Monterey County CA Archives History - Books .....Chapter XIV Monterey Under American Rule 1893
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Book Title: Memorial And Biographical History Of The Coast Counties Of Central California.

CHAPTER XIV.
MONTEREY UNDER AMERICAN RULE.

THE removal of the capital from Monterey, the residence of the governors
elsewhere, the superior attractions for commerce of the harbor of San Francisco,
all tended to lessen the relative social, political and commercial importance of
the ancient capital. The changes in the town itself, or in its outward
appearance, during the last forty years, have been comparatively few. Changes in
its surroundings, and in the county of Monterey, have occurred. That portion of
the county lying east of the Gabilan range of mountains was set off in 1874,
forming the county of San Benito.

  Although the old town presents much the appearance that it did thirty and
forty years ago, and the houses and most of the streets have changed but little,
the building of the railroad and of the magnificient Hotel del Monte, and of the
adjacent town of Pacific Grove, have brought bustle and business to the town in
spite of itself. The combination of historic associations, running back to a
different civilization, which cluster around the ancient Spanish and Mexican
capital, in close juxtaposition with the luxuries and gayeties of a modern grand
caravansary, like the Hotel del Monte, and the building up, close by, of a
religious, social and literary sea-side resort, all make Monterey and its
environs a very attractive center, to which, in recent years, thousands annually
flock, as to a modern Mecca. There is no other town in the State, which retains,
in the appearance of its houses and streets, its Mexican characteristics, to
anything like the extent that Monterey does, though improvement and
Americanizing changes have been going on around it. The old Catholic church,
built and completed in 1794, as is indicated by these figures on its front, and
the rectory near by, still stand; the old custom house, and "Colton Hall," built
under early American rule; and many of the old adobe or stone residences, still
endure; the old "Cuartel" has been entirely demolished within the last few
years. The venerable oak on which it is supposed Father Junipero hung a bell (as
a large iron spike has, during the present year, 1892, been cut out of it), and
under which he first said Mass after landing, is still green as it was 122 years
ago. The cross marked "June 3, 1770," still stands near this tree, symbolizing
the locality and date of the "landing" of the heroic Franciscan and his party,
which is appropriately and finely typified by the idealized monument on the hill
hard by. And the actors of the early years of American rule, Sloat, Larkin,
Colton, Fremont, the bright, youthful, but afterward illustrious Lieutenants
Sherman, Halleck and Ord; Cooper, Spence, Hartnell, Abrego, Little, Leese, and
many others have passed away, and their places have been taken by their
descendants, or by strangers, who knew them not. Of the survivors of that era,
comparatively few remain; and most of them were children then: of those who were
adults at that time, Mrs. Captain Cooper, Mrs. Little, Mrs. Abrego, Mr. David
Jacks, Mr. Thomas Bralee, Mr. John A. Swan, of whom mention is made elsewhere in
this work, and perhaps one or two others, still, in 1892, survive. During the
succeeding era, and until the coming of the railroad, the annals of Monterey
town were comparatively uneventful. The United States district court used to
hold its sessions alternately here and at Los Angeles for a number of years. The
southern United States judicial district of California, under the first" law
establishing the southern district, included Monterey, and provided that
sessions should be held here as well as at Los Angeles. The judges were: Mr.
Jones, who died soon after appointment; I. S. K. Ogier, who served till his
death, May 21, 1861; and Fletcher M. Haight, who died about the year 1866. The
attorneys for the first southern district were: Alfred Wheeler, I. S. K. Ogier,
afterward judge; Pacificus Ord, J. K. Gitchell, Kimball H. Dimmick, and B. C.
Whiting. The marshals were: Pablo Noriega, Edward Hunter, and Henry D. Barrows;
and the clerks were: Alexander S. Taylor, James C. Pennie, and John O. Wheeler.
Many very impotant [sic] land cases came before both Judge Ogier and Judge
Haight. Among the most important was that of the Mexican grant of the ranche,
"Panoche Grande," to Vicente Gomez, mentioned elsewhere. After the death of.
Judge Haight the two districts were consolidated in one. Under the new Federal
law dividing this State into two districts again, passed in the '80s, Monterey
remains in the northern district. The only members of the old court now living,
are ex-Clerk Wheeler and ex-Marshal Barrows, who reside in Los Angeles.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Memorial and Biographical History of the Coast Counties of Central California.

Illustrated.

Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast from the
Earliest Period of its Discovery to the Present Time, together with Glimpses of
its Auspicious Future; Illustrations and Full-Page Portraits of some of its
Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of many of its Pioneers, and Prominent
Citizens of To-day.



HENRY D. BARROWS,
Editor of the Historical Department.

LUTHER A. INGERSOLL,
Editor of the Biographical Department.

"A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will
never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote
descendants."—Macaulay.


CHICAGO: THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY.
1893.


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