A young boy’s dream

In 1835, the Pueblo of Sonoma was founded and Mariano Vallejo appointed Commandante of the Fourth Military District and Director of Colonization of the Northern Frontier. Vallejo describes his arrival to Sonoma County, on his way to the mission to lay out the pueblo of Sonoma, in his book “Historica de California.” One of his goals was to bring the Mexican military and to extend Mexican domain in the North Bay to maintain a Mexican stronghold against the Russians at Fort Ross.

When Mariano was a youngster roaming the hillsides of Monterey, turning each stone looking for snakes and lizards, he could not have imagined the role he would play in California history.  He was unlike most children. As a young man, Vallejo was entranced as dignitaries from Baja California, mainland Mexico and from foreign lands arrived by ship for short layovers in Monterey. Vallejo’s intrigue with such men and of worldly affairs would last his lifetime, and I believe influenced his disposition with the Russians situated a relatively short distance from the City of Sonoma.

Bodega was visited in 1811, by Alexander Koskoff, when Mariano was but four years old. I believe that Mariano’s first encounter with the Russians at Ross came long before he even set foot at the Russian colony.  In 1816,  the Russian brig Rurick arrived in San Francisco under the command of Kotzebue. The Rurick was on a scientific expedition. Governor Sola, the same governor that provided Mariano access to his library, government documents and newspapers, arrived in San Francisco to meet with Kotzebue.

A conference was held on the Rurick between high-level Spanish officials, regarding the scientific expedition, the disposition of the Russian settlement and a complaint to Kotzebue regarding the prior activities of Koskoff, namely claiming possession of land at Bodega.  Ultimately, Kotzebue stated that he would inform St. Petersburg and would await instructions from the Emperor of Russia regarding possible disciplinary action for Koskoff.

One can only imagine after such a meeting, Governor Sola sitting in a chair by the fire place, with eight-year-year old Mariano listening to every word.  Talk of emperors and governors, of scientific explorations and Native peoples, would have made a life-long impression.

Jumping to Mexican Independence in 1821, Agustin de Iturbide became the President of the Regency and Constitutional Emperor of the new nation and designer of the first Mexican Flag. Just before his elevation to the throne, he exclaimed “in the Californias the Russians are threatening us…at the moment when Spain shall acknowledge the independence of the Mexican empire you will all be Russians.” Yet in northern California, relations with the Russians were friendlier than ever.

In 1823, the last of 21 missions was built in Sonoma.  The mission was dedicated to San Francisco de Solano on April 4, 1824. It was described as well furnished and decorated with many articles having been presented by the Russians.  After all, when it comes to churches, the Russians built the first north of San Francisco. By March of 1824, the mission contained 300 fruit trees, 3,000 vines, 1500 cows, 500 horses, 4,000 sheep, and 4,000 bushels of wheat and barley harvested in 1826.  In other words, they had goods with which to trade with the Russians.

In 1833, Governor Figueroa sent Vallejo, then serving as Commander of the Presidio of San Francisco, to Ross to negotiate the purchase of arms, munitions, and clothing for the California soldiers. At the same time, he was to acquaint himself with the condition of the colony, but not enter into any conversation centered around diplomatic considerations.

In the decade from 1830-40, ships continued to come from Sitka to Ross to San Francisco and occasionally to Monterey.  The Baikal made at least five visits, the Sitka four, the Urup three and the Elna and Polifemia two each. As early as 1820, the Russian-American Company offered to give up the colony in exchange for unrestricted trade.  The single greatest bone of contention were sanctions placed on trade by the Spanish and Mexican governments. Sooner or later, it comes down to taxes!