Presidio of Monterey (1)

Presidio of Monterey (1) (1770-1866, 1902-Present) - A Spanish Presidio established in 1770 by Spanish Governor Gaspar de Portola in present day Monterey, Monterey County, California. Became a Mexican fortification after the Mexican War of Independence and U.S. fortification at the beginning of the Mexican War. Active U.S. military installation.

Royal Presidio Chapel (San Carlos Cathedral) Interior	Northern Royal Presidio Boundary Marker
The Royal Presidio Chapel (San Carlos Cathedral)

The Spanish Period (1770-1821)

Four Spanish Presidios (Forts) were built by the Spanish Governors of California in what was known as Alta California (Upper California). The four Presidios were the Presidio of San Diego, the Presidio of Santa Barbara, the Presidio of Monterey and the Presidio of San Francisco. Each of the California Presidios was the headquarters of a military district:

• Presidio of San Diego - Military District # 1
• Presidio of Santa Barbara - Military District # 2
• Presidio of Monterey - Military District # 3
• Presidio of San Francisco - Military District # 4

Each of the Presidios had a number of missions associated with it in the surrounding military district. The Presidio was responsible for the military protection of the missions and converts but normally had only a small number of troops actually posted at each mission. The majority of the garrison remained in reserve at each presidio.

Sketch of the Royal Presidio

The Presidio of Monterey was established 3 Jun 1770 by an expedition from San Diego headed by Governor Gaspar de Portola. Members of the expedition included engineer Miguel Costanso, FatherJunipero Serra, Father Juan Crespi, surgeon Pedro Prat and Lieutenant Pedro Fages. The outer wall was completed in November 1770, the internal buildings except for the church were completed 20 Jun 1771. On 24 Dec 1771 Father Serra moved his operations to nearby Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo to get closer to the local Indian tribes. The total garrison numbered 60 soldiers under Lieutenant Fages in 1771.

In 1774 the Presidio was reorganized and the commander position was upgraded to a captain with a garrison of one sergeant, twenty-two soldiers and support personnel. An additional corporal and five soldiers were provided for Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo at Carmel. Lieutenant Fages was replaced by Captain Fernando Rivera who was replace in 1777 by Felipe Nerve who was replaced in 1782 by now Colonel Pedro Fages. The garrison had increased to twenty-seven by 1782 with five or six man detachments at the associated missions.

The Presidio established a fortification in 1792 overlooking the harbor and removed the presidio's cannons to this fortification, El Castillo Monterey. George Vancouver made note of the fort during his visit in 1793. The Royal Presidio Chapel was completed in 1794.

Between 1810 and 1820 during the Mexican Revolution all the garrisons in California were on their own. The Spanish government refused to pay them and supply ships stopped coming. The garrisons had to be supported by the missions and times were hard.

The Presidio was associated with Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, Mission San Miguel Arcangel, Mission San Antonio de Padua, Mission Nuestra Senora de la Soledad and Mission San Juan Bautista.

The Mexican Period (1822-1846)

The Mexican War of Independence ended the Spanish rule over California and changed the mission system to a more secular system with decreasing reliance on the church and the mission to provide for the native population. The Spanish Presidios of California were abandoned along with the Missions by the Mexican government starting in 1831 and allowed to deteriorate. The Mexican Government established the Presidio of Sonoma in 1836 as the military headquarters of upper California. The Presidio of Monterey and the associated mission properties were eventually distributed to private interests by the Mexican Government.

On 20 Oct 1842 a U.S. warship, under the mistaken impression that a state of war had been declared between the United States and Mexico, landed at Monterey and claimed the Presidio for the United States. The post was renamed Fort Gatesby but only for a day. The mistake was recognized and apologies were given and the American ship sailed away. The incident was referred to as the great mistake.

At the end of the Mexican Period the Presidio of Monterey had no military value.

The American Period (1846-Present)

The Mexican War was declared by the U.S. Congress on 11 May 1846 in response to a Mexican attack on U.S. troops in Texas. The declaration of war opened the door for American occupation of California. The American period began when American naval ships entered Monterey Bay and Captain William Mervine landed and had the American flag raise over the Customs House. Fort Mervine was built on Presidio Hill as the first U.S. fortification. The fort evolved over the years and carried several different names. In 1904, General Order No. 142 dated 30 Aug 1904, specified that the name of the reservation would return to the original name, the Presidio of Monterey.

• (1846-1847) Fort Mervine established July 1846; Fort Savannah; Fort Stockton (2), named 15 Jul 1846
• (1847-1865) Fort Halleck (3), named 1847; Post at Monterey
• (1852-1856) Monterey Ordnance Depot
• (1865-1865) Monterey Barracks, Ord Barracks Established 18 Oct 1865, deactivated 18 Oct 1865
• (1902-1904) Ord Barracks, established 9 Sep 1902, named 13 Jul 1903
• (1904-Present) Presidio of Monterey, named 30 Aug 1904

Current Status

Active military reservation, Presidio of Monterey, Monterey County, California

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USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) Database Entry: 2512439

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Location: Presidio of Monterey, Monterey County, California. Maps & Images Lat: 36.6048141 Long: -121.9114208 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 122'

Sources:

• Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 78-80
• Hart, Herbert M., Tour Guide to Old Western Forts, Pruett Publishing Co., Boulder CO, 1980, ISBN 0-87108-568-2,page 29

Links:

• North American Forts - Presidio of Monterey
• Wikipedia - Presidio of Monterey
• California Military Museum
• Official Site

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