History Little Sur River

1 history

1.1 esselen tribe
1.2 european contact
1.3 european settlement
1.4 trails , roads
1.5 national forest created

history

the little sur river area has been sparsely occupied. land steep, rocky, semi-arid except narrow canyons, , inaccessible, making long-term habitation challenge.

esselen tribe

the area first occupied esselen american indians followed local food sources seasonally, living near coast in winter, harvested rich stocks of mussels, abalone , other sea life. in summer , fall move inland harvest acorns gathered black oak, canyon live oak , tanbark oak, on upper slopes in areas outside current camp s location. large boulder dozen or more deep mortar bowls worn it, known bedrock mortar, located in apple tree camp on southwest slope of devil s peak, north of camp pico blanco. holes hollowed out indians used grind acorns flour. other mortar rocks have been found within boy scout camp @ campsites 3 , 7, , upstream campsite 12, while fourth found on large rock in river, above river, between campsites 3 , 4.

pico blanco, splits north , south forks of river, sacred in native traditions of rumsien , esselen, revered mountain sacred place life originated. spanish mission system led virtual destruction of indian population. estimates pre-contact populations of native groups in california have varied substantially. alfred l. kroeber suggests 1770 population esselen of 500. sherburne f. cook raises estimate 750. more recent calculation (based on baptism records , density) numbered 1,185–1,285.

european contact

on june 14, 1771, father junípero serra founded mission san antonio de padua near current town of jolon. 1822, of native indian population had been forced spanish mission system, , of interior villages within current los padres national forest uninhabited. virtually of esselen baptized , relocated mission san carlos borromeo de carmelo in present-day carmel, california, many died disease, demoralization, poor food, , overwork. last baptism of esselen native recorded in 1808, , there evidence members may have avoided control of spanish mission escaping relatively inaccessible upper reaches of carmel , arroyo seco rivers watershed.

european settlement

along rest of california, big sur became part of mexico when gained independence spain in 1821. on july 30, 1834, mexican governor josé figueroa conveyed 8,949-acre (36 km) rancho el sur land grant juan bautista alvarado. alvarado later traded rancho el sur uncle marriage, captain john b.r. cooper, in exchange rancho bolsa del potrero y moro cojo.

bixby landing in 1911. similar landings constructed in number of locations, including notley s landing @ mouth of palo colorado canyon.

after california revolted against mexican rule , became u.s. state, few hardy pioneer homesteaders settled in big sur region, drawn promise of free 160 acre (0.6 km²) parcels. filed united states government patents 1891. these settlers included william f. notley, homesteaded @ mouth of palo colorado canyon in 1891.

a major forest product of big sur coast bark of tanbark oak trees. bark, high in tannic acid, used cure leather. after trees felled, bark stripped trunks, dried, , packed out via mule or sleds, called go-devils or on wagons.

he began harvesting tanoak bark canyon, lucrative source of income @ time. bark used manufacture tannic acid, necessary growing leather tanning industry located in santa cruz, 40 miles north. notley constructed landing @ mouth of palo colorado river @ bixby landing south. tanbark harvested isolated trees inland, corded, brought out mule or using wooden sleds, , loaded cable onto waiting vessels anchored offshore @ notley s landing. point on palo colorado road still nicknamed hoist because of steep road required wagon-loads of tanbark , lumber hoisted block , tackle hitched oxen. old block , tackle on beam still mounted between mailboxes.

notley s landing used ship tan bark north, , small village prospered @ spot 1898 1907. in 1889, as 50,000 cords of tanbark hauled out little sur river , big sur river watersheds. redwood harvesting limited rugged terrain , difficulty in transporting lumber market. near start of 20th century, tan oak trees becoming depleted, led demise of industries had created.

a one-armed man named vogler built cabin east of devil s peak in 1880s, later purchased comings family, whom location , creek named today. (they continued use cabin until 1950s.) other homesteaders in palo colorado canyon region included thomas w. allen, 1891, isaac n. swetnam, 1894, harry e. morton, 1896, samuel l. trotter, 1901, abijah c. robbins, 1901, , antare p. lachance, 1904. swetnam bought notley home @ mouth of palo colorado canyon , constructed small cabin on little sur river @ site of future pico blanco camp.

hand-tinted photograph of local cowboy roy bixby leading pack mules through redwoods in palo colorado canyon on 1932.


early trails , roads

the area isolated , sturdiest , self-sufficient settlers stayed. rough trail carmel mill creek (present-day bixby canyon) in use 1855. in 1870, charles henry bixby , father hired men improve track , constructed first wagon road including 23 bridges carmel mission bixby creek. bixby later partnered william b. post extend road 11 miles (18 km) inland, around bixby canyon , mouth of little sur river, post ranch on rancho el sur. 30 miles (48 km) trip on rough , dangerous track take 3 days wagon or stagecoach. single-lane road closed in winter when became impassable. coast residents receive supplies via hazardous landing boat monterey or san francisco.

the united states army corps of engineers began building road end of palo colorado canyon road in 1950 location known hoist bottcher s gap (2,050 feet (620 m)), site of former homesteader john bottcher s cabin in 1885-86. road leaving bottcher s gap traverses extremely steep terrain, necessitating 4 narrow switchbacks. road reached little sur river in vicinity of camp in summer of 1951. council turned on road hoist bottcher s gap monterey county in 1958. in 1963, council executive estimated buying land @ time cost council on $1 million, or $53,977,500 in today s dollars.

after 18 years of construction, paved two-lane carmel-san simeon highway completed in 1937. prior construction of highway 1, california coast south of carmel , north of san simeon 1 of remote regions in state, rivaling other region in united states difficult access.

national forest created

bixby canyon bridge under construction in 1932.

in october, 1905 land makes los padres national forest, including south fork , portions of upper reaches of north fork of little sur river watershed, withdrawn public settlement united states land office, although current landholders allowed retain property. in january 1908, 39 sections of land, totaling 25,000 acres (10,000 ha), added monterey national forest president theodore roosevelt in presidential proclamation. several tanning companies , homesteaders retained ownership of land within area not purchased government.

by 1916 kron tanning company of santa cruz , eberhard tanning company of santa clara had acquired of acreage along little sur river original owners. interest in preserving abundant growth of redwoods in area prompted newspaper publisher william randolph hearst purchase entire acreage. on november 18, 1921, hearst sunical land , packing company paid approximately $50,000 buy land tanning companies.