The Paper August 23, 2012

Page 1

Volume 43- No. 34

Editor’s Note: Several weeks ago we took a look at exploration of central and northern California as well as Wyoming, Washington state, and Utah. Let’s get in our Time Machine and go back a little further and look a bit closer to home. By Frank Lorey III Juan Baptista de Anza was wellsuited to explore the desert Southwest. He was born on the Arizona-Mexico border in 1732, both grandson and son of Spanish soldiers. His father had been killed by the Apaches, so he knew the dangers of the unexplored desert lands. His name will forever be attached to the desert east of San Diego, The Paper - 760.747.7119

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August 23, 2012

where he was the first to explore. When Anza was old enough, he joined the military and was quickly promoted up the ranks to eventually hold the position his father once held--Captain of the Spanish Presidio at Tubac, Arizona, (south of present-day Tucson). While there, he led expeditions that put down uprisings of the Pima and Seri Indians in Sonora, Mexico. This started his reputation as a more than capable frontiersman. The Spanish began colonizing Alta California in 1769. This involved a long sea voyage against the prevailing winds and the California Current. The problem

was to find a land route. De Anza heard of a California Indian called Sebastian Tarabal who had fled from Mission San Gabriel to Sonora and took him as guide. Through the local Pima Indians, Anza heard word of white men passing along the coast of California. This was the 1769 Father Serra expedition to Monterey that included founding many of the missions. It wasn't until 1772 that word reached Tubac, and the reports were just that many white men were passing at some distance on the other side of the Colorado River. Anza figured that if word could extend that far, so could a trade route--all the way to the coast. Anza offered to

lead an expedition, and Viceroy Bucareli in Mexico City approved the plans in 1773. Anza started rounding up the supplies he would need, and hoped to start westward in December, but it wasn't until January 9th, 1774, that all was in place. In the meantime, he had conferred with the missionary Father Francisco Garces who had visited the Yuma region and had once been all the way west to what is now Calexico. Garces gave nothing but encouragement to the effort to open a trade route. Thirty-four people set off on the journey--Anza, Garces, Father Juan Diaz, another missionary,

“Anza’s Desert Expedition ” Continued on Page 2


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