Gabriel Moraga facts for kids

Gabriel Moraga (born 1765, died 1823) was an explorer and army officer from Sonora, a region in what is now Mexico. He was a Californio, meaning he was a Spanish-speaking person born in California.

Gabriel followed in his father's footsteps. His dad, José Joaquín Moraga, was a leader on the de Anza Expedition to California in 1774. Like his father, Gabriel Moraga became a very important Spanish explorer in Alta California (which is now California). He even helped name many famous rivers and cities in Northern California and the Central Valley.

Exploring with the De Anza Expeditions

Gabriel's father, José Moraga, joined two big trips led by Juan Bautista de Anza. These trips explored and helped Spain claim land in the northwestern part of New Spain, which included Alta California.

The first trip in 1774 created a new land route from Sonora, Mexico to Mission San Gabriel. The second trip, from 1775 to 1776, went even further north, reaching San Francisco Bay.

This second trip brought many settlers to start new communities. These included the San Francisco Presidio, Mission San Francisco de Asís, and Mission Santa Clara de Asís. The Moraga family was part of these settlers. José Moraga became the commander of the San Francisco Presidio. Gabriel also became a soldier there.

Gabriel Moraga's Early Career

As a corporal, Gabriel Moraga was chosen to be the comisionado (military administrator) of the Pueblo of San Jose. This was a few years after his father helped establish the town in 1777.

In 1797, another civilian town called the Villa de Branciforte was started. This town is now part of Santa Cruz, California. Corporal Moraga was moved to the same job there. Corporal Ignacio Vallejo took his place in San Jose. Ignacio Vallejo was the father of Mariano Vallejo, who became a famous figure in California history.

Exploring the Central Valley

Gabriel Moraga was one of the first Europeans to see the Central Valley in California. He led the first official Spanish trips to explore this large valley between 1806 and 1808. Many of the names Moraga gave to places in this area are still used today. Often, the names are shorter or changed to English.

Here are some places he named:

• Sacramento River: Moraga called it Río del Sacramento (River of the Sacrament). This name was later used for the capital of California and its county. Originally, Moraga used Río del Sacramento only for the Feather River. The lower Sacramento River was known as Río de San Francisco.
• San Joaquin River: This name was later given to the San Joaquin Valley and San Joaquin County.
• Merced River: Moraga named it Río de Nuestra Señora de la Merced (River of Our Lady of Mercy). This name was later used for the city of Merced and Merced County.
• Kings River: He named it Río de los Santos Reyes (River of the Holy Kings). This name was later used for Kings County.
• Calaveras River: Moraga called it Río de las Calaveras (River of the Skulls). He named it this because Native American skulls were found there. This name was later used for Calaveras County.
• Mariposa River: This was also the old name for the Chowchilla River. The name was later used for the town of Mariposa and Mariposa County. Moraga found many butterflies (mariposas in Spanish) in the Chowchilla region, which is how it got its name.

Not all of Moraga's place names are still used. For example, today's Stanislaus River was named Rio de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe by Moraga. However, that name was already used for today's Guadalupe River by the de Anza expedition in 1776.

Gabriel Moraga's Legacy

Many years after Gabriel Moraga passed away, his wife, Ana Joaquina Alvarado (1788–1863), received a land grant in 1841. This land was called Rancho Cañada Larga o Verde, located near Mission San Buenaventura.

Gabriel and Ana's son, Joaquín, also received a land grant. He was a co-owner of Rancho Laguna de los Palos Colorados in what is now Contra Costa County. Part of this land is now the city of Moraga, California, named after the family.

See also

In Spanish: Gabriel Moraga para niños