My ancestor, Matias Olivas, traveled here on the Anza trail back in 1776. His son and my great-great-great-great grandfather, Don Raymundo Olivas, was stationed as soldier at the Presidio in Santa Barbara, which still stands. I'll be posting a series on the local haunts of my ancestors and then some: Anza Trail, Los Angeles Presidio, Santa Barbara Mission, Santa Barbara Presidio.
The Anza Trail is a National Historic Trail. "On the eve of the American Revolution, Lt. Colonel Juan Bautista de Anza led more than 240 men, women, and children on an epic journey across the frontier of New Spain to establish a settlement at San Francisco Bay. Discover their legacy on the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, connecting culture, history, and outdoor recreation throughout Arizona, California, and beyond." Anza Trail Foundation
National Park Service
One of the most intriguing stories retold by my family regarding Matias' trek is the recounting of his lucky escape from being massacred on the trail. Along the trail, the expedition party split into two factions nears San Diego. One faction remained while the other trudged onward northbound. Matias was in the party that continued their march northward. The party that remained camped was later massacred in a Yuma uprising. This twist of fate had profound consequences for my family and me.
In regard to our local region and the Anza Trail: "The expedition entered the county from the east past San Dimas and went on to Mission San Gabriel Arcángel. The colonists stayed at the mission for about six weeks while Anza, Font and some soldiers went to San Diego to help quell an American Indian rebellion there. Later, the colonists traveled west from the mission to cross the Los Angeles River, entering the San Fernando Valley and crossing the Simi Hills at Calabasas."
"Although the Anza Trail was largely abandoned by the Spanish after an uprising of the Yuma Indians in 1781, it had allowed the passage of enough cattle, settlers, and soldiers to ensure the survival of the existing settlements and to begin the pueblos of San José and Los Angeles. The GiIa River section of the trail would be the basis for the Mormon Battalion route, the Butterfield Overland Mail route, and the “southern route” many Americans followed to settle in California.The soldiers and families that Anza escorted to California brought their language, customs, traditions, and general expressions of Hispanic culture as it existed in the New World."
"These early settlers of California were a mixed group with European, Native American, and African heritage. They had a significant impact on the cultures of the indigenous peoples they encountered and on the development of California.The diaries of the two expeditions provide a record of the American Indian cultures and of the landscapes encountered by Anza at the time. They offer today’s reader a window to life on the Spanish frontier at the end of the 18th century. The arrival of the Anza expedition marked a dramatic change in the history of Alta California. The introduction of new plants and animals began the process of dramatically altering the landscape. The arrival of settlers and expansion of the missions and pueblos radically altered existence for the American Indian communities throughout the southwest. Anza and Font’s diaries reveal important details of the culture and daily lives of these peoples during the time of first contact.Today, the Anza Trail is commemorated as an important turning point in the history of the southwest. The story of the hundreds of settlers seeking out a better life on the edge of the Spanish Empire is part of a universal story of people throughout time and across the globe facing challenges to create a better world for their families."
This above excerpts has been extracted from the National Park Service Anza Trail website, History Section direct link: https://www.nps.gov/juba/plan/history1.htm.
On the Anza Trail Photo by Tony Gleaton