Page 185 - California Diving and Surfing

Monterey Peninsula

The Monterey Peninsula is located on the began in 1814 under the Spanish, the center sec-
central California coast and comprises the tion under Mexican rule in 1827, with the lower

cities of Monterey, Carmel, and Pacific Grove, end completed by the United States in 1846.

and unincorporated areas of Monterey County Monterey was also the site of the July 7, 1846,

including the resort and community of Pebble Battle of Monterey during the Mexican-American

Beach. Monterey was founded in 1770 by mis- War. It was on this date that John D. Sloat, Com-

sionary Junípero Serra and explorer Gaspar de modore in the United States Navy, raised the

Portolà. Portolà erected the Presidio of Monterey U.S. flag over the Monterey Custom House and

to defend the port against an expected Russian claimed California for the United States.

trading and settlement invasion. At the same In addition, many California “firsts” occurred
time, Serra founded Mission San Carlos Borro- in Monterey. These include California’s first
meo, second in the chain of Spanish Missions of

California. Originally near the presidio, the mis- theater, brick house, publicly funded school,

sion later moved a few miles south to its current public building, public library, and printing press,

location in Carmel. which printed The Californian, the first newspa-

Monterey served as the capital of upper Las per. Colton Hall, built in 1849 by Walter Colton,
Californias and Alta California from 1777 to was originally a public school and government
meeting place. It also hosted California’s first

1848, under the flags of Spain, independent Mex- constitutional convention. Today it houses a

ico, and the United States. The city was originally museum, while adjacent buildings serve as

the only port of entry for taxable goods in Cali- the seat of local government. The Monterey

fornia. All shipments into California by sea were post office opened in 1849. Monterey incor-

required to go through the Custom House, the porated in 1889. The city has a noteworthy

oldest governmental building in the state, and history as a center for California painters in

California’s Historic Landmark Number One. Built the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

in 3 phases, construction on the Custom House