Chapter 15: California (Part II)

     The reason I chose chapter 15 is because Big Sur is located along the Coastal Range of California by the Pacific Ocean.  As mentioned in the previous post, Native Americans were amongst the first group of settlers to discover Big Sur, until they were forced out of the region by European settlers.  Throughout chapter 15, we learn the overall settlement history of California, and come to find out that Europeans completely wiped out native cultures and people in a very short amount of time, including the hundreds to died from disease.

Similar to the settlement pattern of Big Sur, Spanish leader Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo sailed into San Diego in 1542 and took control over the region, where Native Americans were forced out as well.  Upon arrival, Spanish settlers started setting up missionaries in cities, as was the case in Big Sur, where it became a Catholic Ministry, along with Monterey, where Father Junipero Serra set up missionaries.

     One of the major revolutionary changes that took place in California was the development of of the transcontinental railroad in San Francisco in 1869.  The development of trolleys and other forms of transportation across town was developed in the 19th and 20th centuries, including the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge.  The construction of the Golden Gate Bridge made way for much of the tourism that occurs in San Francisco.  

    These events were very similar to the building of Big Sur's Scenic Highway 1.  It drew many tourists traveling to Northern California to visit the region and appreciate the beauty of the bridge.  Not only did the constructing of the bridge in San Francisco and the highway in Big Sur take a long time, but it had the same result, which was an increase in tourist activity.

     In 1962, a landmark court case was opened by Monterey County's government to ban billboards and other distractions on Highway 1.  After the case was affirmed, the county was recognized as having one of the most stringent land use laws.  They banned any new construction that was in close proximity to Highway 1

     From 1964-1971, Big Sur hosted an annual music festival, where some of the most famous artists would go up there to perform.  Amongst them were the Beach Boys, who dedicated several music tracks to Big Sur.  Red Hot Chili Peppers has also dedicated one of their songs "Road Trippin'" to Big Sur, following a road trip one of the lead singers and the guitarist took to Big Sur many years ago.  A documentary was published called "Celebrations at Big Sur" (trailer shown below) that captured the moments where people would come together at Big Sur and enjoy the music.  This is somewhat like the music festival Coachella that is held annually in Palm Springs, where tons of people (myself included) travel to Indio Valley for the 3 night event. 

     In chapter 15, when reading about the various cities in California, I read that many of the wealthy people live closer to the coasts, or scenic and mountainous areas.  After coming across several informative websites about living situations in Big Sur, I read that most of the retired elderly like to spend some time living in Big Sur, along with wealthy individuals who like to purchase vacation homes for some solitude.  

     The Basin Complex Fire of 2008 was the biggest natural disaster that occurred in Big Sur.  It happened on the weekend of July 4th in 08' and forced residents out of the town to evacuate.  The fire that burned over 130,000 acres of land was known to be one of the largest fires in California.  It burned down nearly 30 homes, and cut the tourist economy by 1/3.  

     Big Sur is also known for its scenic hiking trails.  It includes many different trails, ranging from long to short, to flat hill to uphill.  The Pacific Valley Bluff Trail is the most scenic coastal trail that crosses grass fields over to the rocky cliffs high above the ocean.

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Sur

http://www.hikinginbigsur.com/hikes.html

Chapter 3: Historical Settlement of Big Sur

Big Sur is located along Scenic Highway One approximately 150 miles south of San Francisco and 300 miles north of Los Angeles.  The Big Sur region's northern end is at Carmel, approximately 130 miles south of San Francisco and adjacent to Monterey.  Its southern end is at San Simeon, about 240 miles north of Los Angeles and near Cambria, Morro Bay, and San Luis Obispo.  

Early Settlement of Big Sur

The first group of people to ever settle on Big Sur were three Native American tribes known as the Ohlone, Esselen, and Salinan.  They lived in Big Sur for thousands of years, adopting a hunter-gatherer lifestyle.

In 1769, the first Europeans known to ever set foot on Big Sur were the Spanish, led by Gaspar de Portola near San Carpoforo Canyon.  With the help of Father Junipero Serra, Portola landed in Monterey Bay in 1770, and found most of the missions in California.  The Spanish gave Big Sur the name "El Sur Grande", meaning "The Big South", because it was a large, unexplored land south of their capital.  The colonization of the Spanish wiped out most of the Native American tribes by disease contraction, forced-labor, and malnutrition.

In 1821 when Mexico gained independence from Spain, Big Sur along with the rest of California became a part of Mexico.  In 1834, Jose Figueroa, governor of Mexico, appointed Juan Bautista Alvarado to a 9000-acre rancho in Big Sur to claim ownership.  The oldest structure that still stands today, called Cooper Cabin, was built in 1861on the Cooper Ranch (shown below)

After the passage of the Homestead Act in 1862, pioneers began to settle in regions of Big Sur on land they were promised.  

From the 1860s until part of the 20th century, Big Sur took a huge industrial leap.  Lumbering, gold mining, and harvesting were amongst the three drivers of the early economy.  Surprisingly, the economy of Big Sur provided more job opportunities and support to populations greater than todays.  

After Big Sur's industrial "boom" came to an end, the remaining decades of the 20th century were nothing but a wilderness.  Electricity was not accessible to the people until 1920's, and even then they were operated by water wheels and were available to only a few residents.  

Scenic Highway 1's history in Big Sur can be traced back to 1872, when wagon roads were built south from Monterey to Bixby Creek.  It was not until 1919 that California's voters approved bonds to build a modern road.  Construction began in 1922, and in 1937, Scenic Highway 1 was finally completed after eighteen years of construction.  It was one California's first scenic highways known for its aesthetic beauty and breathtaking experience for people driving by.  

 In the mid 20th century, more and more pioneers were drawn to Big Sur's scenic beauty and isolated state.  The region became home to a Catholic ministry, the New Camaldoli Heritage, established in 1958, and the Esalen Institute which was a retreat center founded in 1962.  Esalen was known for spreading Eastern philosophies and Gestalt Therapy in the United States.  Big Sur came to be known for its "bohemian" reputation with the inward movement of these newcomers.  Amongst the many pioneers who moved to the Big Sur region were writers and authors, including Henry Miller, Edward Weston, and Jack Kerouac.  In an interview, Henry Miller states a traveler went to his house in search of a "cult of sex and anarchy".  

Big Sur Today

According to the US Census Bureau, Big Sur's scanty population has less than 1500 residents today.  The people of Big Sur come from very diverse backgrounds, some of which are descendants of early settlers and ranchers, and some who are wealthy home-owners.  Aside from its nature-filled beauty, Big Sur doesn't offer much entertainment other than a few gas stations, restaurants, and motels, thus the economy is based solely on tourism.  Much of the land is privately-owned or has been donated to the state park system.

Sources from:
http://jrabold.net/bigsur/intro.htm
http://www.bigsurcalifornia.org/history.html
http://bigsurcoast.publishpath.com/history
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/65010/Big-Sur
http://vimeo.com/58045466
U.S. Census Bureau