Earliest European contact with the Burlingame area

Lieutenant-Colonel Juan Bautista de Anza was charged to take an expedition of settlers over a newly opened route to establish both a presidio and a mission in the area of San Francisco bay.

Thus, in March of 1775, Juan Bautista de Anza assumed the responsibility of recruiting families and organizing supplies for the first colonizing expedition to northern California. After numerous months spent preparing the newly recruited families for the arduous journey and delays due to Apache raids on the expedition’s horses, Anza, together with a small military escort and approximately 240 men, women and children, left Tubac on October 23, 1775.

For nearly five months they traveled by horseback, mule, and on foot, arriving at the Presidio of Monte Rey on March 10, 1776. From there, de Anza took a smaller party to found the mission and Presidio of San Francisco. On the evening of Tuesday March 26th he made camp on the Burlingame creek near where El Camino Real crosses Howard Avenue.

Below are extracts from de Anza’s diary of that day.

Anza’s Diary

English

Tuesday March 26, 1776

"At half past seven we set forth to the northwest, crossing three arroyos with a small amount of water. The fourth, which we came to after having traveled a little less than four leagues, was the arroyo of San Francisco. It was proposed and marked for a mission, as it shown by a cross, but subsequently it has been found that it is not suitable for the purpose because it lacks water in the dry season. This is too bad, for it certainly has all the other advantages that might be desired, such as an abundance of heathen, good land for crops, plentiful and choice timber near by, and other things which make it desirable. At this arroyo we found a village of about twenty huts whose inhabitants were given presents of glass beads.

"Continuing our route from here, and going in general to the west-northwest, although the turns which we made in the first direction were small and almost negligible, we passed by two other villages to whom we made the same gifts. Here ends the abundance of oaks, live oaks and other tress which we have had on all sides on the way from San Bernadino.

"Leaving these villages and continuing on our way, we came upon two others, the second one being on the arroyo of San Matheo. From here we passed on to another, distant about half a league, and here at half past three we halted for the night, having traveled for eight hours and covered about eight leagues. All these arroyos mentioned today, and a larger number which have been passed dry shod, we have found grown with many tall and thick laurels of extraordinary and most fragrant scent. - From Tubac to the arroyo of San Matheo, 347.5 leagues."

Wednesday, March 27

"A little before seven we set forth on the march, going in the main to the northwest, whereby we arrived at half past ten at the mouth of the port of San Francisco."

Espanõl

Dia 26, Marttes [Marzo]

"A las siette, y media nos pusimos en Marcha con rumbo al Noruestte, passando por tres arroyos de poca Agua, y al quarto, y de andar poco menos de quattro leguas, llegamos al de San Francisco propuestto, y señalado, como ma-nifiestta una Cruz, para Mission, mas despues de lo dho [dicho] se ha reconocido no ser para el casso, por falttarle la Agua en tiempo de secas, lo que es censible, porque es cierttotiene, quanttas mas circunstancias, puedan apetecerse, como es abundancia de Gentilidad, buenas tierras de siembra, mucha, y selectta madera cerca, y ottras Calidades que le hacen apreciable; en dho [dicho] Arroyo hallamos una rancheria, como de veintte Xacales, à cuyos Havitadores, se les regalo con abalorio, y prosiguien [f. 41v] do de el, nuesttra Ruta, cogiendo por lo general el Oes norueste [pues fueron pequeñas hasta parar las Guinadas, que haciamos al primero, cittado anteriormentte] passamos por ottras dos Rancherias, [Nota 95] à quienes se les hizo el proprio obcequio, y aqui remató la abundancia de robles, Encinas, y ottros arboles que hemos traido à todos lados desde San Bernardino, de ellas prosiguiendo nuesttro Camino, dimos, con otras dos, siendo la ulttima la del Arroyo de San Matheo, del que passamos à ottro distantte, como media legua, donde paramos, para hacer noche, à las tres, y media con ocho horas de Camino, y como igual numero de leguas. En ttodos los Arroyos cittados oy, y mayor numero que se han passado en seco los hemos enconttrado, con muchos elevados, y gruezos Laureles de extraordinario, y fragantissimo Olor.
[De Tubac al Arroyo de Sn [San] Matheo, 347_ leguas]"

Dia 27, Miercos [Miercoles] [Marzo]

"Poco anttes de las siette, nos pusimos en marcha, con rumbo por lo mas comun al Norueste, con el que llegamos à las diez, y media à la Vocana del Puerto de San Francisco, àdonde hizimos alto, à orillas de una Laguna, que hasta oy se tenia portal, por que no se le havia vistto su desague al mar, que es tan conciderable, que tiene la su- ficientte para un molino, en la que concluimos, como quattro leguas de marcha, hechas con tres, y media horas."