Santa Cruz County CA Archives History - Books .....Chapter V Independence Of Mexico - 1822 To 1846 1893
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Joy Fisher cagwarchives@gmail.com January 12, 2007, 12:06 am

Book Title: Memorial And Biographical History Of The Coast Counties Of Central California.

CHAPTER V.
INDEPENDENCE OF MEXICO-1822 to 1846.

CALIFORNIA was influenced, of course, to a certain extent by the political
changes in Mexico from the regime of Spanish rule to independence, first as an
empire and finally as a republic.

THEY MET AT SANTA CRUZ IN THE LONG AGO.

  About the year 1822, William Thompson, an Englishman, landed at Santa Cruz and
started a business in hides and tallow. His native place was London. His father
was a sail-maker, and there lived the family, mother, brother and sisters. With
regret and sorrow they parted with William when he went to sea, and after a time
they ceased to hear from him. Years went by, and the father grieved and the
mother pined for her son as time went on. At last another son, Samuel, proposed
to go in search of his brother; his plan was agreed to, and he started. How long
he sailed and where he went is not known; but after awhile he was on a ship that
came to Santa Cruz. Here was anchored at that time another ship, taking on board
a cargo of hides. Samuel came ashore, and inquiring for the captain of that
ship, asked him if among his crew there was a William Thompson. The captain said
he did not know certainly whether there was or not, "But there the men are,"
said he, pointing to the men at work on the beach, carrying hides; "you can go
and see." And there, sure enough, Samuel met his brother William! But instead of
Samuel getting William to go home, they both remained on this coast. They
afterward shipped together on a voyage to South America, but they returned again
to Santa Cruz and settled here.

  Various vessels landed at Santa Cruz from 1825 to 1830. The Frenchman,
Duhaut-Cilly, in the Heros, touched here in 1827.

  The number of citizens of the village of Branciforte had increased in 1830 to
about 150. Branciforte had been transferred in 1822 to the political
jurisdiction of the pueblo of San Jose, as it was lacking in sufficient
population to entitle it to an ayuntamiento, or town council; and in 1826 the
two pueblos were transferred from the military jurisdiction of Monterey to that
of San Francisco; but in 1828 Branciforte was re-transferred to Monterey again.
It had alcaldes, however, during this period. Their names were: S. Pinto,
Buelna, Borondo and Rodriguez.

  The citizens of the pueblo in 1830 are said to have owned some 2,000 or 3,000
head of cattle. Heavy rains, doing much damage to gardens and buildings,
including the church, in the winter of 1824-'25, are mentioned in the archives
of Santa Cruz. The number of head of large stock belonging to the mission of
Santa Cruz, in 1830, is given at a little over 3,000, and of sheep nearly 5,000.

  The local records of 1828 show that the pueblo boundaries then were described
as on the north by Santa Cruz and the mountains; on the east by Santa Clara
creek; on the south by the ranch of Amesti; and on the west by Monterey bay. In
1830 the population of the pueblos and ranches of the province of Alta
California was estimated at about 1,700 souls.

  In 1827 an order came from Mexico permitting foreign vessels to trade at Santa
Cruz, San Luis Obispo, etc. Father Gil y Taboada was in charge of Santa Cruz
mission in 1830, being succeeded by Father J. Jimeno.

  The Mission of Santa Cruz, under the national secularization of August 17,
1833, and the provincial regulations of Governor Figueroa of August 9, 1834, was
turned over to Lieutenant Ygnacio del Valle, as comisionado, on the 24th of the
same month; and Juan Gonzales was mayordomo from and after October. This mission
was at this time known as "Pueblo de Figueroa," and the Indians were reported to
have behaved well under the new system.

  Among the vessels which arrived on this coast in 1835, was the Pilgrim, of
Boston, and the Alert; on the former of which was R. H. Dana, the author of "Two
Years Before the Mast."

  In 1833, Isaac Graham came to California from Hardin county, Kentucky, and
settled near Monterey. His name is intimately associated with the early history
of Santa Cruz and vicinity.

  It is said he erected on the San Lorenzo, somewhere in the neighborhood of
where the powder works are, the first sawmill in California. He went to Los
Angeles in 1835, and in 1836 removed to Natividad, where (according to B. D.
Wilson, of Los Angeles) he established a small distillery in a tule hut, which
soon became a nuisance, owing to the disreputable character of those who
frequented it.

  The population of gente de razon (rational people) of the Monterey district,
including Branciforte and seven missions, in 1840, is estimated at about 1,600
souls. Of this number 250 lived at and in the neighborhood of Branciforte. No
reliable enumeration of the inhabitants of the pueblo was taken, as far as is
known, prior to 1845, when there were 294 Californians and Mexicans, fifty-six
foreigners, and 120 neophytes.

  Mention is made of a case, wherein Nathan Spear, who owned the schooner
Nicolas, used to carry produce between Monterey and Santa Cruz, got into trouble
growing out of the construction of trade regulations. The ayuntamiento insisted
on their exclusive right to grant licenses, and Spear was fined by the alcalde,
which, on appeal to Governor Chico, was decided against the ayuntamiento. Spear
afterward took the Nicolas to San Francisco.

  In 1839, two Boston ships brought cargoes of goods to Monterey which paid
upward of $50,000 in duties. The total revenues this year were over $80,000. The
French frigate Artemise anchored at Santa Cruz in August, 1839. Her commander,
Laplace, who, expecting perhaps from reading La Perouse many hospitable
attentions, including the offer of gratuitous supplies, was so surprised because
of the exorbitant charges the settlers demanded for the provisons he needed,
that he left without making purchases. One pretty maiden, however, greatly
pleased him by offering to sell supplies needed cheaply; but she was intimidated
by the padre from delivering the goods she had promised.

  The American flag had been raised at Santa Cruz at the time of the taking of
Monterey by Commodore Jones, in 1842, but was, on restoration of the authority
to Mexico, replaced by the Mexican flag.

  In 1842, Larkin and Belden established a store at Santa Cruz. During the
somewhat troubled rule of Governor Micheltorena, 1842-,45, that irrepressible
citizen of Santa Cruz, Isaac Graham, offered to the governor the service of
himself and forty other foreigners, neighbors of his, hoping thereby,
presumably, to be able to get even with his old enemies, ex-Governors Alvarado
and Castro, in the disturbances then thought to be imminent growing out of the
general dissatisfaction with the actions of that unpopular governor and his
"cholos " or "batallon fijo," which consisted of a disreputable class of
Mexicans, sent by the Mexican Government to California.

  But seven of these foreigners protested to the governor that they had given
Graham no authority to act for them, and that their only desire was to live in
quiet, without being drawn into trouble, by the man whom they pretty accurately
characterized as "that seditious evil-doer, and promiscuous disturber of the
peace." Micheltorena replied that California was at peace, and that his force
was amply sufficient; but that if the services of foreigners should be needed
they would be notified in due form, through the proper authorities.

  Santa Cruz Mission went to ruin in 1841, under the administration of Bolcof,
and became a part of Branciforte, the population of which, as we learn from a
list taken in 1845, was about 470, of which 350 were gente de mzon, about eighty
foreigners, and forty ex-neophytes of the mission, the pueblo and mission being
known in general as Santa Cruz, as the name of the Pueblo de Figueroa gradually
fell into disuse.

  Justice of the Peace Bolcof complained in 1849 that foreigners engaged in the
lumber business refused to pay taxes.


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.


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