Page:History of California, Volume 3 (Bancroft).djvu/728

710 to occupy a beach lot on Montgomery street near Commercial, where he erected a large and substantial frame structure. In 1838 the trail to the mission was widened into a very rough wagon road; and Rosalía Leese began life as the first child born at Yerba Buena, on April 15th.

Leese dissolved his partnership with Spear and Hinckley this year, and Spear, after vain efforts to secure the store on the beach, obtained permission to occupy another lot a little farther north, at the corner of Clay and Montgomery, with a ship’s house landed from the Kent. Leese tried to prevent the success of this scheme, and even went so far as to offer to give his building, if its location was to be made the 'pretext for illegal concessions by the alcalde,' to the government for a custom-house; but this offer was not accepted, or fulfilled, since the building was sold later to the Hudson's Bay Company. Spear, however, built another store adjoining 'Kent Hall' probably before the end of 1840. As we have seen, seventeen building lots were granted before the end of the decade, and doubtless several small buildings were erected besides the six that I have mentioned; but I make no attempt here to identify them. In 1839