Page 3 - robinson_storyofvalencia_1967

Th~ Story of Valencia, California,
and its r2ncho background

By
W.W. Robinson

1769

£.P_~n i s 1i o c c u ~on o f Ca 1 i f o r n i a i s b e g u !:!._,_
and -~ a in ' s f i rs t l 2 n d f~ x _£_ e di ti on - - on i ts
journeL north from_San Di~o -- crosses the
area that became Rancho San Fr2nciscoL
w h i ch t o cl a y :l:_~~~ d e s ·w i th i n i t s b o u n d E r i e s
the community of Valencia

Lingering clouds of dust hovered over the cavalcade
/
that made up this first expedition--the Portola Party, so called ~
/
because it was headed by Gaspar de Portola of the Span~sh Army.

Leaders, scouts, two priests, mounted soldiers, muleteers, and

a packtrain of a huidrcd loaded @~les and spare animals, they

h~d been taking a geDcrally coastal route with Monterey as the

objective. After leaving the Los Angeles, the Westwood, and

the San Fernando Valley areas, the party had crossed painfully

steep mountains at San Fernando Pass. Then they found themselves
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