History of San Felipe: Colonization of the North |
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THE HISTORY OF SAN FELIPE, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
CHAPTER VII: COLONIZATION OF THE NORTHERN PART OF THE PENINSULA From approximately 1750 to 1850 San Felipe participated in some of Lower California's historical activities, but there are few written words substantiating its activities. In the late 1800's many North Americans came south to Baja California to investigate and report about the primitive peninsula. On their return came word of historical happenings in Lower California and pertinent details regarding San Felipe.
From 1760 to 1800 San Felipe was selected as a peninsular port for supplying many of the missions of the northern interior of Lower California. It is said to have supplied the missions of San Pedro Martir, Santo Domingo, Santo Tomas, and Santa Caterina. Canyons of the Sierra San Felipe and Sierra Juarez near San Felipe open the interior and western sides of the peninsula to access. An early traveler writes: From Rancho Santa Rosa runs a road forty-nine miles northeast to the bay of San Felipe de Jesus, on the gulf. Another easy wagon road to the same bay comes down through the San Matias Canon. [Flourence Shipek de. Lower California Frontier, Articles from the San Diego Union, 1870 (Los Angeles: Dawson's Book Shop, 1965), p. 28.] Other interesting accounts discuss San Felipe as the port for supplying Mission Santo Domingo situated on the Pacific Coast. In April of 1870, Mr. J. Ross Browne, exploring the area describes San Felipe Bay: ...as a fine little harbor, used for communication overland to the bay of San Quentin on the ocean coast in the country around the peninsular head of the gulf. It was formerly, with that of Los Angeles [Bay of Los Angeles] used by the Jesuits and the Dominicans for conveying stores and effects, in the founding of the mission on the coast above Santa Gertrudes, [Mission Santo Domingo] between 1760 and 1800... [Ibid., p. 38.] A series of trails followed the lowlands and canyons connecting the ranchos and missions to San Felipe Bay. Another traveler's account states: From San Felipe, by Santa Rosa rancho, a road leads over the rugged crest of San Pedro Martir, down to Valladaris, thence to the Mission of San Domingo and Ramon Rancho near the ocean, a distance of 110 miles. [Ibid., p. 39.] Accordingly, San Felipe served not only those nearby missions, but also those located on the peninsula's far western flank. In north latitude 29.5°, was founded Mission Santa Maria in 1767 by Father Victoriano Avuls. It is about thirty miles from the gulf and sixty miles from San Borja. It has a stream of good water, and a harbor on the gulf side, known as San Phelipe de Jesus. [Jacob P. Leese, Historical Outline of Lower California (New York: E.S. Edge and Co., 1865), p. 10.] Santa Maria Mission was located thirty miles from the Bay of San Luiz Gonzaga, which is a fine little harbor. It is difficult to believe that San Felipe, over one hundred miles north of the mission, supplied Santa Maria with mainland goods. Above the Bay of Los Angeles, some one hundred sixty miles, is the bay and port of San Felipe de Jesus, which has been established since 1858, principally by the exertions of Mr. Millatovich, who has here another grant of land. [Shipek, op. cit., p. 38.] Mr. Browne is referring to land illegally sold to Mr. Millatovich by Colonel Jose Maria Castro, the ephemeral commander of Lower California in 1856. These land sales were readily declared null and void by President Juarez in 1863. [Pablo L. Martinez, A History of Lower California, Trans. Ethel Duffy Turner (Mexico City 1960), p. 390.] San Felipe is a fine little harbor, and has been used by American vessels bound for the Colorado, and for communication overland to the bay of San Quentin on the ocean coast...There is now [1857] said to be a small settlement here. [Shipek, op. cit., p. 38.] This is the first mention of a small settlement at San Felipe. Unfortunately, his statement does not divulge the nature of the settlement or settlers. Possibly the residents at San Felipe had some commercial intercourse with the Colorado River steamer traffic that was in operation at this time.
The company formed by Lesse was unable to fulfill the stipulations of the contract. Rights were transferred to a group of capitalists in New York whose members organized the Lower California Company. Just as with previous companies, the Lower California Company practiced fraud on a grand scale by publicizing in the United States that Baja California was a lost paradise. Families believed the lands they were to settle were well equipped with water, groves of trees, and were without bush. Colonists came, but soon afterwards began to return to the United States. |
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MEXICO FISHING INFO SAN FELIPE FISHING INFO "WEEKLY MEXICO FISHING NEWS" FISH PHOTO GALLERY
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