Location Overview:
Monterey is a city known for its sandy beaches, Spanish adobes, sweeping bay views and turquoise waters. At various times throughout its 150 year ...more
History
In 1602, Sebastián Vizcaìno became the first European to set foot on the shores of the bay,
which he officially named "Monte Rey" Bay (which translates roughly to "King of the Hill"), in honor of the Viceroy of New Spain,
who had ordered his expedition.
In 1770, Gaspar de Portolá established a military post at the site, and Junipero Serra founded the Mission San Carlos Borroméo, which was soon after moved to Carmel. Four years later, Monterey was named the capital of California under Spanish rule and included lands stretching throughout California and the American Southwest. On October 13, 1849, the state constitution was signed at Colton Hall on what is now Pacific Street in downtown Monterey.
By the 1880s, the Southern Pacific Railroad had rolled into town. Pacific Grove and Monterey evolved into luxury resort destinations as tourism took economic precedence. The railroad also brought more residents into outlying areas, each eventually lending its unique flavor to the region including Carmel Valley's dairy farms, and Salinas Valley's rich agriculture.
After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, adventurous bohemians such as Jack London and Mary Austin settled in Carmel, which blossomed into California's first artist colony. Artists and writers Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Robinson Jeffers, Henry Miller, John Steinbeck and Robert Louis Stevenson have each left a creative mark on the formation of the Monterey Peninsula.
During the 1920s, Samuel F.B. Morse was developing the exclusive resort town of Pebble Beach, while to the south, residents of Big Sur already had a bustling redwood lumber industry underway. Sardine harvesting led to the birth of Monterey's Cannery Row during the 1930s and '40s, and Monterey became the center of a thriving fishing industry. Today, a smaller commercial fishing fleet and industry continues to operate.
Monterey County still attracts famous residents such as Clint Eastwood and Doris Day, who are able to enjoy the area's exquisite beauty away from the glare of Hollywood.
In 1770, Gaspar de Portolá established a military post at the site, and Junipero Serra founded the Mission San Carlos Borroméo, which was soon after moved to Carmel. Four years later, Monterey was named the capital of California under Spanish rule and included lands stretching throughout California and the American Southwest. On October 13, 1849, the state constitution was signed at Colton Hall on what is now Pacific Street in downtown Monterey.
By the 1880s, the Southern Pacific Railroad had rolled into town. Pacific Grove and Monterey evolved into luxury resort destinations as tourism took economic precedence. The railroad also brought more residents into outlying areas, each eventually lending its unique flavor to the region including Carmel Valley's dairy farms, and Salinas Valley's rich agriculture.
After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, adventurous bohemians such as Jack London and Mary Austin settled in Carmel, which blossomed into California's first artist colony. Artists and writers Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Robinson Jeffers, Henry Miller, John Steinbeck and Robert Louis Stevenson have each left a creative mark on the formation of the Monterey Peninsula.
During the 1920s, Samuel F.B. Morse was developing the exclusive resort town of Pebble Beach, while to the south, residents of Big Sur already had a bustling redwood lumber industry underway. Sardine harvesting led to the birth of Monterey's Cannery Row during the 1930s and '40s, and Monterey became the center of a thriving fishing industry. Today, a smaller commercial fishing fleet and industry continues to operate.
Monterey County still attracts famous residents such as Clint Eastwood and Doris Day, who are able to enjoy the area's exquisite beauty away from the glare of Hollywood.
