Spanish Mission Era (1769-1822)
First Contact
On 1 August 1772, a Spanish expedition entered the Amador Valley. Padre Crespi, a member of the group, writes that they found “all level land, covered with grass and trees, with many and good arroyos, and with numerous villages of very gentle and peaceful heathens, many of them with fair complexion.
La Mison del Gloriosisimo Patriarch San Jose (Mission San Jose)
On 11 June 1797 La Mison de Gloriosismo Patriarch San Jose, located in modern day Fremont, was founded. The mission lands were extensive and included the entire Amador-Livermore Valley. Overseen by Indian vaqueros, cattle grazed the land.
In 1834 the holdings of Mission San Jose de Guadalupe were desecularized, removed from the control of the Catholic Church and taken over by the Mexican government. Padre narciso Duran reports that he left “2,300 neophytes, 24,000 cattle, 1,100 horses, 19,000 sheep and supplies to the amount of 60 barrels of wine and 10,000 fanegas of grain.” (Stuart, Corridor Country, 30.)
Spanish Colonization
On 27 June 1776, Lt. Morago, under orders from Captain Juan Bautista de Anza, led a colonizing expedition to Yerba Buena, now known as San Francisco.
Included among the Spanish families in de Anza’s expedition were the Pancheco’s, the Bernal’s, the Amador’s and the Higuera’s. The descendants of these families would impact the future of the Amador-Livermore Valley.
On 1 August 1772, a Spanish expedition entered the Amador Valley. Padre Crespi, a member of the group, writes that they found “all level land, covered with grass and trees, with many and good arroyos, and with numerous villages of very gentle and peaceful heathens, many of them with fair complexion.
La Mison del Gloriosisimo Patriarch San Jose (Mission San Jose)
On 11 June 1797 La Mison de Gloriosismo Patriarch San Jose, located in modern day Fremont, was founded. The mission lands were extensive and included the entire Amador-Livermore Valley. Overseen by Indian vaqueros, cattle grazed the land.
In 1834 the holdings of Mission San Jose de Guadalupe were desecularized, removed from the control of the Catholic Church and taken over by the Mexican government. Padre narciso Duran reports that he left “2,300 neophytes, 24,000 cattle, 1,100 horses, 19,000 sheep and supplies to the amount of 60 barrels of wine and 10,000 fanegas of grain.” (Stuart, Corridor Country, 30.)
Spanish Colonization
On 27 June 1776, Lt. Morago, under orders from Captain Juan Bautista de Anza, led a colonizing expedition to Yerba Buena, now known as San Francisco.
Included among the Spanish families in de Anza’s expedition were the Pancheco’s, the Bernal’s, the Amador’s and the Higuera’s. The descendants of these families would impact the future of the Amador-Livermore Valley.
