(Hardcover; Fine; No Dust Jacket; 38 pp., frontis, bibliog...)
Hardcover; Fine; No Dust Jacket; 38 pp., frontis, bibliography, footnotes, facsimile documents. A fine, unmarked, unread copy less dust jacket as issued. Limited to 650 copies. An interesting read about an early Californio, who witnessed much of California's early history.
https://www.amazon.com/Vignettes-Early-California-Childhood-Reminiscences/dp/B000OFVMHQ?SubscriptionId=AKIAJRRWTH346WSPOAFQ&tag=prabook-20&linkCode=sp1&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=B000OFVMHQ
Juan Bautista Alvarado was born on February 14, 1809 in Monterey, California, United States, the son of a Spanish sergeant, José Francisco Alvarado, and his wife Maria Josefa Vallejo, sister of Mariano Guadalupe.
His father died when Bautista was three months old, and his mother later married Ramón Estrada.
Alvarado's early schooling was supplemented by Governor Sola, who assisted the boy with reading; Alvarado had a flair for contraband literature, being excommunicated for indulging in Fénelon's Télémaque.
Alvarado's clerical positions with foreign traders and in the custom-house led to public life in 1827, when he became secretary of the territorial diputación; he held this post till 1834, meantime adding that of territorial treasurer. Active as a diputado, he was president in 1836, and with José Castro unseated Governor Gutierrez, the centralist. Alvarado assumed the governorship in December as a result of this move for local control under the federalism of 1824.
Perhaps actuated by fear of foreigners, chiefly Americans, he adhered to the Mexican departmental system after gaining the power, the "sovereign state" of California being overlooked. He organized the Department, which included Lower California, into districts and subdistricts under prefects and subprefects, with town councils in the larger towns. The Los Angeles region had to be subjected by arms and arguments, but submitted before February 1837. The jealousies of the Carrillo family, Carlos Carrillo having obtained an appointment to the governorship, had also to be eliminated. This was done by sending Andrés Castillero to Mexico, and Alvarado was made proprietary governor in November 1838. The personal jealousies of Mariano Vallejo in Sonoma, of Pio Pico in the South, and of Castillero occupied much of the executive's attention. The expulsion of Isaac Graham, who had a brandy distillery at Branciforte, and a crew of followers who were thought to be plotting revolt, caused a flurry of interest almost international; the Graham party was sent to Mexico, but in 1842 was released and returned.
Under Alvarado came John A. Sutter, to establish himself at the present Sacramento as a citizen defender of the frontier against Americans and Indians. Sutter bought the establishment of the retiring Russians from Governor Kostromitinoff, the Department accepting the obligation, as Sutter had no funds. During Alvarado's term the ex-missions were inspected by William P. Hartnell, in a vain effort to stop the decay into which they had been falling since secularization in 1834. Alvarado's measures have been called destructive, but the resuscitation had become impossible. There was an attempt to establish a superior court, but the civil arm had no material with which to do this; better was the ecclesiastical court begun by the bishop, Father Francisco Garcia Diego y Moreno, after the Department became a bishopric in 1840.
In September 1841 the governor became ill, and surrendered his office to the president of the departmental junta until January 1, 1842. In October came Commodore T. A. C. Jones, palpitating lest Great Britain anticipate him in seizing California, and over-zealously raising the American flag at Monterey, only to haul it down with apologies.
In December at his own request Alvarado handed the government over to General Manuel Micheltorena, sent by Santa Anna to govern; his office was established at Los Angeles because of the Jones incident. After retiring, Alvarado received a commission as colonel; in 1844-1845 he and Castro led a short revolt which unseated Micheltorena, Alvarado serving under Governor Pio Pico as administrator of customs in Monterey. In 1845 he was elected to Congress, but neither he nor the treasury had money enough to send him to Mexico.
Alvarado emerged as a brilliant politician out of the chaotic times in the neglected Mexican province of Alta California. After a small but successful revolt in 1836, he declared California an independent state with himself as governor. He was also one of the leaders of a new and successful revolt in 1844-1845.
(Hardcover; Fine; No Dust Jacket; 38 pp., frontis, bibliog...)
Alvarado was married to Martina Castro in 1839 by proxy in Santa Clara; they resided at Monterey until 1848, and afterward at San Pablo. There were several children of this marriage, and natural daughters born before it.
