California Missions

21 missions were established by the Franciscan monks from the Roman Catholic church which are peppered throughout California. These missions are located from San Diego to Sonoma. They're constructed in Spanish style and much of the labor is attributed to the Native Americans. These missions played a large role in the colonization of California and paved the way for the Golden State we know today. Here is a direct link to the list (which you can view online and download as a PDF): https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B8eEAMxReDq1NTJraG55amlXdms/edit?usp=sharing

A great resource for detailed information on individual missions is CaliforniaMissions.com, http://www.missionscalifornia.com/

Highlight: Diary of Pedro Font, Anza Expedition 1775-1776

Father Pedro Font journaled the infamous "Anza Expedition". Juan Bautista Anza (alternately spelled Juan Bautista de Anza) a captain of the Presidio of Tubac in Sonora (present day southern Arizona) led the overland expedition from the Sonoran desert to Northern California (colloquially called the "Anza Trail"). Anza was accompanied by several Padres (Fathers) including Father Pedro Font, servants, a group of military men and cattle.

Father Pedro Font's writings which documented the journey were translated and compiled and edited into a book by Frederich J. Teggart, Academy of Pacific Coast History, in 1913. This book contains the Spanish text and English translation. The book has been digitized by the Library of Congress.

Peer into the Anza Expedition via Father Pedro Font's diary,
http://openlibrary.org/books/OL23278305M/The_Anza_expedition_of_1775-1776


Image source: Library of Congress

Access Millions of Digital Documents from the Library of Congress

An amazing source of information is the Library of Congress' website, http://www.loc.gov/about/

The Library of Congress is a research extension of Congress itself. Additionally, it serves to document cultural information. The LOC is the largest library in the United States (and the largest library in the world). It contains millions of books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections- much of which are accessible online! There is a learning curve to effectively conducting research through their online database but its worth it. Considering their massive online database, you're bound to get lost in the world of historical documents.

For example, there's a write-up about Romualdo Pacheco, a Hispanic who has served as Governor of California who served from 1875-1875 (only 10 months). He was son to an upper-echelon Californio couple, Ramona Carillo de Pacheco and Captain Romualdo Pacheco. He was born in Santa Barbara, California on October 31, 1831. You can read more about his life at the LOC's website, http://www.loc.gov/rr/hispanic/congress/pacheco.html

Romualdo Pacheco
Image source: Library of Congress

For more information about Romualdo as Governor of California, visit http://governors.library.ca.gov/12-Pacheco.html

A Californio Gold Mine: The SF Bay Time Traveler Blog

I stumbled upon a wonderful gem, http://sfbaytimetraveler.wordpress.com/. This blog hasn't been updated since 2010 but the content that remains is useful and well-written. It contains historical information about early Hispanic California, mostly related to San Francisco, Bay Area.

Among other intriguing topics like the Anza Trail, the blog offers significant information about the Peralta's including a unique article about Luis Maria Peralta. Luis Maria Peralta was a Californio that settled in the Bay Area circa 1776. He owned Rancho de San Antonio which covered most of the Bay Area. (I'd list more information about Don Luis Maria Peralta but SF Bay Time Traveler does it better.)

If you're interested in California's history or doing Californio genealogical research, stop off at the SF Bay Time Traveler blog. It's worth it!

Here's a link to the SF Bay Time Traveler blog:
http://sfbaytimetraveler.wordpress.com/about/the-peraltas-and-rancho-san-antonio/luis-maria-peralta/


(Image Source: SF Bay Time Traveler)

No Cost Genealogical Databases for U.S. and California via U.S. GenWeb Project

There are a few well-known genealogical databases on the web such as www.ancestry.com. Ancestry.com is a great source because it includes research other's have already done but also can include images of documents like death certificates, marriage certificates, census data, etc. The downside to Ancestry.com is that they charge a monthly or annual fee to use the site.

Note: Sometimes they offer a 2 week free trial (but you have to input your credit card information and cancel within 2 weeks.

A free alternative is the U.S. GenWeb Project which is run by volunteers who aim to provide free genealogy websites and research within the US.
http://usgenweb.org/research/

The state of California has its own website- which is part of the U.S. GenWeb Project.
http://www.cagenweb.com/

I recommend accessing more than one database or research site because they may not all contain the same information. Good luck!

Californio Culture, Mid-19th Century

The Regents of the University of California have an informative short article about Californio culture entitled, Californio Society, 1830s-1880s. The article also includes many historical photographs and links to related topics. Here's the link: http://www.calisphere.universityofcalifornia.edu/themed_collections/subtopic0a.html

Dominguez Family History & The Dominguez" Documentary

Dominguez family history in Los Angeles, California is represented in a 2010 documentary entitled, "The Dominguez". In 1784, the Dominguez family was bestowed the first land grant in California, Rancho San Pedro, covering approximately 75,000 acres southwest of Los Angeles. The IMDB's description states, "The Dominguez is a documentary that reveals the story of one family who helped shape the history of Los Angeles and California. Since 1784 to the present, the Dominguez family has been part of the most important chapters in the history of Los Angeles and California. Dynamic and full of rich historical facts, the documentary combines colorful interviews with historians, community leaders, and Dominguez family descendants. The Dominguez legacy remains strong today and proves that if an individual can affect the course of history, we all can do something to make this world a better place."

For more information about the history of the Dominguez Rancho, current events and more, please visit their website: http://dominguezrancho.org/history/







source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1595478/