San Deigo Historic Site 59 SAN DIEGO PRESIDIO SITE

The ruins of the San Diego Presidio are visible as rolling mounds under the grass of Presidio Park, on the hill above Old Town. Often called "The Plymouth Rock of California," this spot was the site of the first whitesettlement on the West Coast of the United States. On July 16, 1769, Father Junipero Serra erected a cross and dedicated the Presidio and Mission of SanDiego de Alcala. After five years, the Mission was shifted from the protectionof the fortified enclosure to its present location in Mission Valley.

At first a stockade, San Diego's walls became adobe while Don Jose Francisco Ortega, the famous explorer, was in command here. Throughout the Spanish periodSan Diego remained within the ramparts. During the 1820's Governor Echeandia, who liked to live in San Diego because of the climate, made it the actual, though not official, capital of both Upper and Lower California.

On the western side of the central square were some storehouses. On the east was the old mission and the quarters of the officers and soldiers. The planmay be made out from the fallen walls underneath the lawn. The commandant's house was where the cross now rises. The present walls are intended to showwhere the original outside defenses ran.

To this place, on New Year's Day in 1827, Jedediah Smith, "The Bible Toter," came to complete the first journey overland to the Pacific made by an American.He applied to the Governor for permission to trap in California, which was refused. He was not deterred, however. The following year another party of American trappers arrived, led by Sylvester Pattie of Kentucky, who was imprisoned and died here. His son, James Ohio Pattie, was released on agreeingto vaccinate the population of California against small pox. The bastion at thesoutheast corner of the modern walls represents his place of imprisonment.

By the 1830's most of the residents of San Diego had moved down to Old Town, although the soldiers were still garrisoned on the hill. A few years later the Presidio was entirely deserted, and allowed to fall into ruin.

The Presidio was abandoned in 1837 after San Diego became a pueblo. This isalso a National Historic Landmark.

Location: Next to parking lot across