HomeMy WebLinkAboutAugust 2018 SLOWhatHistory of SLO: Pioneers’ Story
WITH JOSEPH CAROTENUTI, CITY HISTORIAN/ARCHIVIST
Contact: jacarotenuti@gmail.com Visit: www.joefromslo.com 07/2018
An important lesson we’ve learned in all the
interviews with the pioneers of our community is
the diversity of travel as well as time required to
arrive in our valley.
Walter Murray is no exception as by the time he was
22 years old, he had traveled across the Atlantic from
his home in London, joined the military and sailed
around Cape Horn to California, been engaged in
battles in the Mexican-American War in Baja
California before he was free to settle in the
soon-to-be 30th state.
To continue: You left off last time with your
discharge in 1848 in San Francisco and decided to
try gold mining. So, what happened?
“I wouldn’t say I was interested in settling down here
as much as I was trying to earn some income. Mining
wasn’t it. I then tried trading by bringing supplies to
the ever-expanding gold fields. It was a chaotic time
as hordes of men inundated San Francisco, often
ill-equipped for long stays in the gold country…
whatever or wherever that meant. They needed
supplies, I thought, so I would provide some.”
That must have been a great deal of effort to
purchase goods in San Francisco and then transport
them eastward?
“It certainly was and within a few years, I moved on to
settle in Sonoma and purchased the Sonora
Herald newspaper. It was the first newspaper
published in that mining region. In fact, it was
published in both English and Spanish. I used the
same format with the Tribune in 1869.
My ownership didn’t last long and within a year – I
think - I relinquished my interests. It was a decision
I would come to regret. As it happened, my brother,
Alexander, was also an owner for a few months in
1854.
However, one decision I never regretted was marriage
to a widow in 1853 …Mercedes Espinoza Quisieros
from Sonora. Fortunately, my Spanish was sufficient
as she spoke no English. My memory is a bit hazy as
to the sequence of events but we were married by the
local padre in San Luis Obispo and finally settled in
the village in late 1853.
I had some experience along the central part of the
state when I was with Stevenson’s regiment. I should
have mentioned it earlier but I found my time in Santa
Barbara to be very pleasant. I had also met a fellow my
age by the name of Romualdo Pacheco. I think at the
time he was herding cattle north from his
step-father’s ranch near San Luis Obispo. I had no idea
of how prominent he would become and
eventually was governor.
I stayed all my life, but it was a struggle as the town at
the time was a dull crossroads and crime was rampant
until we formed the Vigilance Committee.”
I’m sure readers would like to know more but we
thank you for an incredible story of your journey here
from London after 27 years. Yours is the furthest
journey we have encountered.
Walter Murray