Polonia Montanez 1829 - 1917  Polonia Gutierrez, born in 1829,
is the first recorded deed holder of the Montanez Adobe on Los
Rios Street. Sometime before 1850, Polonia married a man by the
name of Montanez and shortly thereafter became a widow. She
married Francisco Canedo in 1853 and after his death in 1870;
Polonia married Isadore Simard, a doctor.  Polonia lived in the
Montanez Adobe for most of her married life and retained the
deed to the land. Polonia was one of four midwives in the
village and was also in charge of the religious education of the
children when there was no priest at the Mission. It was during
a terrible drought in 1890 when she and her little group of
children are reported to have brought rain to San Juan
Capistrano.  According to legend, Polonia instructed the
children that if they would make a spiritual trek and pray, it
would rain. The first day they made a trek to what is now Dana
Point, but no rain came. The next day they made a trek up
Trabuco Canyon, but still no rain came. The