Álamos and the Settlement
of Alta California
by Joan Powell
Álamos History Club member Joan Powell provided the following written report on 18th Century expeditions which led to the establishment of California missions, military posts, and the founding of the cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles—which was presented during the club meeting January 16, 2014.
ANZA EXPEDITION
After an exploratory expedition in early 1774, Juan Bautista de Anza was charged with taking a group of soldiers and settlers to San Francisco to establish a Presidio and a settlement.
Anza recruited soldiers and settlers from Sinaloa and Sonora, and they gathered at Horcasitas prior to starting the exhibition. Most likely, the expedition members went through Álamos, but Anza's diary and journal does not start until they are in Horcasitas, so I haven't found much about the earlier part of their journey.
The expedition left Horcasitas (near what is now Hermosillo) on September 29, 1775, and Tubac (now in Arizona) on October 23, 1775, with approximately 240 men, women and children.
They stopped in January and February 1776 at the Mission at San Gabriel, and arrived at the Presidio of Monte Rey on March 10, 1776. In June of 1776, the colonists, led by Anza's second in command, Lieutenant José Joaquin Moraga, continued on to the bay of San Francisco and began the Presidio and mission there.
These approximately 200 people more than doubled the number of colonists already in California. It appears that two of the soldiers were from Álamos:
1. Juan Agustin Valenzuela, born in Álamos, or “Real de Álamos”, as it was often called, in about 1749, brought his wife, Petra Ignacio de Ochoa, and one child, María Zepherin.
Neither he nor his wife or daughter are listed on the 1790 Census.
2. José Vicente Felix (also spelled Feliz in some records), was born in Real de los Álamos, Sonora, in about 1741. His wife, Manuela Piñcuelar, was the woman who died in childbirth the first night out from Tubac. In the 1790 Census, his age is listed at 51, and living in San Diego (the soldiers were often transferred from one Presidio to another).
José Vicente Felix brought seven children on the expedition:
José Francisco – In the 1790 Census, he is 28, living in San Diego
José Doroteo – In the 1790 Census, he is 26, living in San Diego
José de Jesus – In 1790, he is 29, living in San Diego (he is listed as Jose Feliz in
the Census)
José Antonio Capistrano – he was the child born en-route, who died at age 11 months.
María Loreta – she died in 1789, and was buried on July 8 at the San Gabriel Mission.
María Antonia – she was six at the time of the expedition. According to he
Mission records, an Antonia Felix was buried 6 July 1780 in San Diego.
María Manuela – she was four at the time of the expedition, and she is probably the “Marcela Feliz” listed in the 1790 Census, age 19, who was married to Ignacio Narcisco Olivera and living in Santa Barbara.
José Vicente Felix was transferred to the San Diego company before 1782 and in 1802, or earlier, was given the Felix rancho just north of the pueblo of Los Angeles - now within the city.
RIVERA EXPEDITION
The next land expedition to Alta California was in 1781. Fernando de Rivera y Moncado was assigned to recruit soldiers and settlers to establish Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. He recruited 11 - 12 families and nearly 60 soldiers to go to California.
This group assembled at Álamos, and spent some time there before leaving. The 11 families of settlers and 17 of the soldiers sailed from Guaymas to Loreto, Baja California, and proceeded north from there to the San Gabriel Mission. This group was led by Ramón Laso de la Vega, and left Álamos in February, 1781. The settlers' group, coming via Baja California, arrived in San Gabriel on 18 August 1781.
Rivera and the other 42 soldiers, along with the livestock, followed Anza's route north to “Arizona.” He apparently left a little time after the settler group. At the Colorado and Gila River junction, Rivera sent 35 or 37 (depending which source you believe) of the soldiers and 30 soldiers' families ahead to the San Gabriel Mission, while he and six other soldiers stayed with the livestock. Rivera never made it to San Gabriel, as he and his men were killed by indians 17 July 1781. The rest of his soldiers and their families arrived in San Gabriel on 14 July 1781.
On September 4, 1781, Los Angeles was officially founded by the families, although families had actually started moving to their land earlier than that date. The official list of founders is 11 families from Sonora and Sinaloa, and four soldiers and their families.
On March 26, 1782, the governor of California, Felipe de Neve, accompanied soldiers of the Rivera expedition from San Gabriel to found the mission San Buenaventura and the Presidio of Santa Barbara.
While the expedition was assembling in Álamos, 12 of the soldiers were married there. Some of these married young women from Álamos, and some married women from other parts of Mexico. In addition, there were two other families from Álamos in the settler group, and eight soldier families from Álamos.
SOLDIERS MARRIED IN ÁLAMOS
28 Feb 1780
Josef Manuel Orchaga y Machado (23 yrs old, from Villa de Sinaloa) married Maria de la Luz Balenzuela (also called Maria del Carmen in other records) 18 yrs old; from Álamos; daughter of Francisco Maria Balenzuela and Rita Antonia Aviles – deceased). They had eight children in California. He was buried 26 February 1810 in San Gabriel.
14 Oct 1780
Juan Maria Romero (29 yrs old, from Villa de Sinaloa) married Rosalia Mallen (15 yrs old; from Álamos; daughter of Thadeo Mallen – deceased – and Juana Zabala)
16 Dec 1780
Ysidro Germán (25 yrs old, from Villa del Fuerte) married Manuela de Ochoa (25 yrs old; from Villa del Fuerte).
19 Dec 1780
José Ygnacio Rodrigues (22 yrs old, from Álamos, according to the marriage record; or from Matape, Sonora, according to another source; son of María Juana Rodrigues) married Juana Paula Parra (15 yrs old; from Álamos; daughter of Francisco Parra and Gabriela Bega).
They were with the soldier group sent ahead by Rivera, which arrived at San Gabriel on 14 July 1781.
One source says she was 16, and they had one child who came with them on the expedition: Francisco Xavier, born in Álamos. They had 12 children born at Santa Barbara.
He was buried 25 Aug 1814 at Santa Barbara Presidio. She was buried 30 May 1827, also at Santa Barbara.
19 Dec 1780
José Antonio Cortés (23 yrs old, from Comportela) married Maria Balbanera Pacheco (18 yrs old, from Álamos; daughter of José Balbanera Pacheco and Maria Antonia Hamenta).
25 Dec 1780
Fructuoso María Ruís (from Villa del Fuerte) married Ysabel Renteria (15 yrs old; from Real de Basogila).
21 Jan 1781
Eugenio Valdés (34 yrs old, from Álamos or El Fuerte) married Sebastiana Quinteros (17 yrs old; from Álamos; daughter of Luiz Quinteros and María Petra Rubio).
She was buried 15 [Apr] 1822 at San Gabriel. He was buried 5 Dec 1838 in Los Angeles.
21 Jan 1781
Joaquín Rodrigues (20 yrs old, from Álamos; son of Juana Rodrigues) married Catarina Quinteros (19 yrs old; from Álamos; daughter of Luis Quinteros and Maria Petra Rubio). She died at Santa Barbara on 28 October 1798.
22 Jan 1781
José Rosalino Hernandes (30 yrs old; from Villa del Fuerte) married Juana Josefa Quinteros (21 yrs old; from Álamos; daughter of Luiz Quinteros and Maria Petra Rubio).
22 Jan 1781
José Máximo Alanis (20 yrs old; from Real del Rosario) married Juana Maria Miranda (20 yrs old, from Álamos; daughter of Francisco Miranda -deceased- and María Nicolasa Hurtado)
29 Jan 1781
José Thadeo Sanches (25 yrs old, from Villa de Sinaloa) married María Petra Montiel (15 yrs old, from Álamos; daughter of Tadeo Montiel and Gertrudis Segunda).
29 Jan 1781
Pedro Valensuela (20 yrs old, from Álamos; son of Clemente Valensuela and Manuela Mendex) married Dolores Parra (15 yrs old, from Álamos; daughter of Francisco Parra and Gabiola Bega). She was buried 18 April 1811 in San Gabriel. They were with the soldier group sent ahead by Rivera, which arrived at San Gabriel on 14 July 1781.
SOLDIER FAMILIES ACCOMPANYING RIVERA
1. Juan Andrés Hilario Montiel (35 yrs old, from Álamos) and his wife, María Rosa Rodríguez (38 yrs old, from Álamos). Their daughter María Petra Montiel married José Thadeo Sanches on 29 Jan 1781. They were accompanied by another daughter, María Conception (14 yrs old, born at Presidio de Buenavista, Sonora). They arrived at the Mission San Gabriel on 14 July 1781, in the party Rivera sent ahead.
2. Josef María Gil Samaniego (41 yrs old, from Álamos according to one source) and his wife, Juana María de Sotomayor (25 yrs old, also from Álamos according to one source). They arrived at the Mission San Gabriel on 14 July 1781, in the party Rivera sent ahead. They had a son who died at Santa Barbara, buried on 11 June 1790, but their town of origin is not given. On the burial record, Josef Samaniego's occupation is given as “Mayordomo de esta mission.” I have not found a marriage record for them, but there are other Samaniegos and Sotomayors getting married in Álamos around this time period.
3. Vicente Quijada (26 yrs old, from Álamos) and his wife, Juana María Armenta y Landera (26 yrs old; from Álamos). There is a marriage 08 Oct 1779 in Alamos, of a Francisco Xavier Quijada and a María Juana Armenta—possibly the same couple. They brought two children on the expedition: María Rosa, and María Gertrudis Valenzuela, who was the daughter of Francisco and Maria Rita Quijada of Álamos. They were with the soldier group sent ahead by Rivera which arrived at San Gabriel on 14 July 1781.
4. Josef Ygnacio Martínez (from Álamos) and his wife, María Jacinta Moreno (from Álamos). They reportedly brought three children with them: Juan Josef, Francisco Diego Vicente, and Juan Josef II. They were with the soldier group sent ahead by Rivera, which arrived at San Gabriel on 14 July 1781.
5. Josef Pedro Loreto Salazar (45 yrs old, from Álamos according to one source) and his wife, María Loreta Gregoria Espinosa (24 yrs old, from Álamos, according to one source). He was buried at San Gabriel on 6 July 1788, and his burial records says that he was from Sinaloa. María remarred Mariano de la Luz Verdugo after Josef’s death, and she was buried 29 May 1830 in Los Angeles. They were with the soldier group sent ahead by Rivera which arrived at San Gabriel on 14 July 1781.
6. Josef Victor Patino (31 yrs old, from Álamos according to one source) and his wife, Maria Victoria Martínez (24 yrs old, from Álamos according to one source). I have not found a marriage record for them. He reportedly died at Santa Barbara in May 1789. They were with the soldier group sent ahead by Rivera which arrived at San Gabriel on 14 July 1781.
7. Segundo Valenzuela (from Álamos) and his wife, María Augustín Alcántara (from Álamos), who were married 15 Feb 1773 at the Álamos church. They brought three children with them: Joaquín (10 yrs old; he died in October 1782 at San Diego), Josef María (5 yrs old; he died in November 1782 in San Diego), and María Antonia (2 yrs old). Six other children were born in California. Segundo died on 20 Apr 1830 and was buried the next day at San Gabriel. His burial records says that he was from Sonora. María was buried 7 Oct 1831 in Los Angeles, and the burial records show her origin as Álamos.
8. Ygnacio Rochín (28 yrs old, from Álamos) and his wife, Ana Bojorquez (30 yrs old, from Álamos). They brought one child with them: Maria del Carmen, two years old. I have not found a marriage record for them in Álamos, although there are marriage records for people with the family name Bojorquez around the same time period. Ignacio was buried 10 Jan 1795 in Santa Barbara, and Ana was apparently buried in Santa Cruz on 12 July 1826 after re-marrying to Ygnacio Meza. They were with the soldier group sent ahead by Rivera, arriving at San Gabriel on 14 July 1781.
SETTLER FAMILIES FROM ÁLAMOS
1. Antonio Mesa, his wife Ana Gertrudis López, and two children: María Paula (10 yrs old) and Antonio María (8 yrs old). They were one of the 11 founding families of Los Angeles, but left (or were expelled as unfit) on 21 Mar 1782—and may have returned to Álamos. They were both born in Álamos (he in 1743, and she in about 1754), and they were married in Alamos on 31 May 1767.
2. Luis Quintero (55 yrs old), his wife, María Petra Rubio (45 yrs old), and five children: daughters Gertrudis (16 yrs old), Maria Concepción (9 yrs old) and Rafaela (6 yrs old), and sons Tomas (7 yrs old) and José Clemente (3 yrs old). Note that these children are in additon to the three daughters he managed to marry off to soldiers before the expedition left!
Luis Quintero was apparently born about 1726 in Guadalajara. He married María Petra Rubio in Álamos about 1760 (I have not yet tried to find the marriage record). She was reportedly born in Álamos, and she was buried at the Santa Barbara Presidio on 3 Mar 1802. Luis Quintero left Los Angeles and was part of the goup founding the Mission San Buenaventura and the Santa Barbara Presidio in August 1782. He died in 1810, in Santa Barbara. His granddaughter married the man who became owner of Rancho Rodeo de las Aguas, which is the area now known as Beverly Hills.
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Álamos Historic Buildings
https://alamoshistoryassociation.org/50.63.41.1/Alamos_Historic_Buildings.html
