El Palo Alto - Palo Alto, CA
Posted by: 
saopaulo1
N 37° 26.836 W 122° 10.209
10S E 573402 N 4144814
El Palo Alto is a tree dating back to 940 AD. At the base of the plaque is a plaque noting the historic tree, and as a campsite for the Portola Expedition Party of 1769.
Waymark Code: WM609B
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 03/10/2009
Views: 5
A plaque under the tree states: "Under this giant redwood, the Palo Alto, November 6–11, 1769, camped Portola and his band on the expedition that discovered San Francisco Bay, this was the assembling point for their reconnoitering parties. Here in 1774 Padre Palou erected a cross to mark the site of a proposed mission (which later was built at Santa Clara). The celebrated Pedro Font topographical map of 1776 contained the drawing of the original double trunked tree making the Palo Alto the first official living California landmark."
A California Historical Marker near the tree states: "?From November 6 to 10 in 1769, the Portolá expedition of 63 men and 200 horses and mules camped near El Palo Alto, the tall tree. They had traveled from San Diego in search of Monterey but discovered instead the Bay of San Francisco. Finding the bay too large to go around, and deciding that Monterey had been bypassed, they ended the search and returned to San Diego."
Website: [Web Link]
Historic Event:
November 6–11, 1769, camped Portola and his band on the expedition that discovered San Francisco Bay, this was the assembling point for their reconnoitering parties. Here in 1774 Padre Palou erected a cross to mark the site of a proposed mission (which later was built at Santa Clara)
Year: 1776
Species: Redwood
Approximate Age: 1069
Location: Palo Alto
|
Visit Instructions:
To log this waymark you must visit the site and post an original photo of the tree. Photos taken off the web, or from other sources are not acceptable.