Carl McCarthy & the Portolá Discovery Site
Pacifica, San Mateo County, California
Marker Inscription
In memory of Carl Patrick McCarthy whose dedicated efforts for national recognition of the Portola Expedition's discovery of San Francisco Bay in 1769 included personally bringing 11,863 visitors to this Discovery Site and presenting the expedition's history in pictures to 9,343 between 1966 and his death in October 15, 1981
The Story
In November 1769, the Spanish land expedition led by Gaspar de Portolá crested the hills above present-day Pacifica and became the first Europeans to sight San Francisco Bay — a discovery that would reshape Spain's colonial plans for Alta California. This marker honors Carl Patrick McCarthy, who devoted the last fifteen years of his life to winning national recognition for that Discovery Site, personally guiding thousands of visitors and sharing the expedition's story until his death in 1981. His meticulously counted 11,863 visitors and 9,343 slide-show attendees testify to one man's determination to keep a pivotal moment of American exploration from being forgotten.
Why it matters
The 1769 sighting of San Francisco Bay opened one of the great natural harbors of North America to European settlement and set the course of California's colonial history. The marker also reminds us that historic sites survive largely through the volunteers and advocates who fight to have them remembered.
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Related people
- · Carl Patrick McCarthy
- · Gaspar de Portolá
Related events
- · Portolá Expedition
- · Discovery of San Francisco Bay (1769)
Themes & tags
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