Gaspar de Portolá facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gaspar de Portolá
Portrait held at the in Catalonia.
1st Governor of the Californias
In office November 30, 1767 to July 9, 1770
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Pedro Fages
Personal details
Born	Gaspar de Portolà i Rovira January 1, 1716 Os de Balaguer, Spain
Died	October 1786 (aged 69-70) Lleida, Spain
Resting place	Lleida
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	Spanish Empire
Branch/service	Army of Spain
Rank	Captain

Gaspar de Portolá (Catalan: Portolà; 1716–1786) was a Spanish military officer. He is famous for leading an important journey into California. This journey is known as the Portolá expedition. He also served as the first Governor of the Californias.

His expedition helped start major Californian cities like San Diego and Monterey. They also gave names to many places across California. A lot of these names are still used today.

Early Life of Gaspar de Portolá

A monument to Portolá in Balaguer, Catalonia.

Gaspar de Portolá y Rovira was born on January 1, 1716. His hometown was Os de Balaguer in Catalonia, Spain. His family was part of the lower Spanish noble class.

Gaspar joined the Spanish army. He fought in wars in Italy and Portugal. He became an ensign in 1734 and a lieutenant in 1743.

Later, the Spanish Empire decided to remove the Jesuits. These were members of a religious group. Portolá was given the job of taking the Jesuits out of their missions in Baja California. He then made sure these missions were given to other religious groups, the Franciscans and later the Dominicans.

Portolá's Journey to California

Spain wanted to build missions and outposts along the Pacific Coast. They were worried that other countries might claim the land. The English had colonies on the East Coast. Russian fur hunters were also moving east from Siberia.

This California Historical Landmark in Los Angeles marks where the Portolá expedition started in 1769.

In 1768, King Carlos of Spain decided to expand Spain's control. He wanted to set up colonies and missions at San Diego Bay and Monterey Bay. Earlier explorers like Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo and Sebastián Vizcaíno had described these places. Vizcaíno had mapped the California coast in 1602. However, Spain hadn't built any major settlements there. This was because the earlier explorers didn't find a good, safe harbor. Monterey Bay, for example, was open to rough winds and currents.

In May 1768, José de Gálvez, a Spanish official, began to plan an expedition. It would travel by both sea and land. Portolá was made "Governor of the Californias." He was put in charge of the whole journey. Junipero Serra, a leader of the Franciscan missionaries, was in charge of religious matters. The sea and land groups were supposed to meet at San Diego Bay.

The first ship, the San Carlos, left on January 10, 1769. The second ship, the San Antonio, sailed on February 15. At the same time, the land groups started moving north. Portolá's plan was to split the land expedition into two. The first group, led by Captain Fernando Rivera y Moncada, left on March 24. They were to build a wagon trail and make peace with the native people. The second group, led by Portolá himself, left on May 15. This group included Junipero Serra, missionaries, settlers, and soldiers.

Rivera's group reached the area of modern-day San Diego in May. They set up a camp in what is now Old Town. They waited for the others. The ships had trouble finding San Diego Harbor. The San Antonio arrived on April 11. The San Carlos arrived on April 29, after facing strong winds. A third ship was lost at sea. Portolá's land group arrived on June 29. Many of the men who traveled by ship were very sick, mostly from scurvy. Many had died. Out of 219 people who started from Baja California, only a little over 100 survived.

A monument in Pacifica, California honoring Portolá's first view of San Francisco Bay.

Portolá wanted to reach Monterey Bay. So, on July 14, 1769, he and his group headed north. The group included Juan Crespí, 63 soldiers, and 100 mules carrying supplies. They walked about 2 to 4 leagues (a league is about 2.6 miles) each day. They reached the area of modern-day Fullerton, California on July 30, 1769. The next day, they traveled to Brea, California. On August 2, they arrived in what is now Los Angeles. The next day, they followed an old Indian trail. This trail would later become Wilshire Boulevard. They reached Santa Monica.

They continued their journey, passing through areas like Saugus (now part of Santa Clarita). They reached Santa Barbara on August 19. On September 13, they arrived near San Simeon. The coast was too steep and difficult to travel. So, the group moved inland. They walked through the San Antonio Valley. On October 1, Portolá's group came out of the Santa Lucia Range mountains. They reached the mouth of the Salinas River.

They had walked about 400 miles from San Diego. They were about 1000 miles from Velicatá. They had reached the bay they were looking for. But they didn't recognize Monterey Bay. It had been described as round like an "O." Even though they walked along its beach twice, they didn't realize it was the bay. Since they didn't find their goal, they kept marching north. On October 18, they reached a creek that Crespí named Santa Cruz. They kept going and reached a creek in Pacifica on October 31.

On November 4, they crossed a low mountain range. From there, the group was amazed to see the huge San Francisco Bay. The Spanish had not known about this bay before. This discovery was very important for California's future. Unlike Monterey Bay, San Francisco Bay was almost completely surrounded by land. This made it a very safe harbor. Monterey Bay, known since Cabrillo's time, was open to rough ocean currents. The San Francisco Bay had been missed for two centuries. This was because of the fog that often covered its entrance. If it had been found earlier, Spain would have settled the area sooner. It would have been a perfect safe harbor for their trade between Asia and Mexico.

Portolá's group then headed back to San Diego. They explored and named many places south of what became the Golden Gate. For much of the journey, they ate mule meat to survive. They finally arrived back in San Diego on January 24, 1770. On their way past Monterey Bay, they still didn't recognize it as the bay Vizcaíno had described.

Second Journey to Monterey

A plaque honoring Gaspar de Portolá at his family's old home in Preixens.

One of Portolá's officers, Captain Vicente Vila, convinced him. Vila believed they had actually been at Monterey Bay. He thought Portolá had placed his second cross exactly there. After getting more supplies in San Diego, Portolá and Serra decided to try again. They planned a joint journey by land and sea. Their goal was to find the bay and start a colony.

The ship San Antonio sailed on April 16, 1770. On board were Serra, Miguel Costansó (an engineer), and Doctor Pedro Prat (a surgeon). They also carried supplies for the new mission. On April 17, Portolá's land group marched north again. This group included Lieutenant Pedro Fages, 12 Spanish volunteers, 7 soldiers, 5 Baja California Indians, 2 muleteers, and Juan Crespí as the chaplain.

The group followed the same path they had taken the previous winter. After 36 days of travel, with only two days of rest, Portolá reached his second cross on May 24, 1770. This time, on a clear day, he saw it. From a certain spot, the round harbor looked just like the earlier explorers had described.

Having finally recognized the bay, they held a Mass. This was near an oak tree where missionaries with Vizcaíno had prayed in 1603. They officially claimed the land for Spain. On June 3, 1770, they began building the Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo. They also founded the Presidio of Monterey, which was a military fort.

Later Life and Legacy

Governor Portolá's main task was now finished. He left Captain Pedro Fages in charge. On June 9, he sailed away from California and never returned. In 1776, Portolá was made the governor of Puebla, a city in Mexico. After his replacement was chosen in 1784, he received money for his travel. He then returned to Spain. There, he served as a commander in a cavalry regiment. On February 7, 1786, he was given control of the forts and castles of Lleida. He passed away in October of that same year.

Portolá's Legacy

Twin statues of Gaspar de Portolá by Spanish sculptor Josep Maria Subirachs. They are in Arties, Catalonia (left) and Pacifica, California (right). The Catalan government gave them to California in 1988.

A 9-foot (2.7 meter) statue of Portolá stands in Pacifica, California. It was made by the Catalan sculptor Josep Maria Subirachs. The Catalan government gave it to the people of California in 1988.

Many places in California are named after Portolá. These include the city of Portola in Plumas County. There is also the town of Portola Valley in San Mateo County. And a neighborhood in San Francisco is called Portola.

Several schools in California also carry his name. These are Portola Hills Elementary School, Portola Elementary School in San Bruno, Gaspar de Portola Middle School in Tierrasanta, Portola Middle School in Tarzana, and Portola Middle School in Orange. The school in Orange is near where his expedition crossed the Santa Ana River. It has a large mural showing the Portolá Expedition.

Portola Parkway runs through Irvine and Lake Forest. This road was also named after him. People say Portolá used the same route that Portola Parkway now follows. Portola Drive is a main street in the Pleasure Point area of Santa Cruz County. It runs near the Monterey Bay shoreline. Portola Avenue is also a street in Palm Desert.

In World War II, the United States liberty ship SS Gaspar de Portola was named in his honor.

See also

In Spanish: Gaspar de Portolá para niños