de Anza Expedition
T hey stayed there seven weeks while Anza went south to quell a disturbance at the San Diego mission. Resuming their journey north they arrived at the presidio of Monterey on March 10, 1776. Most of the settlers stayed in Monterey, but DeAnza and a smaller party set out to establish a mission in San Francisco.
On March 24. 1776 they made camp along Llagas creek in Morgan Hill( camp # 92), then went north through what is now Cupertino. On March 28th they stood on the south side of the Golden Gate and dedicated a spot nearby for Mission Dolores to be established. Looping down through the present day Alviso they continued to explore the east bay as far as the Carquinez Strait before returning to Monterey. On this return trip they camped in what is now Henry Coe state park and where Canada Rd. meets Coyote Creek( camp # 104).
This year is the 250th anniversary of Juan Bautista de Anza’ s incredible journey bringing our forefathers to Monterey and San Jose. The expedition changed the course of California history. Descendants of the expedition live here today, as evidenced by the names Berryessa, Bernal, Peralta, Moraga and Alviso. The international bicultural trail extends from Mexico to San Francisco. We are so fortunate to have it on both sides of the Santa Clara Valley!
Connie Rogers, Kathleen and Brian Sullivan, and Tere Johnson representing the Gilroy and Morgan Hill Historical Societies explore the Juan Bautista de Anza expedition campsite. Make sure to check out the resources below!
The De Anza Trail was established by the National Park Service. Maps show the Historic Route, the Auto Route and the Pedestrian route. For further information look at the National Park website and Wikipedia. The detailed diaries of both DeAnza and Padre Font in English or Spanish are available on the University of Oregon website.
For more information:
KQED: Two Stories and One Trail Destination Native America: Tribes Along the de Anza Trail National Park Service: Juan Bautista de Anza De Anza College: Anza ' s California Gilroy Historical Society website: Gilroy Historical Society The California Frontier Project: Juan Bautista de Anza: Son of the Frontier American Indegenous Tourism: Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail Gilroy Historical Society: https:// www. gilroyhistoricalsociety. org / Morgan Hill Historical Society: https:// www. morganhillhistoricalsociety. org /
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