, was also dressed in white.

Stanley Granger attended the bridegroom as best man. Chicago and New York are two of the cities on the itinerary of the wedding trip, and it is probable that several months will intervene before Mr. and Mrs. Cotton return to Ocean Park, which is to be their future home.

Among those present at the ceremony were Mr. and Mrs. J.N. Carson, Mr. and Mrs. Frank K. Rule, Mrs. J. F. Francis, Z. Dominguez and Ray Rule.