Biographies
Currently, these biographies are simply individual reports run from the software Family Tree Maker. As such, the facts listed are basically a loose accumulation of all the information I have run across during my research. Eventually I hope to compile it in an orderly, story-telling fashion.
Francisco Javier Leonardo Garcia
Maria Lucia Evangelista Miranda
Jose Antonio Garcia
De Anza Expedition recruit: Came with Anza in 1776 after being recruited by the Captain. The family was present at the founding of the Presidio de San Francisco and at the first Mass which was offered there on 19 Jun 1776. He was a soldado at the Mission San Francisco in 1776 and was a member of the escolta of the Mission Santa Clara at his death in 1778.
Jose Miguel Garcia
James D. Smith recalled the Californio families' welcome when his family arrived in the San Ramon Valley in 1850:
"Quite a settlement of Spaniards were located near some springs east of Alamo, across the San Ramon Creek. They were very friendly and soon came to see us, and the first cow we had in California a Mr. [Jose] Miguel Garcia gave to my mother - a gentle Spanish milk cow with long slender horns and yellow and white in color...
My mother in return invited him to bring his family to have dinner at our house, naming the day. They came on horseback, several couples. I remember the ladies of the pary seated in the saddle and the men seated behind and guding the horses, and I have no recollection of having seen any Spanish lady riding alone and directing her horse."
In 1841 Francisco Alviso, Manuel Miranda and Antonino Higuera,
brothers-in-law, settled upon and made application for an extensive
desolate section in the southeast corner of the county which was
and still is adapted for the most part for cattle growing. It was aptly
called La Canada de Los Vaqueros - The Valley of the Cattlemen.
The three young men with their families were John Marsh's
nearest neighbors. Francisco Alviso was married to Maria Miranda.
His brother-in-law, Manuel Miranda, married his sister, Carmen
Alviso, and Antonino Higuera married another sister, Josefa Alviso.
The three families came to be commonly known as the Alvisos.
Click to hear the lovely "Vaquero Song" by Dave Stamey
Pedro Antonio Amador
After some 47 years in the king's service, Amador retired around 1800 as a brevet alferez [ensign] with a 200 pesos a year pension. During the last decade or so of his life, he failed to receive this money, which proved a hardship as he was nearly blind. He died at the pueblo of San Jose on May 8, 1825, according to his son at the ripe old age of 99 years and one month.
"Memorias, Sobre la Historia de California" Jose Maria Amador