Presidio of Monterey (2)

Presidio of Monterey (2) (1846-1866, 1902-Present) - A U.S. military reservation established on the site of captured El Castillo Monterey in 1846 at the beginning of the Mexican War. Initially named Fort Stockton after Commodore Robert F. Stockton and renamed Fort Mervine after Captain William Mervine who led the initial landing party. Later named Fort Halleck (3) for Lieutenant Henry W. Halleck the engineer charged with completing construction. Abandoned between 1866 and 1902. Reactivated in 1902 and renamed Presidio of Monterey in 1904. Active U.S. military installation. Also known as Fort Savannah, Post at Monterey, Monterey Ordnance Depot, Monterey Barracks and Ord Barracks.

U.S. Army Presidio of Monterey	U.S. Army Presidio of Monterey Entrance Sign
U.S. Army Presidio Museum in Old Powder Magazine Building)

The Spanish Period (1770-1821)

The Spanish Presidio of Monterey established a fortification in 1792 overlooking the harbor and removed the Presidio's cannons to the new fort called El Castillo Monterey. George Vancouver made note of the fort during his visit in 1793. Vancouver did not think much of the fortification and even though it was upgraded 1796 it was never a sufficient fortification and continued to deteriorate over the years.

The Mexican Period (1822-1846)

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 Fort 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 was unarmed and the El Castillo Monterey was in a ruined condition and 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 Navy 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, home of the Defense Language Institute, Presidio of Monterey, Monterey County, California.

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
Horne, Kibbey M., A history of the Presidio of Monterey 1770-1970, Defense Language Institute West Coast Branch, California, 1970, Reprinted 2007, 58 pages, page 43-52

Links:

Visited: 23 Nov 2012