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92-634: The name "La Puente" originates from the Spanish Portola Expedition of 1769-1770, the first land-based exploration of Alta California by Europeans. In July, 1769 the party came north through "la abra" (later altered into La Habra ), "an opening" or pass through the Puente Hills . Descending down into a valley the expedition dubbed "San Miguel" (now the San Gabriel Valley ), the group headed northwest and camped near

184-660: A claim before a commission for adjudication. Approvals were automatically appealed by the federal government to the federal courts, as far as the United Supreme Court. A claim for Rancho La Puente was filed with the Public Land Commission in Fall 1852 when the commission held proceedings in Los Angeles, but after the land commission approved the claim two years later, the government appealed to

276-507: A claim for Rancho El Sur with the Public Land Commission in 1852 but he only received the legal land patent after years of litigation in 1866. While the majority (97%) of these cases were resolved by 1885, a few cases were litigated into the 1940s. Jose Castro filed a claim for Rancho San Jose y Sur Chiquito in 1853. He sold his land before his claim was decided. Before his case was decided, 32 others filed claims with

368-598: A commission shall be, and is hereby, constituted, which shall consist of three commissioners, to be appointed by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, which commission shall continue for three years from the date of this act, unless sooner discontinued by the President of the United States. The Act established a three-member Board of Land Commissioners, to be appointed by

460-480: A dozen Indians from the interior – apparently Rumsen people  – visited, bringing pinole and seeds. The next day the party slaughtered a mule, but not everyone would eat it. The weather turned cold, and snow began to cover the hills. The exhausted men reached San Diego on January 24, 1770 "smelling frightfully of mules", but warmly welcomed by their fellow soldiers and friars. Apart from five men who had apparently deserted, every member of

552-415: A harbor with a ship laden with food supplies. Heading a party of scouts up and over Montara Mountain , Ortega reached the area now known as Devil's Slide . They found their northward advance blocked by the mouth of a vast bay they could not identify – known today as San Francisco Bay . Ortega and his scouts turned back south along the west shore of the bay, around the southern end and back up

644-598: A large stream (now the San Gabriel River ). Father Juan Crespi noted in his diary that the expedition had to build a bridge ("la puente") to cross the stream because the channel was so miry. That first bridge, and later more permanent bridges across the river, gave the area its name. The Rancho La Puente was created as one of many outlying ranchos operated by Mission San Gabriel from its founding in 1771 at Whittier Narrows and its relocation to its current site within four years. The Mexican government secularized

736-428: A large wooden cross where passing ships could see it, with a letter describing the expedition's travels buried at its foot. Crespí quoted part of the letter: "The cross was planted on a hill on the edge of the beach of the little bay which lies to the south of Point Pinos (pine-covered headland)." Frustrated in their hunting and fishing efforts, men of the expedition had to eat seagulls and pelicans. On November 30, about

828-627: A lieutenant of the royal navy (whose diary survives ); the San Antonio , captained by Juan Pérez , a native of Palma de Majorca ; and the San José . All three ships, crossing the Gulf of California from San Blas, arrived leaking on the east coast of Baja, requiring repairs there. On the shore of La Paz on January 9, 1769, friar Junípero Serra blessed the flagship San Carlos and its chaplain, friar Fernando Parrón. José de Gálvez , addressing

920-529: A much more difficult undertaking because of the prevailing winds and ocean currents. After Vizcaíno, however, the Spanish Empire did little to protect or settle this region for the next 160 years, and accomplished almost no exploration by land. Affairs in Europe took precedence, keeping all of the maritime powers occupied. The little settlement that did occur included the establishment of several missions on

1012-561: A party of 74 men: lieutenant Pedro Fages with his Catalan volunteers ; leather-jacket soldiers; captain Fernando Rivera ; sergeant José Francisco Ortega leading the scouts; engineer and cartographer Miguel Costansó ; Baja California Christian Indians; and friars Juan Crespí and Francisco Gómez; the Franciscan missionary college of San Fernando had appointed Crespí official diarist of the expedition. On July 14, 1769, after

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1104-436: A source of fresh water and helped by Indians they encountered, they found a suitable river about nine miles northeast. Moving their ships as close as possible, they set up a camp on the beach, surrounding it with an earthen parapet with two cannons mounted. From their ships' sails and awnings they made two large hospital tents, as well as tents for the officers and friars. Then they moved the sick men to shore and settled them into

1196-606: A stock of supplies for the new mission in Monterey. Buffeted by unfavorable winds, the San Antonio retreated back south to Baja California , then swung as far north as the Farallon Islands , 100 miles (160 km) northwest of Monterey. Several sailors fell sick with scurvy . The San Antonio finally sailed into Monterey Bay on May 31, welcomed by the Portolà party which had arrived a week earlier. They returned to

1288-535: A temporary shelter through the winter of 1841-42 and then constructed an adobe the following summer, believed to have been three rooms. The adobe was expanded to ten rooms in two southward-facing wings by 1856 and then remodeled with the addition of brick rooms at the corners and on a new second floor, this work being completed by 1870. Workman, also a highly successful cattle rancher and farmer, entered business activities (real estate, oil, and banking, among others) with his son-in-law, Francisco P. Temple (F. P. F.), and

1380-423: Is the port of Monterey without the slightest doubt." The three men then walked along the rocky coast south to Carmel Bay . Several Indians approached them, and the two groups exchanged gifts. Meanwhile, on April 16, the San Antonio , captained by Juan Pérez , set sail from San Diego to Monterey. On board were friar Junípero Serra , cartographer Miguel Costansó , and doctor Pedro Prat – along with

1472-904: The land grants made during the Spanish and Mexican administrations in Alta California . This article established that "All grants of land, made by the Mexican Government... will be respected as valid, to the same extent as they were granted". However, the Congress of the United States eliminated this article on March 10, 1848. As part of the California Land Act of 1851, James Crawford required that official proceedings in California be printed only in English,

1564-597: The Baja California peninsula by Spanish Jesuit missionaries. Then, in 1767, Charles III of Spain expelled the Jesuit order from the Spanish kingdom. Gaspar de Portolà , a Catalan military officer and colonial administrator, was appointed governor of the new province of Las Californias and sent to dispossess the Jesuits and replace them with Franciscans , who would set up their own network of missions in

1656-555: The Franciscan missionary team into Alta California, joined the Portolà party as chaplain and diarist. The 55-year-old Serra suffered a chronic infection of his left foot and leg, which Portolà believed had now become cancerous. He tried to dissuade Serra from joining the expedition, but Serra refused to withdraw; he told Portolà to go ahead, saying he would follow and meet up with Portolà on the frontier. Meanwhile, Serra assigned friar Miguel de la Campa from Mission San Ignacio to join

1748-629: The Mexican-American War , the article of the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo , which would have provided that Spanish and Mexican-era land grants be honored, was stricken at the insistence of President James K. Polk and Congress. With the onset of the Gold Rush and the arrival of tens of thousands of Americans to California, disputes over rancho lands became significant. Consequently, Congress passed legislation on 3 March 1851 requiring holders of Spanish and Mexican land titles to file

1840-458: The Monterey peninsula , then just south to a hill by the beach where their party had planted a large cross the previous December. They found the cross surrounded by feathers and broken arrows driven into the ground, with fresh sardines and meat laid out before the cross. No Indians were in sight. In the bay waters, hundreds of seals and sea otters splashed and basked in the sun. Crespí wrote: "This

1932-551: The San Carlos headed south down the Gulf of California to round Cabo San Lucas and then head north along the Pacific coast. On February 15, Gálvez dispatched the San Antonio , captained by Juan Pérez , from Cabo San Lucas; Franciscan friars Juan Vizcaíno and Francisco Gómez served as chaplains. With sailors plus cooks, carpenters and blacksmiths, the San Antonio carried a total of around 30 men. These ships left ahead of

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2024-570: The Supreme Court . The confirmation process required lawyers, translators, and surveyors, and took an average of 17 years (including the Civil War , 1861–1865) to resolve. It proved expensive for landholders to defend their titles through the court system. In many cases, they had to sell a portion of their land to pay for defense fees or gave attorneys land in lieu of payment. Land under Spanish and Mexican land titles that were rejected by

2116-424: The "port of San Francisco" by previous European explorers, while what is today known as "San Francisco Bay" was still undiscovered. The sight convinced some, but not all of them that they had indeed bypassed the port of Monterey. Sergeant Ortega , contacting a group of Indians, thought they were trying to notify him of a ship anchored somewhere up north; for weeks, the men of the expedition had sought desperately for

2208-602: The 1819 Adams–Onís Treaty . A competing claim was established for England in 1579 by the privateer Francis Drake , who followed the trans-Pacific route from the Philippines established by the Manila galleons and reached the California coast near Cape Mendocino , from which he then sailed south along the coast at least as far as Point Reyes . In 1596, a Portuguese captain sailing for Spain, Sebastião Rodrigues Soromenho (Spanish: Sebastián Rodríguez Cermeño) explored some of

2300-637: The 1820s or 1830s and lay wholly in what is now Baja California as was the Rancho San Antonio Abad , whose origin and title is more obscure. Their titles were never subjected to dispute in U.S. courts. Juana Briones, whose early life started with her selling milk in Yerba Buena (today San Francisco), became the owner of Rancho La Purísima Concepción in Santa Clara County. The rancho had been part of Mission Santa Clara and

2392-681: The Americans gained control. The Mexican governors had rewarded faithful supporters and hoped to prevent the recent American arrivals from gaining control of the land. The commission required grantees to prove the validity of the grants they had received, including whether the grantee had fulfilled the requirements of the Mexican colonization laws. This included establishing a home in the land within one year. Grantees also had to establish their grant's exact boundaries. The early diseños or maps available were often little more than sketches. Land had until

2484-472: The Mexican government to file their claim with a commission within two years. Contrary to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which guaranteed full protection of all property rights for Mexican citizens, it placed the burden on landholders to prove their title. While the commission eventually confirmed 604 of the 813 claims, almost all of the claims went to court and resulted in protracted litigation. The expense of

2576-498: The Native Americans, indicating that they were committed to creating peaceful relationships with the native people. The long-term goal was to create settlements, introduce farming, and convert the inhabitants to Christianity, so peaceful coexistence was important during the expedition. The Portolà expedition was the first land-based exploration by Europeans of what is now California. The expedition's most notable discovery

2668-533: The Pacific coast of North America. Although already inhabited by Native Americans, the territory that is now California was claimed by the Spanish Empire in 1542 by right of discovery when Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo explored the Pacific coast . Cabrillo's exploration laid claim to the coastline as far north as forty-two degrees north latitude. This northern limit was later confirmed by the United States in

2760-403: The Portolà party left San Diego. Following the same route they had taken the year before, they traveled five weeks with only two days of rest, arriving at Monterey Bay on May 24. They did not lose a single man or suffer any illnesses, except for an eye infection that afflicted Fages and Crespí. That afternoon, Portolà, Crespí and a guard walked over the hills to Point Pinos on the northern tip of

2852-501: The Portolà party. The party, driving a supply train and food animals, included 25 leather-jacket soldiers under sergeant José Francisco Ortega ; muleteers; artisans; and 44 Christian Indians from Baja California, acting as servants and interpreters to communicate with Indians along the way. This group traveled slower than the Rivera party. Serra, trekking much of the way on a broken-down mule, finally caught up with Portolà, De la Campa and

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2944-584: The Portolà/Serra party arrived in San Diego in good health, with 163 mules loaded with supplies. Desiring to push the sea expedition north to Monterey – as Gálvez had instructed – Portolá offered captain Vicente Vila of the San Carlos 16 of his own men to work the ship on its voyage to Monterey. But Vila had lost all his ship's officers, his boatswain , coxswain of

3036-521: The Portolá Expedition. Public Land Commission The California Land Act of 1851 (9  Stat.   631 ), enacted following the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and the admission of California as a state in 1850, established a three-member Public Land Commission to determine the validity of prior Spanish and Mexican land grants . It required landowners who claimed title under

3128-420: The President for a three-year term (the period was twice extended by Congress, resulting in a five-year total term of service). The Act required all holders of Spanish and Mexican land grants to present their titles for confirmation before the commission. Unless grantees presented evidence supporting their title within two years, the property would automatically pass into the public domain . This requirement

3220-525: The San Diego River, building the new camp on a hill now known as Old Town . They erected a stockade and mounted a cannon on land that later became the Presidio of San Diego . The commanding officers prepared to dispatch the San Antonio back to Lower California New Spain, to report to viceroy de Croix and visitador Gálvez about the expedition. On July 1, just as the ship was about to sail,

3312-524: The area for Spain and determine whether the bay would make a good port. The first leg of the expedition consisted of five groups all departing from Baja California and heading north for San Diego. Three groups traveled by sea while two others traveled by land in mule trains. Three galleons , hastily built in San Blas , set sail for San Diego in early 1769: the San Carlos , captained by Vicente Vila,

3404-502: The board by the appointment of Alpheus Felch , Thompson Campbell and R. Augustus Thompson as commissioners. Their commissions would, in accordance with the terms of the act, have expired in March, 1854; but previous to that time the operation of its provisions as to their power to act was extended for one year longer and afterward for another year. In 1854 Peter Lott was appointed commissioner in place of Campbell; and in 1855 S. B. Farwell

3496-421: The camp. The number of men engaged in those arduous labors diminished daily due to illness. Nearly all medicines and stored food had been consumed on the long voyages. Doctor Pedro Prat – himself weakened by scurvy – gathered medicinal herbs in the fields and desperately tried to cure the ill men. Heat scorched them by day, cold stung them by night. Two or three men died every day, until

3588-928: The capital at Monterey and petitioned Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado for the Rancho La Puente. The grant was finalized in March with boundaries specified as ".... being on the East bounded by El Chino and San Jose, and on the West by the River San Gabriel on the North by the land of Don Luis Arenas, and on the South by the lands of the Senor [Juan] Perez of the los Nietos and los Coyotes ...." or "more or less" four square leagues, or 17,740-acre (71.8 km) . Strangely, William Workman, who had been implicated in what

3680-405: The coastline so that he could create a buffer zone to protect Spain's territories from the threat of invasion. Upon hearing about the king's desire to explore Alta California , New Spain's visitador (inspector general) José de Gálvez organized an exploratory expedition and placed Governor Portolà in overall command. The plan called for a joint land-sea movement up the Pacific coast. The job of

3772-516: The colony. Gaspar came from a military background and had served as a captain of the dragoons of the Regiment of Spain immediately before being appointed governor. When he first sailed to Baja California as the new governor he brought with him 25 dragoons and 25 infantrymen in order to help him with his expulsion of the Jesuits and, eventually, the further exploration of the rest of California. His military background would prove very helpful during

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3864-480: The combined sea expedition – which had started with over 90 men – had shrunk to eight soldiers and eight sailors. Captain Rivera 's column arrived on May 14, having trekked 300 miles (480 km) in 50 days from Velicatá without losing a single man or having a sick one – although with their food rations drastically reduced. Rivera's men moved the camp slightly inland near

3956-416: The court that they owned a portion of his rancho. His successors litigated the claim for years. In 1882, Castro's original claim was finally validated by the court, and President Grover Cleveland signed the land patent on May 4, 1888, 35 years after Castro's initial filing. Article X of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, drafted by Bernardo Couto, Miguel Aristáin, and Luis Cuevas , was intended to protect

4048-421: The courts entered the public domain. This resulted in conflicting claims by the grantees, squatters, and settlers seeking the same land. Congress was pressured to change the law. Under the earlier Preemption Act of 1841 , squatters were able to pre-empt others' claims to land and acquire clear title by paying $ 1.25 an acre for up to a maximum of 160 acres (0.65 km ). After the federal Homestead Act of 1862

4140-590: The courts on the ground that the Pico grant was not legitimate. The federal government had every right to be suspicious of claims to land especially when grants presumably had taken place following Pico's ascendency to governor and the occupation by the US. People presented claims for land the proceedings of which were not reflected in the government records. At the Los Angeles federal district court, Rowland and Workman won two separate appeals, in 1856 and 1862, and it appeared that

4232-464: The east side. However, they only got as far as present-day Hayward before turning back – because their allotted three days were up. When the scouts returned and described what they had seen, Portolà led the entire party up into the hills, to a place where the entire San Francisco Bay was visible . Only friar Crespí seemed to grasp the importance of the bay, describing it in his diary as "a very large and fine harbor, such that not only all

4324-502: The effects of scurvy . Portolà and his men continued north along the coast, hoping to find the great port they had now left behind. On October 30, they reached the headlands near today's Moss Beach . Looking into the Pacific Ocean, they could see the Farallon Islands due west – and Drakes Bay curving broadly to Point Reyes across 40 miles (65 km) of open water to the northwest. Drake's Bay had been named

4416-581: The expedition. By the late 1760s, the Spanish king and a handful of other European rulers began to realize the importance the Pacific coast of North America would have in maritime trade and activity. The Russians had been advancing south from their strongholds in present-day Alaska , and the British had been pushing west in Canada and were approaching the Pacific coast. In order to secure Spain's claims in California, Charles III wanted to explore and settle

4508-674: The first private grist mill in the county in 1847, mainly concerned himself with cattle ranching and farming, achieving great success. He died in October 1873 and was buried at the El Campo Santo Cemetery established by Workman. His many heirs took over, but over the years land was sold off, including for the creation of the towns of La Puente and Covina during the famed Boom of the Eighties (1886–88). William Workman , whose family accompanied him to California, lived in

4600-488: The first “English only” rule in the US that lasted until 1966. This is a state that had almost no English speakers until the 1848 Gold Rush. "Legal battles have continued into the 21st century over the ownership of the land grants" and many people claim their land was unfairly seized as a direct consequence of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which itself was the outcome of the Mexican-American war. One of

4692-433: The four groups had reunited in San Diego, friars Juan Vizcaíno and Fernando Parrón stayed there with Junípero Serra to head the new mission San Diego . Friars Juan Crespí and Francisco Gómez continued north with Portolà. Serra's group aimed to establish Catholic missions to convert the natives of Alta California to Christianity. Crespí was the only one who traveled with the land expedition throughout its travels, so he became

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4784-633: The friars held a Mass in honor of saint Joseph  – patron saint of the Portolá expedition – the Portolá party pulled out of San Diego. Serra stayed behind, as did captain Vicente Vila and the few sailors who remained on the San Carlos . Serra founded mission San Diego in a humble building just two days after the expedition's departure. While Portolà moved north, more men died in San Diego: Eight soldiers, four sailors, eight Christian Indians, and one servant perished by

4876-595: The future pueblo of Los Angeles . They continued moving northwest along a route that would become El Camino Real (royal path or road) in New Spain. On September 30, as the party camped by a river just south of today's Salinas , scouts ranged west to the coast. They reached Monterey Bay but failed to recognize it as the port described by Vizcaíno 167 years earlier. The rest of the party reached Monterey Bay on October 1 – but still failed to recognize it as their destination, because it did not seem to match

4968-513: The gold rush been of little value and boundary locations were often quite vague, referring to an oak tree, a cow skull on a pile of rocks, a creek, and in some cases a mountain range. Even in cases where the boundaries were more specific, many markers had been destroyed before accurate surveys could be made. While the Land Commission confirmed 604 of the 813 claims it reviewed, most decisions were appealed to US District Court and some to

5060-520: The government was going to take the matter to the Supreme Court. The Civil War years saw the claim in limbo and Rowland hired an attorney to secure a patent. Finally, in April 1867, the lawyer's efforts were successful and the patent patented was issued. With the patent secured and La Puente's owners approaching their seventies, the two decided, in 1868, to formally partition the rancho, leaving

5152-444: The grand scale described by Vizcaíno. Also, Portolà and his hungry men had hoped to find the supply ship San José waiting for them at anchor in their destination harbor of Monterey. They never saw the San José , apparently lost at sea. Its morale waning, the party resumed its march on October 7, reaching the area of Espinosa Lake east of today's Castroville . By then, at least ten of the party were being carried on litters , due to

5244-409: The grant extended the size of the rancho to the maximum allowed under Mexican land law, eleven square leagues, or 48,790.55 acres (197.4484 km). When Rowland submitted an affidavit claiming (unbelievably) that Workman was inadvertently left off the earlier grant, Pico officially added Workman as co-owner. After the conquest of the Mexican department of Alta California by the United States during

5336-416: The interior of the present-day California. It was led by Gaspar de Portolá , governor of Las Californias , the Spanish colonial province that included California, Baja California , and other parts of present-day Mexico and the United States. The expedition led to the founding of Alta California and contributed to the solidification of Spanish territorial claims in the disputed and unexplored regions along

5428-505: The land groups. The San Carlos and San Antonio were followed by an additional supply ship, the San José , which was named after the patron saint of the Portolà expedition, Saint Joseph . The San José never reached San Diego and was presumed lost at sea. Captain Fernando Rivera , moving north through Baja California, gathered horses and mules from the fragile chain of Catholic missions to supply his overland expedition. José de Gálvez had ordered Rivera to requisition horses and mules from

5520-461: The launch and storekeeper – and none of the men offered by Portolà had experience as sailors. Vila refused to sail under such conditions. So Portolà decided to place all available sailors aboard the San Antonio , which set out for San Blas on July 9, with a very small crew. Carrying important letters from Serra, Portolà and others, the San Antonio reached San Blas in just three weeks. On that voyage, several more sailors died. After

5612-516: The long court battles required many land holders to sell portions of the property or even trade it in payment for legal services. A few cases were litigated into the 1940s. California Senator William M. Gwin presented a bill that was approved by the Senate and the House and became law on March 3, 1851. That for the purpose of ascertaining and settling private land claims in the State of California,

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5704-584: The men waiting to board, declared their final destination as Monterey and their mission to plant the holy cross among the Indians. Friar Parrón boarded the San Carlos along with captain Vicente Vila, followed by lieutenant Pedro Fages with his 25 Catalan volunteers ; cartographer Miguel Costansó , who made maps and drawings to describe the journey; surgeon Pedro Prat; and a crew of 23 sailors, plus two blacksmiths, two boys, four cooks, and mate Jorge Estorace – a crew of 62 in all. Weighing anchor,

5796-628: The missions in the middle 1830s, at which time the mission ranchos passed into private ownership. At the end of 1841, a group of travelers and settlers arrived in the Los Angeles area from New Mexico , now referred to as the Workman-Rowland Party. Led by American John A. Rowland (ca. 1797-1873) and British native William Workman (1799–1876), the expedition contained American, European, and New Mexican members who settled throughout California. Rowland traveled, in early 1842, to

5888-425: The missions without endangering their survival and to give the friars receipts for the number of animals taken; those missions would later get restocked with animals brought over from the Mexican mainland. Friar Juan Crespí , selected as chaplain for the Rivera party and diarist for the Franciscan missionaries, traveled for 24 days from Mission La Purísima , approximately 400 miles (640 km) north to Velicatá, then

5980-488: The more significant sets of claims was filed on February 19, 1853, on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church by Archbishop Joseph Sadoc Alemany , wherein he sought the return of all former mission lands in the State. Ownership of 1,051 acres (4.25 km ) (for all practical intents being the exact area of land occupied by the original mission buildings, cemeteries, and gardens) was subsequently conveyed to

6072-656: The most part, it was reported that interactions with Native American tribes in Alta California were peaceful without much conflict. Many were described as welcoming and helpful, as they offered guidance and supplies to the Spanish explorers. Friendly encounters with the native people had been a goal from the onset of the expedition, and the Spanish brought many items and trinkets with which they traded for supplies and used to create peaceful relations. They used valuable space to carry so many glass beads and other items, rather than food or more crucial supplies, in order to pacify

6164-410: The navy of our Most Catholic Majesty but those of all Europe could take shelter in it." On November 11, Portolà convened an officers' council, which agreed unanimously that 1) they must have passed Monterey, 2) it was time to turn around and retrace their steps back to San Diego , and 3) no one would be left behind hoping for a supply ship to arrive. The entire party headed back south. On November 28,

6256-495: The northern frontier of Spanish settlement in Baja California. There Crespí met up with the Rivera party, which set out from Velicatá on March 24. Their mule and horse train, tended by three muleteers , carried 25 leather-jacket soldiers and 42 Baja California Christian Indians (all men). Portolà himself led the second land group, which set out from Loreto on March 9. Junípero Serra , assigned by José de Gálvez to head

6348-402: The nuclei of permanent settlements, established a cattle ranching economy and converted thousands of Native Americans to Christianity. Three diaries written by members of the expedition survive, giving unusually complete insight into the daily movements and experiences: One by Portolà himself, a record by Miguel Costansó , and a diary by Juan Crespí which is the most complete and detailed of

6440-506: The official diarist for the missionaries (Portolà and Costansó also kept diaries). The Franciscans ultimately founded twenty-one missions at or near the Pacific Coast of what is now the state of California, in addition to one mission in Baja California. The string of California missions began at San Diego. After two weeks of recuperation, Portolà resumed the northward march to rediscover Vizcaíno 's port of Monterey by land, with

6532-776: The other members of their party on May 5, just south of Velicatá. Following the trail blazed by the Rivera party, and less burdened by livestock, the Portolà party moved somewhat faster. Even so, they had an arduous trek over deserts and through ravines. The ships arrived in San Diego first: the San Antonio on April 11 and the San Carlos on April 29, 1769. Many crew members on both ships had fallen ill – especially from scurvy  – during their voyages. On May 1, lieutenant Pedro Fages , engineer Miguel Costansó , and mate Jorge Estorace came ashore from their anchorage in San Diego Bay , along with 25 soldiers and sailors still healthy enough to work. Searching for

6624-527: The party crossed the Monterey Peninsula south to Carmel Bay . A week later, while waiting for two Baja Christian Indians who got separated from Rivera 's group, the expedition leaders discussed their next moves. They still did not believe they had found Vizcaíno 's port of Monterey. On December 7, they decided to return to San Diego without waiting any longer for the missing men, or for a supply ship. On December 10, Portolà ordered his men to plant

6716-559: The party had survived their six-month journey. They told of large numbers of friendly Indians who lived along the coast, waiting to receive the Catholic gospel. In total they had traveled around 1,200 miles (1,900 km) and become the first Europeans to survey San Francisco Bay and many other important strategic locations. Yet friar Junípero Serra , who welcomed them back to San Diego, felt dismayed and incredulous that they had not found Monterey Bay. "You come from Rome without having seen

6808-552: The pope", Serra told Portolà. A second expedition to find Monterey Bay and establish a permanent settlement there took place in 1770. Portolà mustered a new overland party in San Diego, consisting of less than half the number of men he had taken on his first trip to find Monterey. The new party included Pedro Fages with twelve Catalan volunteers , seven leather-jacket soldiers, two muleteers , five Baja Christian Indians, Portolà's servant, and friar Crespí . Rivera had traveled back to Baja California to get supplies. On April 17,

6900-659: The rancho era are the Workman House (1842 adobe and 1870 brick additions), El Campo Santo Cemetery (1850s with 1919-21 renovations), and a water tower (ca. 1880s)--all on the grounds of the Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum and the John A. Rowland House (1855), now undergoing long-awaited renovations under the auspices of the Historical Society of La Puente Valley. There is also an 1880s adobe house that

6992-518: The same coastline, leaving a description of coastal features. The Portolà expedition carried a copy of Soromenho's writings to guide them along the coast. Soromenho was followed in 1602 by Sebastián Vizcaíno , whose coastal explorations in 1602 surveyed several California locations for future colonization, including San Diego, the California Channel Islands and Monterey . Vizcaíno sailed north from Mexico (as Cabrillo had done),

7084-431: The ships was to keep the land contingent supplied with provisions and to carry communications between them and New Spain. Portolà decided to travel by land. The expedition's original assignment was to travel to the "port of Monterey" described by Vizcaíno and establish a settlement there. After that, the explorers were to continue north to locate Soromenho's "Bay of San Francisco", chase away any Russians encountered, claim

7176-524: The sliver of Alta California that Mexico retained under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which became part of Baja California . Rancho Tía Juana lost the title to its land in San Diego County but the balance of the rancho in Mexico was confirmed by the Mexican government in the 1880s. Rancho El Rosario , Rancho Cueros de Venado and Rancho Tecate were each granted to citizens of San Diego in

7268-440: The three. When Portolà returned to New Spain in 1770, Pedro Fages (now promoted to captain) was appointed lieutenant governor of Alta California, with headquarters at the Presidio of Monterey . Fages led further exploratory trips to the east side of San Francisco Bay, and left his own diaries. California Historical Landmarks #2, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 92, 94, 375, 394, 655, 665, 727, 784, 1058, and 1059 are all related to

7360-543: The time the Portolà party returned six months later. On July 28, the Portolà party reached a major southern California river, which the soldiers called the Santa Ana River . That afternoon they felt a strong earthquake , with aftershocks jolting them over the next few days. On August 2 they traveled west out of San Gabriel Valley , through the hills to a river Crespí named El Río de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de Porciúncula  – site of

7452-519: The two men exact allotments of hill and valley land, so that Rowland mainly occupied the northern and eastern part and Workman the western and central portions. Rowland, who returned to New Mexico in 1842 to bring his family back to California, built an adobe on the north side of San Jose Creek the following year. A dozen years later, he razed the structure and built, across the creek, a brick Greek Revival two-story house (the John A. Rowland House ) for his second wife, Charlotte M. Gray. Rowland, who built

7544-643: The two were the wealthiest individuals in Los Angeles County during the first half of the 1870s, during which the first growth boom experienced in the region took place. When the economy turned sour, however, and the Temple and Workman bank collapsed, Workman, who had mortgaged most of his portion of La Puente for a loan from Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin of San Francisco, lost everything and took his own life in May 1876. Workman's house and 70 acres (280,000 m)

7636-565: The wooden cross left on a hill the year before, and this time (perhaps on a clearer day) realized that the site did indeed overlook the place Vizcaíno had described. Portolà founded the Presidio of Monterey on that hill, and Serra founded the Mission San Carlos Borromeo (moved to Carmel the next year, a little ways to the south). On July 9, 1770, Portolà and Costansó boarded the San Antonio and sailed out of Monterey Bay, headed back to Baja California New Spain. For

7728-489: Was San Francisco Bay, but nearly every stop along the route was a first. It is also important in that it, along with the later de Anza expedition , established the overland route north to San Francisco which became the Camino Real . That route was integral to the settlement of Alta California by the Spanish Empire, and made it possible for the Franciscan friars to establish a string of twenty-one missions , which served as

7820-406: Was appointed commissioner in place of Lott. On March 3, 1856, five years after the passage of the original act, the board finally adjourned sine die . American officials acquired the provincial land records of the Spanish and Mexican governments in the capital at Monterey. The new state's leaders soon discovered that the Mexican government had given a number of grants to Californios just before

7912-464: Was built by John Rowland's son, William R. Rowland , and is under the ownership of the City of Walnut and is at Lemon Creek Bicentennial Park. 34°01′48″N 117°57′36″W  /  34.030°N 117.960°W  / 34.030; -117.960 Portola expedition The Portolá expedition was a Spanish voyage of exploration in 1769–1770 that was the first recorded European exploration of

8004-439: Was claimed to be an assassination attempt of New Mexico's governor during a period in which the independent Republic of Texas plotted to annex most of that territory, was not included in the original grant, although a document was issued by Alvarado at the time of the grant, extending the rights and privileges of use of the rancho to Workman. This document is in the collection of the Workman and Temple Family Homestead Museum but

8096-635: Was contrary to Article Eight of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo , under which the United States agreed to respect the hundreds of land grants, many quite substantial, granted by the Spanish and Mexican governments to private landowners. Articles Nine and Ten guaranteed the property rights of Mexican nationals. The land commission opened its sessions at San Francisco on January 2, 1852. It then consisted, by appointment of President Millard Fillmore , of Hiland Hall , Harry I. Thornton , and James Wilson as commissioners. In 1853 President Franklin Pierce changed

8188-443: Was granted to Gorgonio, a well-respected Indian of that mission. Juana was a friend of Gorgonio and his family bought the 4,400-acre rancho from Gorgonio in 1844. The rancho took in what is today Sunnyvale and Los Altos. Later, she was one of the founding members of Mayfield (today's Palo Alto), where she lived until she died in 1889. The Commission eventually confirmed 604 of the 813 claims received. John Bautista Rogers Cooper filed

8280-522: Was never submitted to the Land Commission to determine the validity of a Rowland and Workman claim to the land. After Workman, as captain, and Rowland, as lieutenant, of an American and European military contingent helped Pio Pico defeat Governor Manuel Micheltorena in an armed standoff at Cahuenga Pass near Los Angeles in February 1845, Pico issued a new grant to Rancho La Puente. Made in July 1845,

8372-401: Was passed, anyone could claim up to 160 acres (0.65 km ) of public land. This resulted in additional pressure on Congress, and beginning with Rancho Suscol in 1863, it passed special acts that allowed certain claimants to pre-empt their land without regard to acreage. By 1866 this privilege was extended to all owners of rejected claims. A number of ranchos remained in whole or part in

8464-546: Was sold back to the Temple family by Baldwin in 1880—today's Workman and Temple Family Homestead is the 6-acre (24,000 m) remnant of this property. Baldwin retained ownership of thousands of acres of Workman's former holdings until his death in 1909, though some land, notably for the town of Baldwin Park , was sold. In 1911, Baldwin's estate sold off more La Puente land for the subdivision of North Whittier Heights, now Hacienda Heights . The remaining historic sites left from

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