William Edward Petty Hartnell, later known by his Spanish name Don Guillermo Arnel, was a merchant, schoolmaster, and government official in California. He arrived in California in 1822 as a trader, where he married into the prominent Guerra family of California and became a Mexican citizen. He held several public roles during the Mexican era and after the American Conquest of California, notably serving as the official translator at the Monterey Constitutional Convention.
Monterey State Historic Park is a historic state park in Monterey, California. It includes part or all of the Monterey Old Town Historic District, a historic district that includes 17 contributing buildings and was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1970. The grounds include California's first theatre, and the Monterey Custom House, where the American flag was first raised over California.
The Portolá expedition was a Spanish voyage of exploration in 1769–1770 that was the first recorded European exploration of 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 the Pacific coast of North America.
José Antonio Estudillo was a Californio ranchero, politician, and soldier, who served as Alcalde of San Diego and as San Diego County Assessor. He was a member of the Estudillo family of California, a prominent Californio family of San Diego.
Don Miguel de Pedrorena was a Spanish-born Californio ranchero, merchant, and a signer of the California Constitution in 1849. He also served briefly as acting Alcalde of San Diego (mayor).
José Antonio Castro was a Californio politician, statesman, and general who served as interim Governor of Alta California and later Governor of Baja California. During the Bear Flag Revolt and the American Conquest of California, Castro led Mexican forces as the Commandante General of Northern California.
José Antonio Aguirre (1799–1860), commonly known as Don Antonio Aguirre, was a Spanish-born Californio merchant and ranchero, active in the Southern Californian cities of San Diego and Santa Barbara.
The José Castro House, sometimes known as the Castro-Breen Adobe, is a historic adobe home in San Juan Bautista, California, facing the Plaza de San Juan. The Monterey Colonial style house was built 1838-41 by General José Antonio Castro, a former Governor of Alta California. It was later sold to the Breen family, who lived there until 1933, when the house became a museum as part of San Juan Bautista State Historic Park.
The Casa de Estudillo, also known as the Estudillo House, is a historic adobe house in San Diego, California, United States. It was constructed in 1827 by José María Estudillo and his son José Antonio Estudillo, early settlers of San Diego and members of the prominent Estudillo family of California, and was considered one of the finest houses in Mexican California. It is located in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, and is designated as both a National and a California Historical Landmark in its own right.
The Estudillo family is a prominent Californio family of Southern California. Members of the family held extensive ranchos and numerous important positions, including California State Treasurer, Mayor of San Diego, and Commandant of the Presidio of San Diego.
The Covarrubias adobe is a California Historical Landmark in Santa Barbara, California. The house is one of the oldest in Santa Barbara, built in 1817. The adobe became a California State Historical Landmark No. 308 on September 12, 1939. The house is also on the Santa Barbara City Landmark. The house is located at 715 Santa Barbara Street. The house is a L-shaped with four rooms, the original Spanish tile roof was later replaced.
Camp Salvation was a refugee camp set up on September 23, 1849, to help those traveling to the California Gold Rush. Emigrants were crossing the harsh Sonoran Desert to get to California through the Southern Emigrant Trail. The camp was located in the current town of Calexico, California. Lieutenant Cave Johnson Couts, an Escort Commander with the International Boundary Commission set up the camp. From September 23 till December 1, 1849, the camp helped travelers on the trail. In June 1849 the United States Boundary Commission arrived in San Diego to survey the international border between United States and Mexico.
The Carrillo family is a prominent Californio family of Southern California. Members of the family held extensive rancho grants and numerous important political positions, including Governor of Alta California, Mayor of Los Angeles, Mayor of Santa Barbara, Mayor of Santa Monica, and a signer of the Californian Constitution.
The Guerra family is a prominent Californio family of Southern California. Members of the family held extensive rancho grants and numerous important positions, including numerous Mayors of Santa Barbara, California Senators, a Lieutenant Governor of California, and a signer of the California Constitution.
José Abrego arrived in Alta California in 1834 as a member of Compania Cosmopolitan A, part of the Hijar-Padrés colony. It was led by José Maria Hijar and Don José Maria Padrés. Abrego became a merchant in Monterey, California, and held a variety of political offices. He served as treasurer of the territory from 1839 to 1846. After the Mexican–American War, he continued to operate as a merchant. He became very wealthy and built a home that is still preserved in Monterey.
The Vásquez House, also known as Vásquez Adobe, is a historic two-story adobe building located at 546 Dutra Street in Monterey, California. It was occupied by Dolores a sister of Tiburcio Vásquez (1835–1875), who was a Californio bandido that was active in California from 1854 to 1874. The building is listed as a California Historical Landmark #351. It is owned by the City of Monterey, which uses it as the administrative office of its Park and Recreation Department.
Casa de Machado, also called Casa de Machado y Silvas is a historical Adobe building in San Diego, California built in 1832. The Casa de Lopez site is a California Historical Landmark No. 71, listed on December 6, 1932. Casa de Machado was built by José Manuel Machado, pioneer leatherjacket company soldier of the New Spain Army stationed in San Diego. He arrived at the San Diego Presidio in 1782 when he retired. José Manuel Machado built a house, Casa de Stewart, for his daughter Rosa, she married Jack Stewart. Stewart from Maine and was pilot boat operator in Maine. The Stewarts enlarged the house. Carmen Stewart Meza lived in the house for some years. The 1850s it was a Commercial Restaurant. 1930s, The Machado y Silvas family owned the house until the 1930s. In the 1930s and early 1940s the house was rooming-house, café, art studio, and souvenir shop. In 1942 the house became a church, Machado Memorail Chapel. Casa de Machado was acquired by California State Parks in 1968, who had it restored. The Casa de Machado y Silvas house's current address, 2737 San Diego Avenue, in Old Town, San Diego.
Casa de Stewart, also called La Casa de Machado y Stewart is a historical adobe building in San Diego, California built in 1835. The Casa de Stewart site is a California Historical Landmark No. 73, listed on December 6, 1932.
Fort Stockton, later called Fort Dupont was a historical Fort in San Diego, California built in 1828. The Fort Stockton site is a California Historical Landmark No. 54, listed on December 6, 1932. The Fort was built by New Spain's Carlos Carrillo to over look Pueblo de San Diego and San Diego Bay in Alta California. New Spain abandoned the fort in 1837. The fort became United States Army Fort Dupont from July 1846 to November 1846 when the United States Armed Forces took Old Town San Diego during the Mexican-American War. The fort was naned after US Captain Samuel F. DuPont with the United States Navy that arrived on July 29, 1846, in the USS Cyane with Major John C. Frémont and his troops, also Kit Carson and his men. Stephen Rowan and William A. T. Maddox with their troops were first to come ashore in San Diego. The troops that were on the men on Cyane rebuilt the old fort on the hill. After rebuilding the foort most of the Frémont and his troops march to Los Angeles. The USS Cyane also went to Los Angeles to take Los Angeles. Captain Ezekiel Merritt and John Bidwell stayed behind and held Fort Dupont. The fort was abandon shortly to Mexican Californios, Francisco Rico and Serbulo Varela with 50 of his troops. The US charted the whaling ship Magnolia to take troops and supplies to San Diego. The Magnolia crew of 35 sailors and 15 volunteers landed siege to the fort, city and port at San Diego and the Fort was retaken. Mexican Ramon Carrillo and Captain Leonardo Cota came back with troop to retake the fort on October 26, 1846. But on October 31, 1846, Commodore Robert F. Stockton (1795–1866) arrived on the Frigate, USS Congress, loaded with troops under Archibald H. Gillespie. Mexicans Santiago Arguello and Miguel de Pedrorena joined the US Forses to retake the fort. The fort retaken, was given more fortifications. The improved Fort was renamed Fort Stockton after Robert F. Stockton. The fort was turned over to General Stephen Watts Kearny. Fort Stockton became the United States headquarters for army that ended the Californio revolt in early 1847. The Mormon Battalion camped at Fort Stockton shortly in 1847. At the end of the short war with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo on February 2, 1848, Fort Stockton was abandoned on September 25, 1848. Fort Stockton site is now a hill in Presidio Park. A historical marker was placed on the hill o August 3, 1991. by The State Department of Parks and Recreation working with the San Diego City Department of Parks and Recreation and Squibob Chapter, E Clampus Vitus.
