° Mendocino ° Oakland ° Monterey ° Point Reyes
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Founded in 1770, when Spanish soldiers claimed the land for the king of Spain, Monterey served as the capital of California for 75 years until shortly before it became a state in 1850.
In 1822, the Mexican government opened Monterey to foreign trade.
Its Spanish influence has remained the strongest and most constant. Walter Colton, who started California's first newspaper, The Californian, in Monterey in 1846, served as the city's first American alcalde—a combination of mayor, judge and tax collector. When he impaneled the first American jury on the West Coast, prior to statehood, it was one-third Mexican, one-third Californian and one-third American. California's First Constitutional Convention, held in Monterey in 1849, was conducted in Spanish and in English.
In 1855 and 1856, reports indicate that the Port of Monterey had more business than any other California port outside of San Francisco. Typical imports were hard liquor, wine, tobacco, coffee and tea, finished leather goods, tools such as spades and axes, food products (that could not be produced locally), fabrics, clothing, and luxury items such as perfume, feather fans, jewelry, furniture and books.
Exports included large shipments of lumber (Monterey Pine), potatoes, pack saddles, onions, cork, brandy and beef products. One Honore Escolle produced pottery behind his bakery. Advertisements for his pottery were commonplace in local papers. The Monterey Gazette reported that in 1869, Escolle shipped over $2,000 worth of pottery by schooner.
Monterey was also a regular stop for intercoastal steamers and by 1856, more than 50 ships entered Monterey's port each quarter.
Later in the century the Chinese helped develop the fishing industry and Portuguese whalers made Monterey their home base.
May 30, 1889, Oakland Tribune
Oakland, California, USA
Paraiso Hot Springs
The Paraiso Hot Springs, which are becoming famous, are located near Mission Soledad, Monterey county, and are now owned by Dr. Charles Ford. Great improvements have been made at the springs and tbe genial proprietor of the hotel, Captain J. G. Foster, has made everything comfortable for the guests. The climate is unsurpassed, and the waters of the springs are already becoming noted. It is a place of almost perpetual sunshine, and has an altitude of 1400 feet and is surrounded on three sides by high mountains. The visitors take the 8:30 A. M. train at Fourth and Townsend streets, San Francisco, for Soledad station, where coaches convey them to the springs. The ride through the valley is charming, and the scenery presented isi well worth the trip.
In the early 1900s, the sardine industry began to grow. Eric Abrahamson, in his Historic Monterey: California's First Capital, describes the growth of that industry, which soon became synonymous with Monterey: "By 1913, the local fishermen, many of Italian descent and recruited by (Sicilian fisherman Pietro) Ferrante, were catching 25 tons of sardines a night. By 1918, nine canneries were packing 1.4 million cases of sardines each year and Monterey was the 'Sardine Capital of the World."
