Statewide County CA Archives History - Books .....History Of Northern California 1891 ************************************************ 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@yahoo.com November 28, 2005, 6:12 am Book Title: Memorial And Biographical History Of Northern California HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. THE name "California" is untranslatable, being coined by a Spanish writer of fiction in the fifteenth century. Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, a Portuguese navigator in the Spanish service, was the first white man to set, foot on California soil, at San Diego, September 28, 1542. He died the next year, on an island off the coast of Santa Barbara. Other visitors followed, but of them little is known until Sir Francis Drake puts in appearance at Drake's or Bodega bay, in July, 1579. Juan Vizcaino discovered Monterey Bay in 1603. The next events of importance did not occur until a century and a half afterward, namely, the founding of Catholic missions in 1769 and afterward at San Diego, Monterey, etc., by Fathers Crespi, Gomez and Junipero Serra, under the explorer Portola. The latter visited points around San Francisco Bay. In 1792 Captain George Vancouver touched upon this coast. In 1805 the Russians from Sitka, under the leadership of Razanof, established themselves at Ross and Bodega, in the fur trade, and prospered there until they sold out to Captain Sutter in 1841, having by that time a considerable amount of live stock. Additional Comments: Extracted from Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California. Illustrated, Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast from the Earliest Period of its Occupancy to the Present Time, together with Glimpses of its Prospective Future; Full-Page Steel Portraits of its most Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of many of its Pioneers and also of Prominent Citizens of To-day. "A people that takes no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote descendents." – Macauley. CHICAGO THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY 1891. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/statewide/history/1891/memorial/historyo6nms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cafiles/ File size: 2.5 Kb