Monterey, the original capital of California, has a rich historical legacy. It is home to many California firsts, including the first architect-designed building, San Carlos Cathedral; the first government building, the Custom House; the first theater; the first brick house; and more. The Path of History, an easy two-mile walk, connects these and more than 50 other historic sites.
Monterey’s first residents were the native Rumsien people. Through their artifacts, still being discovered today, historians have learned that their society was in part dependent on the abundant fishing in Monterey Bay, an industry that is still important in Monterey.
Missions and International Trade
Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo first sighted the area in 1542, but it was not until 1770 that a European settlement was established. On June 3, 1770, Father Junipero Serra, the founder of the California missions, and Capt. Gaspar de Portola, who would later become governor of California, established the Royal Presidio de San Carlos de Monterey and the Mission San Carlos Borromeo.
Monterey continues to have an active presidio today; its lower section hosts the Presidio of Monterey Museum, dedicated to Monterey's military history. In 1771, Serra moved the mission a few miles south to Carmel. The Carmel Mission, the best-preserved of all the California missions, is open daily for tours. Monterey County also has two other historic missions, in Soledad and Jolon.
On April 18, 1774, Spain named Monterey the capital of upper and lower California. More colonists soon settled the area. When Mexico broke off from Spain, Monterey became the customs port for international trade. The Custom House was erected, and is now California Historic Landmark number one.
Foreign settlers moved to Monterey to trade, making it a truly international town, a trend that continues today. In 1846, during the Mexican-American War, U.S. Commodore John Drake Sloat raised the United States flag over Monterey’s harbor, claiming California in the name of the United States. In 1849, Monterey hosted the California Constitutional Convention at the newly completed Colton Hall. Colton Hall is an active government building today and also houses a museum.
Premiere Fishing Port
Though Monterey’s era as California’s governmental hub was at an end, its reign as California’s premiere fishing port was just beginning. Chinese settlers fished for abalone, and Portuguese whalers also colonized the area.
Leftover whalebones were used as pavement, and the last whalebone sidewalk in the country lies in front of the Old Whaling Station. Sicilian and Japanese fishermen would soon settle in the area as well. The Monterey Maritime and History Museum, located on Custom House Plaza, holds many artifacts from this era.
In the early 20th century, businessmen founded the first fish canning plant on what would later be Cannery Row. By World War I, fishing and canning were Monterey’s top industries, and life amongst the working class residents became fodder for John Steinbeck's novels “Tortilla Flat,” “Cannery Row” and “Sweet Thursday.”
Steinbeck’s work also focused on the burgeoning agriculture industry in the Salinas Valley, which soon became “California’s Salad Bowl,” a designation it still holds today. Hillsides that were once cattle ranches became vineyards, and Monterey County became one of the largest premium wine grape-growing regions in California.
Tourism Destination
Meanwhile, the Hotel Del Monte in Monterey, one of the world’s first true golf resorts, turned tourism into Monterey’s other leading industry. Today’s Pebble Beach Company is descended from the Hotel Del Monte. The Del Monte Golf Course is the oldest golf course in continuous operation west of the Mississippi. Visitors can play the course and through it learn about California's golf history.
During this era, two other historic areas were settled on the Monterey Peninsula. Pacific Grove began as a summer Methodist camp in 1875 and is known for its well-preserved Victorian architecture, as well as for Point Pinos Lighthouse, the oldest continually operating lighthouse on the West Coast.
Carmel-by-the-Sea was founded and rapidly became an artist's haven because of its breathtaking natural beauty. Its notable storybook architecture includes Tor House and Hawk Tower, hand built by poet Robinson Jeffers.
From 1919 to 1937, one of the most historic highways in the nation, Highway One, was constructed through the previously remote Big Sur. Once accessible only by ship, Big Sur became a prime destination for nature lovers.
In the 1950s, Monterey’s sardine industry collapsed, and the canneries quickly closed. In the 1980s, Cannery Row came to life again, this time as a tourism destination anchored by the world-renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium. Today, Monterey’s well-preserved downtown, beautiful setting and walkable streets make it a top tourism destination.
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Monterey, the original capital of California, has a rich historical legacy. It is home to many California firsts, including the first architect-designed building, San Carlos Cathedral; the first government building, the Custom House; the first theater; the first brick house; and more. The Path of History, an easy two-mile walk, connects these and more than 50 other historic sites.
Monterey’s first residents were the native Rumsien people. Through their artifacts, still being discovered today, historians have learned that their society was in part dependent on the abundant fishing in Monterey Bay, an industry that is still important in Monterey.
Missions and International Trade
Portuguese explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo first sighted the area in 1542, but it was not until 1770 that a European settlement was established. On June 3, 1770, Father…
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