Contra Costa County CA Archives Biographies.....Alvarado, Juan B. 1809 - 1882
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com November 24, 2005, 11:50 pm

Author: W. A. & Slocum & Co. (1882)

DON JUAN B. ALVARADO— Governor of California from 1836 to 1843, died at his
residence in the village of San Pablo, Contra Costa county, July 13, 1882, at
five o'clock P. M. He had been suffering from a bronchial affection, which made
his breathing difficult, for some months, and some four or five weeks before had
a severe attack; but from this he seemed to have recovered, and his end was
peaceful and quiet, and without apparent suffering. He was at the time of his
death seventy-three years and five months old. He was a native of California,
having been born at Monterey in 1809; but, unlike most of the old native
Californians, he was of pure Spanish blood, without Indian admixture. He was a
man of great natural talent, and displayed remarkable ability, having been one
of the ablest of the old native Californians. Being carefully reared in his
infant years by an exemplary mother, he early displayed a taste for learning and
culture; and for this reason attracted the attention of Governor Sola, who
assisted him in his studies, and aided him in acquiring a knowledge of political
and military science; but under the untoward circumstances of the country in
those days, he was compelled, so to speak, to educate himself, and therefore
became, in the true sense of the term, a self-made man. As an illustration of
one of the difficulties he encountered in his self-improvement, it may be stated
that he was at one time excommunicated by the priests for reading Fenelon's
"Telemaque." While still a very young man he entered into political life, and
became Secretary of the Territorial Deputation, or California Legislature, and
from that time down to the American occupation, in 1846, always held an official
position. In 1836 he raised the standard of independence, and proclaimed the "
Free and Sovereign State of Alta California," in opposition, not exactly to the
Government of Mexico, but to what was known as the then- existing Centralist
Government of Mexico. By this act, and the ability displayed by him in
encouraging the revolution, and the success with which he carried it through, he
became entitled to the name of "The Napoleon of California," though his motives
were probably purer than those of Napoleon. As near as we can judge from knowing
the man and looking back upon all the circumstances, his idea was to become a
sort of second Washington, of whom he had read and whose example and fame fired
his imagination. There were difficulties enough for him to encounter and
overcome, as the head of the revolution; and, among others, he had to meet and
vanquish a rival Governor in the person of his uncle, Don Carlos Corrillo, of
Santa Barbara, whom he made a prisoner in his own house, and afterwards allowed
to escape. In 1838 the Government of Mexico recognized him as Governor
intercino, and in 1839 appointed him Governor proprietario, or Constitutional
Governor of the Californias—that is, of both Upper and Lower California—which
office he held until the accession of Governor Micheltorena in January, 1843.
During his incumbency he was a sort of autocrat, having almost unlimited power;
but it is not known that he ever abused it, or was ever actuated by motives
other than for what he conscientiously believed to be for the good of the
country and the trust reposed in his hands. From 1843 to the American occupation
he was for a portion of the time Collector of the Custom House at Monterey, and
for a part of the time in military service as Colonel of the militia forces of
the Department, known as Defensores de la Patria (Defenders of the Country). In
1845, when Governor Micheltorena was expelled, he made an able and successful
military campaign, during which he and General Jose Castro made a remarkable
forced march, very famous among the Californians of those days; but this, we
believe, was about the only active service he saw. When the Americans raised the
stars and stripes in 1846, he was far-seeing enough to understand that the
struggle against them would be futile, and he appears to have taken no active
part in the events which succeeded. In 1839 he married Dona Martina Cortes,
daughter of Don Francisco Maria Cortes, of San Pablo. About 1849 he removed from
Monterey to San Pablo, and lived there with his family in the old adobe
homestead up to his death. His wife died in 1875, and there survive of the
family three sons and two daughters. One of the sons is in New York, and a
daughter is in Washington. Two sons, Gustave and Henry, and a daughter, formerly
the wife of L. B. Tewksbury, of San Francisco, were present at the funeral on
July 15th. When the history of California comes to be written, his abilities and
virtues will be set forth—the things he did, the measures he advocated, the laws
he passed, and the time of official, as well as private life, he passed. They
will constitute an interesting and instructive part of the narrative; and it is
believed that few men, considering all the circumstances of the times and the
difficulties that had to be encountered, will be entitled to kinder
consideration, and be remembered with greater sympathy and tenderer admiration
than the really great and retiring man who has just left us and passed over ad
plures.

Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY,
CALIFORNIA,
INCLUDING ITS GEOGRAPHY, GEOLOGY, TOPOGRAPHY, CLIMATOGRAPHY AND DESCRIPTION;
TOGETHER WITH A RECORD OF THE MEXICAN GRANTS; THE BEAR FLAG WAR; THE MOUNT
DIABLO COAL FIELDS; THE EARLY HISTORY AND SETTLEMENT, COMPILED FROM THE MOST
AUTHENTIC SOURCES; THE NAMES OF ORIGINAL SPANISH AND MEXICAN PIONEERS; FULL
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY OF THE COUNTY; SEPARATE HISTORY OF EACH TOWNSHIP, SHOWING
THE ADVANCE IN POPULATION AND AGRICULTURE;
ALSO,
Incidents of Pioneer Life; and Biographical Sketches
OF EARLY AND PROMINENT SETTLERS AND REPRESENTATIVE MEN;
AMD OF ITS TOWNS, VILLAGES, CHURCHES, SECRET SOCIETIES, ETC.
ILLUSTRATED.
SAN FRANCISCO: W. A. SLOCUM & CO., PUBLISHERS
1882.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/contracosta/bios/alvarado3bs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/cafiles/

File size: 6.5 Kb