California Historical Landmarks in San Mateo County

California Historical Landmark 26
Portolá Camp: October 24-26
Pacific Coast Highway at San Gregorio State Beach

California Historical Landmark #26 21 November 2012
The plaque was missing

California Historical Landmark #26 21 November 2012

California Historical Landmark #26 in 2012 Commemorative Marker on 20 October 2004

California Historical Landmark #26 Commemorative Marker on 20 October 2004

California Historical Landmark #26 Commemorative Marker on 12 January 2009

The plaque, after surviving half century of Pacific storms, went missing sometime
between 2004 and 2009, probably melted down to feed a drug habit.
Here's a list of other California Historical Landmarks which had no bear flag plaque
when we visited them.

(Click Photos to Enlarge)


Portolá Camp

Captain Gáspar de Portolá and his party of Spanish explorers, journeying overland from San Diego in a fruitless search for Monterey Bay, camped here by San Gregorio Creek for a three day rest and treatment of their sick, October 24-26, 1769. Having missed Monterey, they later discovered San Francisco Bay instead.

Registered Landmark No. 26
Plaque placed by California Centennials Commission in cooperation with the County Board of Supervisors and the San Mateo County Historical Association.
October 16, 1949

The next jornada was a long one of four leagues, and [the Portolá Expedition] camp was on San Gregorio Creek. It began to rain and the command was prostrated by an epidemic of diarrhoea which spared no one. They now thought they saw their end, but the contrary appeared to be the case. The diarrhoea seemed to relieve the scurvy, and the swollen limbs of the sufferers began to be less painful. They named the camp Vane de los Soldados de los Cursos, and Crespi applied the name of Santo Domingo to it.

Unable to travel on the 25th and 26th, but resuming the march October 27th, they pressed forward.

From The March of Portolá and the Discovery of the Bay of San Francisco by Zoeth S. Eldredge

Portolá Expedition of 1769

Under orders from King Carlos III of Spain, Gaspar de Portolá i Rovira and Franciscan Father John Crespi marched north from San Diego on 14 July 1769 with sixty-three soldiers and one hundred mules.

Their destination was Monterey Bay, but they missed the fog-shrouded bay and instead became the first documented Europeans to see the San Francisco Bay.

Just seven years later, Spain founded Misión San Francisco de Asís on 29 June 1776.

The California Coastal Trail traces much of the route, and twelve California Landmarks in San Mateo County commemorate the expedition:

October 23: Mouth of Gazos Creek
October 24: Mouth of San Gregorio Creek
October 26: Tunitas Indian Village

October 27: Mouth of Purisima Creek
October 28: Mouth of Pilarcitos Creek
October 30: Martini Creek

October 31: San Pedro Creek
November 4: Sweeney Ridge
November 4: San Andreas Lake

November 5: Cañada de Andreas
November 6: San Francisquito Creek
November 11: Cañada de Reymundo

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