13 Facts About Juana Wrightington

Juana de Dios Machado Alipas de Wrightington, known as Jaunita Machado, Juana Ridington or Juana Machado was an Alta California pioneer and nurse known as the Florence Nightingale of San Diego.

Juana Wrightington was a nurse and midwife, and translator, despite being illiterate, during the Mexican-American War.

Juana Wrightington nursed the wounded at the Battle of San Pasqual, and helping the local community.

Juana Wrightington's mother was Serafina Valdez, the daughter of another leading soldier in the presidio, and she was one of nine children.

Five years later, she married Thomas Juana Wrightington, one of the first American settlers in San Diego, who was a shoemaker from Fall River, Massachusetts.

Juana Wrightington served at senior levels in the region, under both the Mexican and American governments, despite being described as 'one-eyed' and running a 'grog-shop' in Richard Henry Dana Jr.

Juana Wrightington helped the local priest Father Antonio Ubach, riding with him to translate for local native women, and acted as midwife in the outlying rancheros, delivering babies with both traditional and modern methods of the time.

Juana Wrightington fostered orphaned or sick children, including a son of an American couple, Diego Hunter, whose mother had died in childbirth and father, a soldier, had to return to America.

Juana Wrightington was later known for her cactus garden, and quilting and lived until she was 87 years old, dying on Christmas Eve 1901.

Juana Wrightington's life was described in an interview reported in The Historical Society of Southern California Quarterly, translated from the original of 1878.

Juana Wrightington recalled full details of being with her father and family as part of the expeditionary forces, including witnessing her father scalping a local native who was a thief and insurgent after stabbing him during a fight.

Juana Wrightington reported that later all Spanish or native men, women and children had their hair braids cut during the transition from Spanish colony to Mexican governance, and had felt the shame that her father showed bringing his cut hair home.

Juana Wrightington was battlefield nurse at the controversial Battle of San Pasqual, 6 December 1846, nursing the wounded.