San Pasqual, San Diego County, California facts for kids
San Pasqual was a village where the Kumeyaay people lived. It was located in a place called San Pasqual Valley in San Diego County, California. The valley is even named after this village!
For hundreds of years, long before Europeans arrived, the Kumeyaay people made their homes in the San Pasqual Valley. In 1833, the Mexican government closed down the missions. This allowed the Kumeyaay to return to their valley. They officially set up the village of San Pasqual on November 16, 1835.
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A Stop on the Road
From the late 1820s, the village of San Pasqual became an important stop. It was on a main road that connected San Diego to Sonora, a region in Mexico.
The Route
The road started in San Diego. It went to a place called Rancho Santa Maria de Los Peñasquitos. From there, it was about 16 miles to the village of San Pasqual.
After San Pasqual, the road turned south. It went up a ridge next to the valley. Then it headed east into the Santa Maria Valley. This area later became known as Ramona. The road continued for another 18 miles to Santa Ysabel.
Beyond Santa Ysabel
The journey didn't end there! The road kept going to San Jose Valley and Vallecito. It then crossed the Colorado Desert and the Colorado River into Sonora.
Gold Rush Travel
When the California Gold Rush began, many people traveled through California. San Pasqual became a key stop on this main road. Wagons and stagecoaches often stopped there. This was especially true after the American Conquest of California.
Changes for the Kumeyaay
In 1878, the Kumeyaay people living in San Pasqual faced a big change. Authorities from San Diego County asked them to leave their homes and land.
Today, these Kumeyaay people are known as the San Pasqual Band of Diegueno Mission Indians.
What Remains Today
The only thing left of the old village is a small graveyard. You can find it east of the San Diego Archeological Center. It is on the north side of State Highway 78.
