Page 4 - lw3569

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5:~e Stor'I o/ I

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LE BE C I
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The first man through the Tejon Pass of whom we have a
record was Don Pedro Fages, Commander of Militia of Alta
California. This was in 1772 when he passed through search-
ing for Indian converts who had deserted from the missions.
AT LEBEC
Four years later, in 1776, Padre Garces passed through at
the end of a cross country march.
AT LEBEC
Lebec was named for Peter Lebec, a French wanderer and
trapper, who was killed in 1837 by a grizzly bear that he had
wounded. His companions buried him beneath the tree where
he fell, and carved his name in the bark. The bark grew out
and filled in the cuts; years later this section was removed from
the tree, showing the name of Peter Lebec in reverse on the
inside. This section of "bark is now in the Beale Library at
Bakersfield, · California. The tree is still standing near the
present highway.
AT LEBEC
Early in the Fifties, Greek George drove a camel train
through the Pass. This was an experiment in military trans-
portation and it is attributed to J~fferson Davis who was then
Secretary of War. The camels were sent out to assist General
Fremont and while their usefulness in the desert was slight, in
the mountains they were of no use on the rough rocky trails.

AT LEBEC
Fort Tejon-one mile north-was founded in 1852 as a
defense a gainst hostile Indians. It was an important army post
and the only Southern California army post that experienced a
fall of snow during the winter. For this reason, Troopers from
the east requested transfers to Fort Tejon.

AT LEBEC i
Lebec is on the Route of the Famous Butterfield Overland -
I Mail Route where Six-horse Stages covered the distance from 1
i San Francisco to St. Louis in tw enty-three days. 1

:_: AT LEBEC I
In the mountains behind Lebec was the rendezvous of I
1 Joaquin Murrieta during the time he was harassing the Pueblo =_I
1 of Los Angeles. He left his stronghold due to the treachery of
I his own men and the zeal of Captain Love. He fled north and I
j was overtaken in what was known as the Tulares, where he I
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