Pathfinders

By Robert Glass Cleland

This book is one of a series of books the author has written about the history of California.  This volume covers the explorations by adventurers from different countries, from the earliest Spanish sea-faring explorers to the American soldier, John C. Fremont, the “Pathfinder”, prior to California’s entry into the Union.

Initial European exploration of California was by sea as nations jockeyed to assert their hegemonies over the so-called New World.  Spain was first, having been given authority by Pope Alexander VI over most of the Western Hemisphere.  Spain’s reach spanned the Pacific Ocean all the way to the Philippines and Spanish authorities sought ports along the Pacific Coast of America that would provide friendly assistance to its Manila galleons.  England, emboldened by the defeat of the Spanish Armada and increased naval strength, sought a Northwest Passage to the Orient that would also serve its interests in Canada.  Meanwhile, Russians, in pursuit of sea otters, made settlement just north of San Francisco, extending their way south from their settlements in Alaska.

In an effort to forestall this foreign encroachment, Spain decided to venture across the desert to reach and settle California by land.  This included explorations by Gaspar de Portola and Juan Bautista de Anza in the late 1760’s and 1770’s.  Portola’s expedition entered what is now the San Gabriel Valley by crossing the San Jose Creek over a wooden bridge, or “puente”, that gave its name to the site and Rancho La Puente.  The two expeditions led by de Anza brought more settlers to California.

The book concludes with a narrative written by Benjamin Wilson, who traveled overland from New Mexico with the Rowland-Workman expedition.  Wilson would become a great pioneer of Southern California with the important peak of Mt. Wilson named after him.  Since the book was written in 1929, the author did not know that Wilson’s grandson, George Patton, would serve with distinction in World War II.

This book is excellent source material for the Homestead Museum docent to understand California in the period before the arrival of William Workman.