CHAPTER X 



HrSTORY AT POINT LOBOS* 



Centuries ago — back, perhaps, a thousand years or more — Point Lobos 

 was occupied by Indians. Though archaeological remains are somewhat 

 scanty (mainly shell deposits and bedrock mortars), the evidence shows that 

 the Point was often visited by the aborigines and that more or less per- 

 manent settlements were established near the mouths of San Jose Creek 

 and of Gibson Creek, the only places in this vicinity where fresh water 

 was available. Definite Indian mounds are at these two sites, which were 

 obviously of a more permanent character than the other shell areas within 

 the park. They were at least spring and summer residences of groups which 

 probably had winter villages somewhere inland, in more sheltered valleys. 

 So far as known, there are no aboriginal hut rings, burial grounds, or 

 petrographs in the park area. 



Temporary or "intermittent" camp sites of Indians are found at 19 

 places along the six miles of shore line. Most of these appear to have been 

 little more than overnight fishing stations, which were revisited year after 

 year by Indians from the interior, to gather harvests of abalones, mussels 

 and other mollusks. There are five localities on the point where mortar 

 holes for grinding seeds and acorns — probably of the coast live oak — occur 

 in association with the shell deposits. 



From examination of the mounds, shell deposits and other remains, it 

 seems not unlikely that many of these were several centuries old when 

 Europeans first reached the California coast. It is not definitely known 

 whether the Indians were more closely related to those of the San Fran- 

 cisco Bay region, or to the Channel Islanders, or whether they formed a 

 distinctive group with the adjacent mainland peoples. 



Knowledge of the ancient habitation of this area has been greatly in- 

 creased by an Archaeological Reconnaissance of Point Lohos Reserve, writ- 

 ten by Waldo R. Wedel, formerly Research Assistant in Anthropology, 

 University of California, Berkeley. 



Early explorers saw Point Lobos from the sea. Though many details of 

 their voyages are obscure, and are in dispute, it is probable that Cabrillo 

 and Ferrelo viewed this headland in 1542. It is certain that Sebastian 

 Viscaino passed close by several times, in 1602-3. When his ships entered 

 Carmel Bay, some of the Spaniards encamped near the mouth of Rio del 

 Carnielo, which Viscaino named in honor of three Carmelite friars who 

 accompanied him. Possibly the commander, or at least some of his men, 

 actuality set foot upon Point Lobos. 



The exploring party of Don Caspar de Portola marched by here in 

 October, 1769; and Sergeant Jose Francisco Ortega, the "pathfinder" of 

 the expedition, made a careful study of the coastline south of Carmel River. 

 For a time Portola 's men were camped upon the banks of San Jose Creek, 

 and his livestock grazed upon the lush grasses there. 



• By Aubrey Drury, Secretary, Point Lobos Association (1927-1933) ; President, California 

 Historical Society (1949-1951) ; and Vernon Aubrey Neasham, Regional Historian, Na- 

 tional Park Service, 1938-1952 ; Historian, California Division of Beaches and Parks, 1953. 



(78) 



