On May 5, 1828, John Lang was born in Herkimer County, New York. Lang would later become a well-known settler of Soledad Canyon.

John Lang was the son of James P. Lang, an Irish immigrant, and Lucy Rarick, who had Mohawk and Dutch ancestry. James Lang, a farmer in Waterloo, Wisconsin, raised a family of four sons and two daughters before his passing. John Lang left home at the age of 21, initially teaching school before becoming a salesman for dry goods. He later opened his own mercantile business in Rochester, Wisconsin, before taking a tutoring position at Todd’s Seminary in Camden Point, Missouri.

In 1854, Lang embarked on a journey to California, traveling overland via the North Platte. He entered the Golden State through Dry Creek, north of Marysville, where he spent his first winter. The following spring, he moved to Sacramento, where he managed two hotels – the Tremont and the American – for a year.

Lang then relocated to Martinez, California, where he made significant contributions to the dairy industry, including creating the state’s first cheese vats in 1856. In 1862, he moved to Virginia City, Nevada, becoming one of the region’s leading pioneers. However, due to his wife’s ill health, he was forced to sell his property at a loss and return to California.

Back in California, Lang bought 35 acres of land in the area now known as Washington Gardens, where he cultivated grapes, olives, oranges, and other crops. He also spent two years in San Gabriel Valley, where he produced cheese at the ranch of the Honorable D.B. Wilson, earning a profitable $25 a day.

In 1870, Lang purchased 160 acres of land 40 miles north of Los Angeles along the Southern Pacific Railroad for $300. He transformed this land into a thriving estate, which came to include Lang’s Station, Lang’s post office, and an express office. Lang also owned the Sulphur Springs and the Sulphur Springs Hotel.

One of Lang’s most legendary feats occurred in 1875, when he killed the infamous “Monarch of the Coast,” a giant grizzly bear that had terrorized California for over 30 years. This bear had purportedly killed numerous people and caused massive destruction, slaughtering cattle, sheep, and other livestock. In July of 1875, Lang, armed with his trusty rifle, followed the bear’s trail for 12 miles into the San Fernando Mountains. After a fierce confrontation, Lang shot the bear when it came within 30 feet, killing it.

According to legend, the bear weighed 2,350 pounds, had a paw size of 10 three-quarters of an inch wide and 19 and a half inches long, and its hide is now displayed at a museum in Liverpool. According to Lang’s own account, the bear was closer to 1,600 pounds in weight, and in a letter to the Los Angeles Herald just two days after the hunt, he credits two men who accompanied him for their help.

“At the first charge we put three bullets in him, knocking him down. He mustered and came again, screaming at the top of his voice. At this fire we put four bullets into him, neither shot failing to tell. This knocked him down again, but once more he rallied and came. This time we waited until he got within 50 feet of us, and then fired, knocking him down the third and last time. Thus ended Bruin. He would, if in full fat, have weighed about sixteen hundred pounds. His skin can be seen here at any time. I write this for the satisfaction of parties who have suffered,” – John Lang to the Los Angeles Herald, July 28, 1875.

Lang married Mary E. Floretta on May 3, 1862 and together they had three sons and two daughters.

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