Page:History of California (Bancroft) volume 6.djvu/24



6        CALIFORNIA  JUST  PRIOR  TO  THE  GOLD  DISCOVKKY,

among its  numerous  farmei^s  several  of  them,  notably the Scotch  sailor,  John  Gilroy/  who  in  1814  became the first  foreigner  permanently  to  settle  in  California, and Thomas  W.  Doak,  who  arrived  two  years  later, the first  American  settler. North of  San  Jos^  and the adjoining  Santa  Clara  mission,*  where  Padre  Keal holds out  manfully  against  claimants,  are  several  set- tlors clustering round  the  present  AI  viso.'  Westward liafael Soto  has  established  a  landing  at  San  Fran- cisquito Creek,  and  Whisman  has  located  himself  a dozen  miles  below.*

Along the  eastern  slope  of  the  peninsula  leads  a well-worn  road  past  scattered  ranchos,  among  which are those  of  John  Cooper  on  San  Mateo  Creek,  and John Coppinger  on  Canada  de  Raimundo;  and  near by are  Dennis  Martin  and  Charles  Brown,  the  latter having just  erected  a  saw-mill.^

San Francisco,  at  the  end  of  the  peninsula,  however ill-favored the  site  in  some  respects,  seems  topographi- cally marked for  greatness,  rising  on  a  series  of  hills, with a  great  harbor  on  one  side,  a  great  ocean  on  the other, and  mighty  waters  ever  passing  by  to  the  outlet of the  wide-spread  river  system  of  the  country. It is already  in  many  respects  the  most  thriving  town  in California,  the  prospective  metropolis  of  the  coast,  with 200 buildings  and  800  inhabitants,  governed  by  Alcalde

^ The  town  beariDg  his  name,  in  the  soathem  pM^  of  the  valley,  is  ntoated on hlB  former  rancha  Other  early  settlers  were  Mat. Fellom, Harry  Bee, John Bnrton,  J.  A.  Forbes,  J.  W.  Weeks,  and  Wm  GuIajm;,  who  in  1842 joined Weber  in  erecting  a  flour-mill.

'' Krannan  &  Co. had a  tannery  at  this  place.

' Including  the  families  of  Alviso,  Ikrreyesa,  Valencia,  John  Martiii,  and Leo Norris,  the  latter  an  American,  on  Cherro  rancho.

by I.  Whisman. J. Coppinger  lived  for  a  tin>e  on  Soto's  rancho,  marned  to his  daughter. S. Robles  had  bought  Santa  Rita  rancho  from  J.  Pe&a.
 * Near the  present  Mountain  View.  J.  W.  Whisman  was  in  1848  j<Hiied

^ CaHed  Mountain  Home. The last  two  had  settled  near  the  present Woodsijie. G. F.  Wyman  and  James  Peace  were  also  in  tlie  same  vicinity^ the latter  as  lumberer. The leading  grautb  were  Las  Pulgas  of  I^is  Argiiello^ 35,000 acres;  SanOregorioof  A.  Buelna,  18,000 acres;  BuriBuriof  L  Sanchez, 14,600 acres;  Caflada  de  Raimundo  of  J.  Coppinger,  12,500  acres;  Cafiadadel Corte do  Madera  of  M.  Martinez,  13,000  acres. Other grants,  ranging  from 9,000 to  4,000  acres,  were  San  Pednj,  Corral  de  Tierra,  F^lix,  Miramontes, ^Cafiada Verde,  San  Antonio,  Batauo,  and  Punta  del  A^io  Nuevo,  following southward.