(Excerpt from my book, Our Summer In Carmel, available at Amazon.com)
A prehistoric grinding hole near Fr. Serra's statue on the grounds of the presidio
I like history. I begin my photo/travel journal with a brief amateur overview of the Monterey Peninsula. Providing some historical context helps to better understand a place today. This short historical discourse is divided into three phases. Prehistory, Spanish/Mexican governance, and lastly the arrival of the Yankee.
For thousands of years, anthropologists don't know exactly how long, but well before the first arrival of "modern" man the Spanish, the Monterey area was inhabited by three native tribes. One tribe, The Coastanoan, were named by the Spanish because they resided on the from Carmel to Big Sur and into parts of the Salinas Valley. They were friendly and approachable. The other two tribes, with similar friendly dispositions, were the Esselan, who mainly inhabited the mountains, and the Salinan who occupied the southern reaches of the Salinas Valley. The people of these tribes lived off the land, assembled in villages consisting of small huts made from brush and poles, and would move to a new location, burning their huts, when conditions dictated such as sanitation or food supply demanded they do so. Little is known about these tribes during the thousands of years preceding the Spanish.
The Esselan, the smallest were the first to become extinct. The Salinian may have numbered 2,000 and the Coastanoan perhaps 3,000. This last tribe we know most about as they were in close proximity to the Spanish settlements and provided most of the souls and labor to satisfy the needs of the Franciscan Padres.
These peoples believed that at one time the earth was covered with water (Noah?) except for a single mountain that protruded above the water. The mountain was inhabited by an eagle, coyote, and a hummingbird. Together, at the instigation of the coyote, as the waters receded, they agreed to create man and all other living things, an interesting parallel to Noah and the biblical flood. These natives had ceremonial dances, knew how to fashion hunting weapons, and wove baskets. These simple, primitive, and peaceful people were soon overwhelmed by "modern man" who came to save their souls and civilize them. If one looks closely there are sings of the existence today.
Near where the first Spanish explorers landed, on the grounds of the Presidio, is a grinding hole, used by the natives. It would be filled with nuts and seeds and ground into flour with a stick. It was most likely Costanoan.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Monterey History-Part I
(Excerpt from my book, Our Summer In Carmel, available at Amazon.com)
A prehistoric grinding hole near Fr. Serra's statue on the grounds of the presidio
I like history. I begin my photo/travel journal with a brief amateur overview of the Monterey Peninsula. Providing some historical context helps to better understand a place today. This short historical discourse is divided into three phases. Prehistory, Spanish/Mexican governance, and lastly the arrival of the Yankee.
For thousands of years, anthropologists don't know exactly how long, but well before the first arrival of "modern" man the Spanish, the Monterey area was inhabited by three native tribes. One tribe, The Coastanoan, were named by the Spanish because they resided on the from Carmel to Big Sur and into parts of the Salinas Valley. They were friendly and approachable. The other two tribes, with similar friendly dispositions, were the Esselan, who mainly inhabited the mountains, and the Salinan who occupied the southern reaches of the Salinas Valley. The people of these tribes lived off the land, assembled in villages consisting of small huts made from brush and poles, and would move to a new location, burning their huts, when conditions dictated such as sanitation or food supply demanded they do so. Little is known about these tribes during the thousands of years preceding the Spanish.
The Esselan, the smallest were the first to become extinct. The Salinian may have numbered 2,000 and the Coastanoan perhaps 3,000. This last tribe we know most about as they were in close proximity to the Spanish settlements and provided most of the souls and labor to satisfy the needs of the Franciscan Padres.
These peoples believed that at one time the earth was covered with water (Noah?) except for a single mountain that protruded above the water. The mountain was inhabited by an eagle, coyote, and a hummingbird. Together, at the instigation of the coyote, as the waters receded, they agreed to create man and all other living things, an interesting parallel to Noah and the biblical flood. These natives had ceremonial dances, knew how to fashion hunting weapons, and wove baskets. These simple, primitive, and peaceful people were soon overwhelmed by "modern man" who came to save their souls and civilize them. If one looks closely there are sings of the existence today.
Near where the first Spanish explorers landed, on the grounds of the Presidio, is a grinding hole, used by the natives. It would be filled with nuts and seeds and ground into flour with a stick. It was most likely Costanoan.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
CARMEL/MONTEREY NEW BLOG
This blog will get its input from my book Our Summer in Carmel, available from Amazon.com The book describes the experiences mt wife, Elysee, and I had while renting a summer home in Carmel for three plus months. What the book also does is provide an example of a lifestyle I champion. It is my belief that for many persons, especially retiring "Boomers", temporarily renting a second home each summer, preferably in a different place each year, is a superior financial and lifestyle strategy than buying a second home. While not for everyone, it has many advantages which are described in a forthcoming book, The World Is Your Second Home.
I have been enchanted with the Monterey Peninsular ever since I first drove down 17 mile drive in December 1964. Returning from a tour of duty with the US Army in Korea, I was met by my wife in San Francisco and we just took off south with the the eventual destination of Guaymus, Mexico. I was unprepared for the splendor of the Monterey area, its history, culture, arts, seascape, climate and intelligent population. Abandoning my own advice to reside each summer in a different place in world each year I have been lured back to Carmel/Monterey every three or four years. This 157 page photo/journal account is about one of those visits. I would like to hear from others not only on the subject matter of this book, but also about the Carmal/Monterey area and my notion of renting a second home each year instead of purchasing a second home.
I've included the cover from the book and a couple of links where you can read ahead by going to google books or putting the book in your own library by going to Amazon.com
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