The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-04-27
BY
MEXICANS
Frisco Originally Mexican Mission
Dolores = California Annexed By
Commodore Sloat in 1s47.

For a long time after the great
claims of the Cabots of Labrador in
1897, nothing was known of the west
coast of North America. In 1879 Fran
els Drake tarried for repairs beside
Cape Reyes, the Cape of Kings, and
claimed the country, New Albion,
for Queen Elizabeth of England. He
anchored in a cove within mile of
San Francisco Bay, but sailed away
without guessing it's existence behind
the forest-covered mountains. Twenty
three years later, Vizcaino made stay
in brakes old anchorage and named it
the Port of San Francisco.
1t was not until 1869 that Mexico or
New Spain set about colonizing upper
California, In that year four expedi-
lions set out from Mexico to enter ON
the work of colonizing and civilizing
California. One of the four expeditions
pushing northward by land, unwilling
ly passed Monterey. and fragment
of the company came suddenly in sight
of the waters now known as the Col
den Gate and the San Francisco Bay.
The name. San Francisco, was soon
transferred to this greater water from
the old port known to Drake and Viz
canine. In the summer of 1875, COM
pany of padres, soldiers and their fam
lilies arrived on the San Francisco pc
ninsula and built temporary shelter of
brush and tules plastered with mud.
On September II. the feast of the
stigmata of st. Francis, Solemn pos
session was taken of the preside in the
name of Spain and the mission was
formally dedicated on October 4. 1t
was in little fertile valley four miles
from the preside. near small creek
now filled in. 1t became known as
the Mission de los Dolores. in honor
of the sorrows of Mary
The Mission Dolores.
The Mission Dolores grew after the
general plan of the score of others in
California. Now only the chapel,
thrice restored. remains of the Dolores
structure. When Beechy visited it in
1929. it was already crumbling ruin.
Little of moment occurred at Dolores
until the days of secularization. The
missions were secularized in 1886. Eng
land in 1910, for the fame of the beau
tiful coast was spreading. sent Belcher
to the bay to gather information, and
France sent de Mofras. Both of these
nations were suspected of coyeting the
California province and the hope Of
getting possession of it was doubtless
in the background of our national con-
seriousness as one motive of the Mexi-
can War. In 1916, after the Mexican
War had fairly started, Fremont, pur-
suing a scientific exploration in Cali
sfornia, received secret government ad-
vices, and gathering troops in the
north Of Cn1ieNrp 10 ,,p q
tfon of independence. Commodore
Sloat, in command of a frigate at Mon
terey, in July, 1876, raised the Ameri-
can flag in place Of the Spanish nopal
and Eagle standard. declaring Califor-
mia part of the United States. The
next day, following the order of Sloat,
our flag was set flying in the plaza at
Yerba Buena by the captain of frig-
ate in the bay, accompanied by mill
tary escort. No opposition was offered
by the Mexicans. Portsmouth, the
name of the vessel. was given to the
plaza, and Montgomery, the name of
the captain, was given to the street,
then along the water front. but now
pushed back q half dozen blocks by
J the filing In Of the cove.
Ce1ea to the United States.
The first alcalde Of Yerba Buena un-
I der the American flag was Washington
Bartletts who In 1847 named the place
San Francisco from the beautiful bay.
When California was coded to the Uni
ted States BY Mexico IN 1917. San Fran
cisco was already on her way to a
6ourfshing future. There was school,
churches were building, 200 houses
were on the hills and the population