When this book was first published as a bestseller in 1960, reviewers noted that the 400-year history of Ranchero Dos Pueblos mirrored in microcosm the history of California itself. Dos Pueblos bears one of California’s oldest place-name, christened by Cabrillo during his voyage of discovery in 1542. Dubbed a “royal rancho” by historians because it was a gift of King Carlos III of Spain, Dos Pueblos was intended to support Mission Santa Barbara during the presidio period following Santa Barbara’s founding in 1782. The first private owner, Irish-born Nicholas A. Den, a medical man, was awarded ownership of the ranch in 1842 by Mexican governor Juan B. Alvarado. When Col. John C. Fremont came over the mountain to seize Santa Barbara for the U.S. during the Mexican War, he emerged onto Dos Pueblos Ranch. During the Gold Rush of ‘49, Den made his fortune selling Dos Pueblos beef to mining camps. Following Den’s death in 1862 the ranch was subdivided among his widow and numerous children. Before and after the turn of the century Royal Ranch was the scene of many diverse activities. One of its later owners bred racehorses. Another converted Dos Pueblos into the world’s largest orchid farm. A major oil company established off-shore petroleum production from pumps operated on the ranch. At the present time the historic spread specializes in such exotic crops as macadamia, cherimoyas and avocados.

Anyone who ever wondered about pioneer life in 18th-century Alta California will find this book a treasure-trove of basic information. This hardy group of pioneers traveled on foot and horseback across thousands of miles of desert to settle California. From these transcriptions and translations of fifty-two memorias (requisitions) and facturas (invoices) for goods delivered to the Santa Barbara Presidio between 1781 and 1810, emerges the clearest picture yet obtained of these mestizo people and their everyday life on the outermost fringes of the Spanish Empire.

What was once home to the native tribe known as the Ohlone, and functioning as guardian of the San Francisco Bay under Spanish, Mexican, and American flags, the Presidio has served as outpost as well as cultural barometer of the vast changes this country and the state of California have seen. For almost a century and a half, the U.S. military transformed these grounds into a logistical centerpiece for every American conflict and created a pioneering airfield for early flight experiments. The Presidio served as the headquarters for the Western Defense Command during World War II and until its closure in 1994. The Golden Gate National Recreation Area then embraced a unique opportunity to develop the Presidio into a mixed-use area where it once again became an influential icon as development tackled various social, cultural, and environmental issues to point northern California into a new century while simultaneously tracing this country's past.

The prestige of Pacific Heights and Presidio Heights has long fascinated and awed San Francisco residents and visitors. The westward expansion of the city, followed by the addition of cable car lines, quickly transformed these once-barren outlands into gardens, schools, consulates, and homes, both extravagant and simple. Attracted to the stunning views and unique architecture, prominent and humble families alike have formed the fascinating role of Pacific Heights and Presidio Heights in San Francisco lore.

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Unique in California history—and beloved by visitors and residents alike—the city of Santa Barbara boasts three great historical properties: the Mission, the Courthouse, and the Presidio. Least known is the Presidio. This book fills this vacuum, beginning with the story of its adobe construction between 1784 and 1790. This itself was preceded by the construction of three other Spanish forts: Monterey (1770), San Diego (1773), and San Francisco (1776). All four Presidios helped secure the Spanish settlement of Alta or Upper California, as the mixed-racial soldiers and their families became the first Spanish settlers of the region. The Santa Barbara Presidio was the last Spanish fort founded and built not only in California, but in all of Spanish North America, an area that, in its day, covered much of the southern portion of the modern United States from Florida to California. This book celebrates the Santa Barbara Presidio’s place in not only American history but also that of Spain, and honors the community that came together to ensure its preservation and faithful reconstruction.