Santa Rosa High School - Echo Yearbook (Santa Rosa, CA)

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It is fascinating to look back into the dim and misty past and picture Galvez and Fra junipero Serra planning and dreaming of one of the most fateful enterprises in the history of human endeavor. As they sat in Galvez's tent in the camp at La Paz, they had before them the map of the coast of California, preserved from the immortal voyage of Sebastian Vizcaino, made in the year 1602, one hundred and sixty-six years before. After much preparation and repairing of ships, Galvez selected the sites on the coast as shown by Vizcaino's map, at which the first three Missions in California were to be erected. These were as follows: the first at San Diego, the second at Monterey, and the third between the two, to be known as San Buenaventura. It was from this site that Portola set out on his search for Monterey. The expedition was absent on its great quest for a period of eight months, it returned to San Diego early in March, 1770, sadly the worse for the hard experience which it had undergone. The men had been buoyed up only by the hope that they would find cheering news upon their return to San Diego. But they were terribly disappointed. During the eight months of their absence, Father Junipero had accomplished practically nothing more than the ceremonious foundation of the first Mission. There had been a great deal of sickness, and the new Mission establishment was on the verge of starvation. But the situation had one indomitable soul still to reckon with. junipero Serra could not give up, he would go to God for help and pray to Him for succor from across the blue waves. On the morning of that last day he climbed to the topmost pinnacle of Presidio Hill and prayed for succor for San Diego. As the sun went down, he caught sight of a sail-a ghostly sail, it seemed, in the far distance. Who can ever look above the old Presidio without seeing Father Serra on his knees pouring out his prayer of thanksgiving? Thus was wrought what is called a miracle, and by what better name shall one call it? Did not junipero Serra ask for another day, and did not the day bring the ship to starving San Diego? And what does that day mean to California and the world? It means that, had it never been, the wonderful Franciscan Missions of California, of which San Diego was the first, would have never risen, to stand, as they do today, in ruin, but still the most priceless heritage of the commonweath. 5

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, ... X ' :Lf fiat ' - ,M F .',g'. ' be , IN MEMORIAM Q' , rf 53:45 , P -.ive ' ANTA ROSA PIONEERS juan Amoroso, that fearless missionary, in 1829, journeyed northward and baptized the Indian maiden Santa Rosa, and although driven away by natives, gave the name to this city. General Vallejo, as Ensign Vallejo, held the pueblo near Mark West Creek for some time with but a small group of soldiers, and planned the city of Sonoma, the first city to be planned and completed north of the San Francisco bay. He established permanently the military command of the northern frontier of California. To julio Carrillo a large tract of land, including the present site of Santa Rosa and the area between Santa Rosa and Sebastopol, was granted during the Spanish regime, and he granted what remained of his property at the time of laying out of the township to the town of Santa Rosa. Mark West, that intrepid pioneer, who had been an English sailor, is described as a tall man of commanding presence, mild in manner and kind to a fault. His death in 1849 was the first in Sonoma county. And all those others who, by their combined and less spectacular efforts, suc- ceeded in laying the foundation of the Santa Rosa which we now know. 9 1930

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