#437 - First Landing Place of Sailing Launch Comet
Posted by: 
Touchstone
N 37° 47.239 W 121° 18.310
10S E 649236 N 4183570
Quick Description: There are actually two Historic Markers at this site, so you two for the price of one on this visit.
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 10/25/2006 9:57:40 PM
Waymark Code: WMWF2
Views: 38
Long Description:The official plaque reads:
First known sail launch to ascend San Joaquin River from San
Francisco landed here autumn, 1846. It carried 20 Mormon pioneers
who founded New Hope Agricultural Project on Stanislaus. A yoke of
oxen and span of mules were driven from Marsh's Landing (Antioch)
by two men who followed a crude map drawn by Merritt the trapper.
Two years later Doak and Bonsell operated here the first ferry on
San Joaquin River.
Mormon Sam Brannan brought settlers to a spot 1 1/2 miles north
of the junction of the Stanislaus and San Joaquin rivers River,
near present day Salida. On the south bank had been Estanislao's
camp, and on the north bank (in today's San Joaquin County),
Brannan established the settlement of New Hope or Stanislaus City.
But, settlers of New Hope lived on both sides of the river, which
meant they lived in the future Stanislaus County. Mormon President
Brigham Young could not agree with Brannan to settle the Mormon
people at New Hope instead of in the Valley of the Great Salt Lake.
Many of the Mormon settlers went to the gold mines or to Utah
abandoning the settlement.
A more complete account of the Mormon Migration of the 1800's
can be found at the National Parks Webpage: Mormon
Pioneer
References: MID History
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