A comprehensive look at the Monterey Peninsula's history
Pre-1769
The native people of the Monterey region, the Rumsien/Ohlone, inhabits the valleys and shoreline of Monterey for thousands of years, maintaining a complex society dependent on fishing and hunting.
Some information regarding the Native American Community of the Monterey Peninsula:
The indians that once lived in Monterey County were well established by the time the Spanish explorers documented them in the late 1760s. The major Monterey County indian groups were the Ohlone (formerly Costanoan), Esselen, and Salinan. The indians occupied all of California in well defined provinces or territories. The provinces were defined by natural topographies such as rivers and mountains.
These provinces provided a sense of security so there was little need for warfare and most tribes lived a peaceful and harmonious existence. There are no clear records of the number of indians living in the county at the time.
Some information regarding the Native American Community of the Monterey Peninsula:
The indians that once lived in Monterey County were well established by the time the Spanish explorers documented them in the late 1760s. The major Monterey County indian groups were the Ohlone (formerly Costanoan), Esselen, and Salinan. The indians occupied all of California in well defined provinces or territories. The provinces were defined by natural topographies such as rivers and mountains.
These provinces provided a sense of security so there was little need for warfare and most tribes lived a peaceful and harmonious existence. There are no clear records of the number of indians living in the county at the time.
Native Life
Traded items among the indians were for things such as obsidian used for arrowheads and sea shells. Shells provided an artistic avenue and a useful currency. The main diet of the indians was a mush made of acorns. The acorns needed to be leached of the tannic acids and ground into meal before cooking the mush with hot stones in a water proof basket. Grinding rocks used in the preparation of acorn meal still exists today in spots around county (in the Monterey Presido, and in Carmel Valley on the Esselen tribe land). A favorite fish was salmon, folk lore mentions that the salmon was plentiful in those days. Salmon swam in most streams, some times twice a year. According to the first European account the indians wore very little clothing, not unusual considering the Monterey Countys mild climate and the generations of indians acclamating to the weather.
The darkest time in the indian civilization was the California Mission Era. When most of the indians were rounded up and
forced to serve in the Missions. Not allowed to speak their native tongue, not able to practice their customs and living in
separate male and female quarters the indians suffered. During the gold rush the indians suffered another dark time when miners having quit the search for gold settled down to farming on indian land by either killing the inhabitants or running them off their land.
Today the only large indian owned land is the 1200 acres of Esselen land privately owned since the Mission era.
The above information is courtesy of Monterey County. Please see below website for further information.
http://www.mtycounty.com/pgs-history/indians.html
Here is some further information on the Ohlone Indians of Monterey County, courtesy of Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohlone_people
Here is some further information on the Esselen Indians of Monterey County, courtesy of Gary S. Breschini, Ph.D. and Trudy Haversat, M.A. via the Monterey County Historical Society: http://www.mchsmuseum.com/esselen.html
Here is some further information on the Salinan Indians of Monterey County, courtesy of Suzanne Pierce Taylor, via the Mission San Miguel website: http://www.missionsanmiguel.com/history/salinans.html
Please see the below YouTube video which features Dr. Gary Breschini (PhD, Anthropology) speaking about the culture of the first people living on the Monterey Peninsula. He relies on archaeological evidence to tell the story of how the first people lived, what they ate, and how they communicated with one another. Here is the link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWDWf6PHYyc&feature=bf_prev&list=SP9614CCD8B63B9DE5
Also, please see this link for an article written by Monterey County Weekly in 2001. In this piece, the author features Dr. Breschini and his intimate knowledge of not only local Native American culture, but also the rock art they left behind.
http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/news/2001/oct/18/secret-language-man/
Inside a cave in a narrow canyon near Tassajara
The vault of rock is painted with hands,
A multitude of hands in the twilight, a cloud of men''s palms,
no more,
No other picture. There''s no one to say
Whether the brown shy quiet people who are dead intended
Religion or magic, or made their tracings
In idleness of art; but over the division of years
these careful
Signs-manual are now like a sealed message
Saying: "Look: we also were human; we had hands, not paws.
All hail
You people with the cleverer hands, our supplanters
In the beautiful country; enjoy her a season, her beauty,
and come down
And be supplanted; for you are also human."
--Robinson Jeffers, Hands
The darkest time in the indian civilization was the California Mission Era. When most of the indians were rounded up and
forced to serve in the Missions. Not allowed to speak their native tongue, not able to practice their customs and living in
separate male and female quarters the indians suffered. During the gold rush the indians suffered another dark time when miners having quit the search for gold settled down to farming on indian land by either killing the inhabitants or running them off their land.
Today the only large indian owned land is the 1200 acres of Esselen land privately owned since the Mission era.
The above information is courtesy of Monterey County. Please see below website for further information.
http://www.mtycounty.com/pgs-history/indians.html
Here is some further information on the Ohlone Indians of Monterey County, courtesy of Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohlone_people
Here is some further information on the Esselen Indians of Monterey County, courtesy of Gary S. Breschini, Ph.D. and Trudy Haversat, M.A. via the Monterey County Historical Society: http://www.mchsmuseum.com/esselen.html
Here is some further information on the Salinan Indians of Monterey County, courtesy of Suzanne Pierce Taylor, via the Mission San Miguel website: http://www.missionsanmiguel.com/history/salinans.html
Please see the below YouTube video which features Dr. Gary Breschini (PhD, Anthropology) speaking about the culture of the first people living on the Monterey Peninsula. He relies on archaeological evidence to tell the story of how the first people lived, what they ate, and how they communicated with one another. Here is the link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWDWf6PHYyc&feature=bf_prev&list=SP9614CCD8B63B9DE5
Also, please see this link for an article written by Monterey County Weekly in 2001. In this piece, the author features Dr. Breschini and his intimate knowledge of not only local Native American culture, but also the rock art they left behind.
http://www.montereycountyweekly.com/news/2001/oct/18/secret-language-man/
Inside a cave in a narrow canyon near Tassajara
The vault of rock is painted with hands,
A multitude of hands in the twilight, a cloud of men''s palms,
no more,
No other picture. There''s no one to say
Whether the brown shy quiet people who are dead intended
Religion or magic, or made their tracings
In idleness of art; but over the division of years
these careful
Signs-manual are now like a sealed message
Saying: "Look: we also were human; we had hands, not paws.
All hail
You people with the cleverer hands, our supplanters
In the beautiful country; enjoy her a season, her beauty,
and come down
And be supplanted; for you are also human."
--Robinson Jeffers, Hands
1542-1602
Explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo sights the "Bahia de los Pinos," later named Point of Pines (Point Pinos). In 1602,
Sebastian Vizcaíno lands at Monterey Bay in search of a harbor for Spanish galleons and claims California for Spain. Image courtesy of Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Rodr%C3%ADguez_Cabrillo
Sebastian Vizcaíno lands at Monterey Bay in search of a harbor for Spanish galleons and claims California for Spain. Image courtesy of Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Rodr%C3%ADguez_Cabrillo
1770's
On June 3, Father Junipero Serra and Captain Gaspar de Portolá claim Monterey
for Spain. Portolá establishes the Royal Presidio de San Carlos de Monterey and
Serra founds the Mission San Carlos Borromeo.
On April 18, 1774, Monterey is named the capital of "Las Californias," upper and lower California. On March 10, 1776, Anza's Expedition arrives in Monterey with 240 soldiers and colonists. On February 3, 1777, Monterey becomes the official capital of Alta California.
for Spain. Portolá establishes the Royal Presidio de San Carlos de Monterey and
Serra founds the Mission San Carlos Borromeo.
On April 18, 1774, Monterey is named the capital of "Las Californias," upper and lower California. On March 10, 1776, Anza's Expedition arrives in Monterey with 240 soldiers and colonists. On February 3, 1777, Monterey becomes the official capital of Alta California.
1790's
A gun emplacement (El Castillo) is built overlooking the harbor on what is today the Lower Presidio Historic Park. The Royal Presidio continues as the administrative center of the provincial capital of Alta California. The Royal Presidio Chapel, Monterey's oldest extant building, is built from 1791 to 1795.
1800's
1816-1818
The first Monterey adobe and stone houses are built outside the
Royal Presidio walls. In 1818 privateer and Argentinean revolutionary Hipólito
Bouchard attacks, burns, and briefly seizes Monterey.
For more information about the Bouchard attacks, please visit the
below link which is provided by the Monterey Historical Society.
http://www.mchsmuseum.com/bouchard.html
Royal Presidio walls. In 1818 privateer and Argentinean revolutionary Hipólito
Bouchard attacks, burns, and briefly seizes Monterey.
For more information about the Bouchard attacks, please visit the
below link which is provided by the Monterey Historical Society.
http://www.mchsmuseum.com/bouchard.html
1820s
Mexico gains independence from Spain and, in 1822, Monterey swears allegiance to Mexico. Monterey becomes the port of Customs for foreign merchants trading luxury goods and tools for hides and tallow. Foreign settlers, including John B. R. Cooper, make Monterey their home.
This picture is of the custom house which "is a traditionally styled Mexican adobe structure. It was used by the Mexican government (1821-1846) for the collection of taxes imposed on foreign merchants" (Historic Monterey).
1835
In "Two Years Before the Mast," Richard Henry Dana described Monterey: "The shores are extremely well wooded, (the pine abounding upon them,). The town lay directly before us.... The red tiles, too, on the roofs, contrasted well with the white plastered sides and with the extreme greenness of the lawn upon which the houses—about an hundred in number—were dotted about, here and there, irregularly. There are in this place, and in every other town which I saw in California, no streets, or fences, (except here and there a small patch was fenced in for a garden,) so that the houses are placed at random upon the
green, which, as they are of one story and of the cottage form, gives them a pretty effect when seen from a little distance. The Mexican flag was flying from the little square Presidio ...."
Merchant Thomas O. Larkin builds the first house in the "Monterey Style," combining New England and Spanish elements Foreigners "estrangeros," from England, Scotland and the United States increase their activity in Monterey.
1842
Commodore Thomas ap Catsby Jones mistakenly seizes Monterey in the name of the United States, then apologizes.
1846
Four years later, on July 7, 1846, Commodore John Drake Sloat raises the American flag over Monterey's Custom House an claims California for the United States. Later that year, Robert Semple and Walter Colton, using Vicente Zamorano's press publish the first newspaper in Caifornia, entitled the "Californian."
Below is a link to a copy of the proclamation Commodore Sloat issues to the state of California. The copy is provided courtesy of the Descendants of Mexican War Veterans.
http://www.dmwv.org/mexwar/documents/sloat.htm
1848
The "Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo" is signed, ceding California and other Mexican territories to the United States. James Marshall arrives in Monterey with samples of gold discovered near Sacramento.
1849
The first American public building, Colton Hall, is completed in Monterey. On September 1, the California Constitutional Convention begins in Colton Hall. On October 13, the delegates ratify the new Constitution. San Jose is chosen as the new state capital, ending Monterey's 75 years as the California's capital.
In the video below, local historian and operator of Monterey Walking Tours Thom Diggins, talks extensively about the founding fathers of Monterey. He describes in detail their lives, why they came to the region, and the struggles they faced in creating a new life here. He discusses the military history of the area, and how the region has experienced tremendous change through the generations. The link for this video is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-yv5w_O3zY&feature=bf_next&list=SP9614CCD8B63B9DE5
Mexico gains independence from Spain and, in 1822, Monterey swears allegiance to Mexico. Monterey becomes the port of Customs for foreign merchants trading luxury goods and tools for hides and tallow. Foreign settlers, including John B. R. Cooper, make Monterey their home.
This picture is of the custom house which "is a traditionally styled Mexican adobe structure. It was used by the Mexican government (1821-1846) for the collection of taxes imposed on foreign merchants" (Historic Monterey).
1835
In "Two Years Before the Mast," Richard Henry Dana described Monterey: "The shores are extremely well wooded, (the pine abounding upon them,). The town lay directly before us.... The red tiles, too, on the roofs, contrasted well with the white plastered sides and with the extreme greenness of the lawn upon which the houses—about an hundred in number—were dotted about, here and there, irregularly. There are in this place, and in every other town which I saw in California, no streets, or fences, (except here and there a small patch was fenced in for a garden,) so that the houses are placed at random upon the
green, which, as they are of one story and of the cottage form, gives them a pretty effect when seen from a little distance. The Mexican flag was flying from the little square Presidio ...."
Merchant Thomas O. Larkin builds the first house in the "Monterey Style," combining New England and Spanish elements Foreigners "estrangeros," from England, Scotland and the United States increase their activity in Monterey.
1842
Commodore Thomas ap Catsby Jones mistakenly seizes Monterey in the name of the United States, then apologizes.
1846
Four years later, on July 7, 1846, Commodore John Drake Sloat raises the American flag over Monterey's Custom House an claims California for the United States. Later that year, Robert Semple and Walter Colton, using Vicente Zamorano's press publish the first newspaper in Caifornia, entitled the "Californian."
Below is a link to a copy of the proclamation Commodore Sloat issues to the state of California. The copy is provided courtesy of the Descendants of Mexican War Veterans.
http://www.dmwv.org/mexwar/documents/sloat.htm
1848
The "Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo" is signed, ceding California and other Mexican territories to the United States. James Marshall arrives in Monterey with samples of gold discovered near Sacramento.
1849
The first American public building, Colton Hall, is completed in Monterey. On September 1, the California Constitutional Convention begins in Colton Hall. On October 13, the delegates ratify the new Constitution. San Jose is chosen as the new state capital, ending Monterey's 75 years as the California's capital.
In the video below, local historian and operator of Monterey Walking Tours Thom Diggins, talks extensively about the founding fathers of Monterey. He describes in detail their lives, why they came to the region, and the struggles they faced in creating a new life here. He discusses the military history of the area, and how the region has experienced tremendous change through the generations. The link for this video is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-yv5w_O3zY&feature=bf_next&list=SP9614CCD8B63B9DE5
1850s
On September 9, 1850, California enters the Union as the 31st state.
In the early 1850s Chinese fishermen begin arriving in the Monterey area. Portuguese shore whalers establish whaling stations on Monterey Bay.
Please click on the below link for a youtube video featuring Gerry Low-Sabado talking about her family's experiences in Monterey's fishing industry during the mid-1850's. In this video, she speaks extensively about the Chinese villages in the area, the fire which burned down the village at Point Alones (in 1906), and the resilience of the Chinese people in the area.
The website for this video is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MvQC7YEyzc&feature=bf_next&list=SP9614CCD8B63B9DE5
On September 9, 1850, California enters the Union as the 31st state.
In the early 1850s Chinese fishermen begin arriving in the Monterey area. Portuguese shore whalers establish whaling stations on Monterey Bay.
Please click on the below link for a youtube video featuring Gerry Low-Sabado talking about her family's experiences in Monterey's fishing industry during the mid-1850's. In this video, she speaks extensively about the Chinese villages in the area, the fire which burned down the village at Point Alones (in 1906), and the resilience of the Chinese people in the area.
The website for this video is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MvQC7YEyzc&feature=bf_next&list=SP9614CCD8B63B9DE5
The photo to the left is of the Old Whaling Station in Monterey. The original adobe was built in 1847 by David Wright as a home for his wife and daughter; the design was based on Wright's ancestral home in Ayton, Scotland. In 1855, it was sold to the Old
Monterey Whaling Company and turned into their headquarters and an employee residence. Old Monterey Whaling Company ran a 'shore whaling' operation, one of many in Monterey. Whales were killed at sea and towed to shore for processing. The fat or blubber was rendered by heating in large pots to extract natural oil that could be used for machinery and in lamps. Baleen (the large bony filters found in the mouths of
filter-feeding whales such as grays and humpbacks) was harvested for corsets and
umbrella stays; the bones were ground up for fertilizer or building foundations. Robert Lewis Stevenson, the Scots author, mentioned seeing the bleached bones of whales on the beaches of Monterey. The Old
Whaling Station's front walkway is made entirely of whale vertebrae. The bone was cut into diamond patterns, making this sidewalk virtually unique.
Photo and text courtesy of Historic Monterey.
The below youTube link features local historian Tim Thomas speaking about Monterey Bay's whaling history, and the impact it had on the local economy. The website for this video is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiPFt8WJQ-Y&feature=bf_next&list=SP9614CCD8B63B9DE5
Monterey Whaling Company and turned into their headquarters and an employee residence. Old Monterey Whaling Company ran a 'shore whaling' operation, one of many in Monterey. Whales were killed at sea and towed to shore for processing. The fat or blubber was rendered by heating in large pots to extract natural oil that could be used for machinery and in lamps. Baleen (the large bony filters found in the mouths of
filter-feeding whales such as grays and humpbacks) was harvested for corsets and
umbrella stays; the bones were ground up for fertilizer or building foundations. Robert Lewis Stevenson, the Scots author, mentioned seeing the bleached bones of whales on the beaches of Monterey. The Old
Whaling Station's front walkway is made entirely of whale vertebrae. The bone was cut into diamond patterns, making this sidewalk virtually unique.
Photo and text courtesy of Historic Monterey.
The below youTube link features local historian Tim Thomas speaking about Monterey Bay's whaling history, and the impact it had on the local economy. The website for this video is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiPFt8WJQ-Y&feature=bf_next&list=SP9614CCD8B63B9DE5
1870s
On October 23, 1874, the Monterey & Salinas Valley Railroad Co. begins operating one of the earliest Granger narrow gauge railroads in California. This railroad, started by Carlisle Abbott and David Jacks becomes “the little railroad [which] brought the hope but not the fulfillment of Monterey’s new destiny.”
The picture to the left depicts a train in Monterey County. The picture is courtesy of the Monterey & Salinas Valley Railroad Historical Society. Their website is: http://www.msvrr.org/index.html
In August, 1879, author Robert Louis Stevenson arrives and settles into the French Hotel while courting Fanny Osbourne. Later he writes "The Old Pacific Capital."
On October 23, 1874, the Monterey & Salinas Valley Railroad Co. begins operating one of the earliest Granger narrow gauge railroads in California. This railroad, started by Carlisle Abbott and David Jacks becomes “the little railroad [which] brought the hope but not the fulfillment of Monterey’s new destiny.”
The picture to the left depicts a train in Monterey County. The picture is courtesy of the Monterey & Salinas Valley Railroad Historical Society. Their website is: http://www.msvrr.org/index.html
In August, 1879, author Robert Louis Stevenson arrives and settles into the French Hotel while courting Fanny Osbourne. Later he writes "The Old Pacific Capital."
1880s-1890s
Southern Pacific Railroad arrives in Monterey and the luxurious Hotel Del Monte, “Queen of America watering places,” is opened under the auspices of railroad magnate Charles Crocker.
The picture to the left is of a Southern Pacific train at Lover's Point. Photograph courtesy of Abandoned Rails. Their website is:
http://www.abandonedrails.com/
The Chinese Exclusion Act or 1882 opens the door to Japanese immigration; Otosaburo Noda recognizes Monterey Bay’s potential for the fishing industry. Hotel Del Monte burns in 1887, and is rebuilt. Sicilian fishing families begin moving to Monterey.
The following is information regarding the Monterey line from the Abandoned Rails website:
The Monterey Branch was built in 1879 and opened to traffic on January 1, 1880; it linked San Francisco to the Hotel Del Monte and Pebble Beach. It branched from the Southern Pacific Coast Line main line from a wye at Castroville, just north of Salinas. It extended generally south and west, and served the (now closed) US Army's Fort Ord, the canneries and packing houses of Monterey and Seaside, and a lumber yard in Pacific Grove.
The line hosted SP's longest running "named" passenger train, the Del Monte, which ran from San Francisco to Pacific Grove. The train was mainly used by wealthy tourists. The Del Monte made its last run on April 30, 1971, at the dawn of Amtrak. Amtrak could not legally operate the train because its route was 125 miles long, not 150 as Amtrak required. SP however, maintained that it was a long distance train and thus the operations ceased.
As the line began to fall into disuse, starting in the 1980s and into the 1990s, operations along the track were cut back in sections over time. By the latter part of 1980s, the condition of the track had deteriorated considerably; today the track remains, but is buried underneath the bike trail.
The last train that ran on the line was in 1999 when TAMC (Transportation Agency of Monterey County) ran a Talgo trainset on the line for demonstration purposes. However, the demonstrations were canceled due to the poor condition of the track. While the tracks are still in place into the town of Monterey, the line has not been used since 1999, when Union Pacific removed the switch at the junction with the Coast Line at Castroville in November of that year.
TAMC purchased the line from Union Pacific in 2003 and commuter rail to be operated by Caltrain has been proposed numerous times. However, the residents of the upscale communities along the tracks as well as the cities themselves have
not been supportive.
The western end of the right of way is generally scenic, with a tree-lined walking path in one area, and a paved bike/walking path where the route ran along the southern boundary of Monterey Bay. Further north/east, the line runs through coastal dunes, parallel to California Highway 1. The route crossed over the Salinas River on a large truss bridge.
Below is a link to a youTube video which talks about the history and future of the train tracks in Monterey County. The video was produced at the Department for Teledramatic Arts and Technology (TAT) at California State University Monterey Bay (2009).
Southern Pacific Railroad arrives in Monterey and the luxurious Hotel Del Monte, “Queen of America watering places,” is opened under the auspices of railroad magnate Charles Crocker.
The picture to the left is of a Southern Pacific train at Lover's Point. Photograph courtesy of Abandoned Rails. Their website is:
http://www.abandonedrails.com/
The Chinese Exclusion Act or 1882 opens the door to Japanese immigration; Otosaburo Noda recognizes Monterey Bay’s potential for the fishing industry. Hotel Del Monte burns in 1887, and is rebuilt. Sicilian fishing families begin moving to Monterey.
The following is information regarding the Monterey line from the Abandoned Rails website:
The Monterey Branch was built in 1879 and opened to traffic on January 1, 1880; it linked San Francisco to the Hotel Del Monte and Pebble Beach. It branched from the Southern Pacific Coast Line main line from a wye at Castroville, just north of Salinas. It extended generally south and west, and served the (now closed) US Army's Fort Ord, the canneries and packing houses of Monterey and Seaside, and a lumber yard in Pacific Grove.
The line hosted SP's longest running "named" passenger train, the Del Monte, which ran from San Francisco to Pacific Grove. The train was mainly used by wealthy tourists. The Del Monte made its last run on April 30, 1971, at the dawn of Amtrak. Amtrak could not legally operate the train because its route was 125 miles long, not 150 as Amtrak required. SP however, maintained that it was a long distance train and thus the operations ceased.
As the line began to fall into disuse, starting in the 1980s and into the 1990s, operations along the track were cut back in sections over time. By the latter part of 1980s, the condition of the track had deteriorated considerably; today the track remains, but is buried underneath the bike trail.
The last train that ran on the line was in 1999 when TAMC (Transportation Agency of Monterey County) ran a Talgo trainset on the line for demonstration purposes. However, the demonstrations were canceled due to the poor condition of the track. While the tracks are still in place into the town of Monterey, the line has not been used since 1999, when Union Pacific removed the switch at the junction with the Coast Line at Castroville in November of that year.
TAMC purchased the line from Union Pacific in 2003 and commuter rail to be operated by Caltrain has been proposed numerous times. However, the residents of the upscale communities along the tracks as well as the cities themselves have
not been supportive.
The western end of the right of way is generally scenic, with a tree-lined walking path in one area, and a paved bike/walking path where the route ran along the southern boundary of Monterey Bay. Further north/east, the line runs through coastal dunes, parallel to California Highway 1. The route crossed over the Salinas River on a large truss bridge.
Below is a link to a youTube video which talks about the history and future of the train tracks in Monterey County. The video was produced at the Department for Teledramatic Arts and Technology (TAT) at California State University Monterey Bay (2009).
1900's
1900's
In 1900, H.R. Robbins opens Monterey’s first fish canning and reduction plant (and dance hall!), followed by Frank Booth's cannery; both were located near Monterey’s wharf.
The above photograph depicts Cannery Row (photo date unknown), and is courtesy of the Cannery Row Company. This is their website: http://www.canneryrow.com/index.php
In 1902, Otosaburo Noda and Harry Malpas establish the Monterey Fishing and Canning Company on Ocean View Avenue, which would later become known as “Cannery Row. ”Frank Booth buys out Robbins in 1903, and begins experimenting with sardine canning; he becomes known as the “father of the sardine canning industry” in Monterey.
Below is a link for a youTube video featuring local historian Mike Hemp talking about the history of Cannery Row. He explains a typical day working in the canneries, as well as how the canneries impacted the local economy. He also explains how many people from different ethnic groups worked in the canneries, and the talks about the successful working relationship these people had with one another. The link for the video is below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY821Sxt0n0&feature=bf_next&list=SP9614CCD8B63B9DE5
In 1900, H.R. Robbins opens Monterey’s first fish canning and reduction plant (and dance hall!), followed by Frank Booth's cannery; both were located near Monterey’s wharf.
The above photograph depicts Cannery Row (photo date unknown), and is courtesy of the Cannery Row Company. This is their website: http://www.canneryrow.com/index.php
In 1902, Otosaburo Noda and Harry Malpas establish the Monterey Fishing and Canning Company on Ocean View Avenue, which would later become known as “Cannery Row. ”Frank Booth buys out Robbins in 1903, and begins experimenting with sardine canning; he becomes known as the “father of the sardine canning industry” in Monterey.
Below is a link for a youTube video featuring local historian Mike Hemp talking about the history of Cannery Row. He explains a typical day working in the canneries, as well as how the canneries impacted the local economy. He also explains how many people from different ethnic groups worked in the canneries, and the talks about the successful working relationship these people had with one another. The link for the video is below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY821Sxt0n0&feature=bf_next&list=SP9614CCD8B63B9DE5
In 1902, the U.S. Army returns to Monterey after a forty-year absence and establishes the "Monterey Military Reservation."
In 1904, the Monterey Military Reservation changes its name to the Presidio of Monterey, in honor of the Spanish Royal Presidio of Monterey.
Please see the below youTube video which features Cameron Binkley of the Defense Language Institute speaking about the Presidio of Monterey. The link for the video is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woiJ3sVFnx0&feature=bf_next&list=SP9614CCD8B63B9DE5
In 1904, the Monterey Military Reservation changes its name to the Presidio of Monterey, in honor of the Spanish Royal Presidio of Monterey.
Please see the below youTube video which features Cameron Binkley of the Defense Language Institute speaking about the Presidio of Monterey. The link for the video is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woiJ3sVFnx0&feature=bf_next&list=SP9614CCD8B63B9DE5
1914-1919
The demand for canned fish during the First World War leads Monterey's fishing and canning operations to become the area’s primary industry, replacing tourism.
Norwegian fishery engineer Knut Hovden’s opens his “state-of-the-art” cannery on Cannery Row. In 1919, developer Sam Morse purchases the Hotel Del Monte and creates the Del Monte Company; its holdings include what is now Pebble Beach.
Please see the below youTube video which features John Sanders talking extensively about both the history of the Hotel Del Monte, and its transformations throughout the years. The link for this video is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhKLho_0Y6Q&feature=bf_next&list=SP9614CCD8B63B9DE5
The demand for canned fish during the First World War leads Monterey's fishing and canning operations to become the area’s primary industry, replacing tourism.
Norwegian fishery engineer Knut Hovden’s opens his “state-of-the-art” cannery on Cannery Row. In 1919, developer Sam Morse purchases the Hotel Del Monte and creates the Del Monte Company; its holdings include what is now Pebble Beach.
Please see the below youTube video which features John Sanders talking extensively about both the history of the Hotel Del Monte, and its transformations throughout the years. The link for this video is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhKLho_0Y6Q&feature=bf_next&list=SP9614CCD8B63B9DE5
1920's
On September 14, 1924, the Associated Oil Company fire destroys several canneries and threatens to engulf Monterey. In an unrelated incident, on September 27, the Hotel Del Monte catches fire; the Hotel is rebuilt in the Spanish Colonial Revival style.
For more information about te Associated Oil Company fire, please see the following website provided by Emily Cohan:
http://www.telemetrix.com/pipeline/index.htm
Also, see the below link which features more information about the Coalinga-Monterey pipeline (operated by the Associated Oil Company) which carried oil from the Coalinga oil fields in Fresno to the port of Monterey until the great fire of 1924. The website (operated by the Bureau of Land Management) offers multiple photographs of the oil pipeline in its current state, along with maps depicting where the pipeline was located.
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/hollister/cultural/pipeline.html
For more information about te Associated Oil Company fire, please see the following website provided by Emily Cohan:
http://www.telemetrix.com/pipeline/index.htm
Also, see the below link which features more information about the Coalinga-Monterey pipeline (operated by the Associated Oil Company) which carried oil from the Coalinga oil fields in Fresno to the port of Monterey until the great fire of 1924. The website (operated by the Bureau of Land Management) offers multiple photographs of the oil pipeline in its current state, along with maps depicting where the pipeline was located.
http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/hollister/cultural/pipeline.html
1930's
In 1931, over dinner at Cadamatorie’s Restaurant—housed in historic Casa Serrano adobe—a group of friends founds Monterey History & Art Association to preserve the irreplaceable reminders of Monterey’s history. In 1935, John Steinbeck publishes Tortilla Flat, a novel about Monterey's paisanos.
The State of California acquires the Custom House in 1938, and designates it California State Historical Monument #1.
In 1939, Steinbeck's friend from Cannery Row, marine biologist Edward Ricketts, and Jack Calvin publish Between Pacific
Tides. In April of that year, Viking publishes Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath, for which he receives the Pulitzer Prize in 1940.
This photograph is courtesy of wikipedia. For more information about the Grapes of Wrath and John Steinbeck, please see the below link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grapes_of_Wrath
The State of California acquires the Custom House in 1938, and designates it California State Historical Monument #1.
In 1939, Steinbeck's friend from Cannery Row, marine biologist Edward Ricketts, and Jack Calvin publish Between Pacific
Tides. In April of that year, Viking publishes Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath, for which he receives the Pulitzer Prize in 1940.
This photograph is courtesy of wikipedia. For more information about the Grapes of Wrath and John Steinbeck, please see the below link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grapes_of_Wrath
1940's
Monterey becomes known as the "Sardine Capital of World" before the Second World War, Sicilian and Japanese Americans dominate the fishing industry. Japanese-Americans own more than half the fishing
companies on Fisherman's Wharf.
In 1942, Monterey's Japanese-Americans are forced to relocate to detention camps far inland.
In 1943, the U.S. Navy leases the Hotel del Monte to create a Naval Pre-Flight School, leading to the establishment of the present day Naval Postgraduate School.
In 1944, John Steinbeck moves to the Lara-Soto Adobe and writes The Pearl; he lives there less than one year.
In 1945, Steinbeck’s novel Cannery Row is published.
In 1946, the Military Intelligence Service Language School moves to the Presidio of Monterey (renamed the Army Language School; in 1963 it is renamed the Defense Language Institute).
Please see the below youTube video which features Monterey local Ray Hattori speaking about what it was like growing up in Monterey during the 1940's, as well as his experiences as a Japanese American and being sent to an internment camp as part of Executive Order 9066. The link for this video is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul6nam8QfCA&feature=bf_next&list=SP9614CCD8B63B9DE5
companies on Fisherman's Wharf.
In 1942, Monterey's Japanese-Americans are forced to relocate to detention camps far inland.
In 1943, the U.S. Navy leases the Hotel del Monte to create a Naval Pre-Flight School, leading to the establishment of the present day Naval Postgraduate School.
In 1944, John Steinbeck moves to the Lara-Soto Adobe and writes The Pearl; he lives there less than one year.
In 1945, Steinbeck’s novel Cannery Row is published.
In 1946, the Military Intelligence Service Language School moves to the Presidio of Monterey (renamed the Army Language School; in 1963 it is renamed the Defense Language Institute).
Please see the below youTube video which features Monterey local Ray Hattori speaking about what it was like growing up in Monterey during the 1940's, as well as his experiences as a Japanese American and being sent to an internment camp as part of Executive Order 9066. The link for this video is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul6nam8QfCA&feature=bf_next&list=SP9614CCD8B63B9DE5
1950's
Sardine industry collapses. Harlan Watkin purchases Ed Ricketts' Pacific Biological Lab and establishes the PBL Club. To commemorate Steinbeck’s novel, Ocean View Avenue is renamed Cannery Row in 1958.
1958 Jimmy Lyons, the PBL Club, and associates found the Monterey Jazz Festival.
Monterey History & Art Association acquires Casa Serrano for its headquarters and begins restoring the adobe to house its art collection.
Please see the following article published by USA Today for more information about the Monterey Jazz Festival, which is held during September, every year in Monterey. http://traveltips.usatoday.com/monterey-jazz-festival-history-21753.html
Image courtesy of USA Today.
1958 Jimmy Lyons, the PBL Club, and associates found the Monterey Jazz Festival.
Monterey History & Art Association acquires Casa Serrano for its headquarters and begins restoring the adobe to house its art collection.
Please see the following article published by USA Today for more information about the Monterey Jazz Festival, which is held during September, every year in Monterey. http://traveltips.usatoday.com/monterey-jazz-festival-history-21753.html
Image courtesy of USA Today.
1960's-1970's
The 1967 Monterey Pop Festival brings the first and, according to many performers, the best of the large rock festivals to Monterey. Urban Renewal
changes the face of Monterey. Several buildings are rescued from loss by Monterey History & Art Association, the City of Monterey, and California State Parks, to be restored or renovated.
For more information regarding the Monterey Pop Festival, please see this link provided by the History Channel. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-monterey-pop-festival-reaches-its-climax
The following youTube video features the 1967 festival, including performances by the artists. The video is provided by WoodstockCultural, and runs 1:15:25. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jrkL6BkF9I
The following link (provided by NPR) features an interview titled "The Monterey Pop Festival, 40 Years Later". In this interview, the radio host talks with Michelle Phillips (singer for the Mamas and the Papas) and event organizer Lou Adler about what it was like to attend the festival, and how the festival set the stage for what would (two years later) become Woodstock.
http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=11028739&m=11028772
Please see the following youTube video which features Fred Arellano speaking about the Monterey Pop Festival. The link to this video is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-QWWZlCLc8&feature=bf_next&list=SP9614CCD8B63B9DE5
For more information regarding the Monterey Pop Festival, please see this link provided by the History Channel. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-monterey-pop-festival-reaches-its-climax
The following youTube video features the 1967 festival, including performances by the artists. The video is provided by WoodstockCultural, and runs 1:15:25. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jrkL6BkF9I
The following link (provided by NPR) features an interview titled "The Monterey Pop Festival, 40 Years Later". In this interview, the radio host talks with Michelle Phillips (singer for the Mamas and the Papas) and event organizer Lou Adler about what it was like to attend the festival, and how the festival set the stage for what would (two years later) become Woodstock.
http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=11028739&m=11028772
Please see the following youTube video which features Fred Arellano speaking about the Monterey Pop Festival. The link to this video is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-QWWZlCLc8&feature=bf_next&list=SP9614CCD8B63B9DE5
1980's
1984 Monterey Bay Aquarium opens on Monterey's Cannery Row at
the site of Hovden cannery.
Please see the below link for information on the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/
Image provded by the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
the site of Hovden cannery.
Please see the below link for information on the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/
Image provded by the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
1990's
1992 Monterey History & Art Association opens the Stanton Center Maritime Museum & History Center, to provide a permanent home for the Allen Knight Collection and its reference resource library.
U. S. Congress designates Monterey Bay as part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Please see the following link for information on the Stanton Center Maritime Museum and History Center (now called the Museum of Monterey- MOM). http://museumofmonterey.org/the-stanton-center/
U. S. Congress designates Monterey Bay as part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Please see the following link for information on the Stanton Center Maritime Museum and History Center (now called the Museum of Monterey- MOM). http://museumofmonterey.org/the-stanton-center/