Glossary · History & People
The Spanish farming town founded on November 29, 1777, the first civil settlement in Alta California not tied to a mission or presidio, and the origin of San Jose.
Juan Bautista de Anza chose the site, and José Joaquín Moraga founded the pueblo with settlers from Anza’s expedition to grow food for the presidios. In 1778 it had 68 people.
Floods at the first site, near today’s Hobson and San Pedro streets, led the town to move in 1797 to the area around the plaza that became downtown.
On November 29, 1777, as El Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe.
Its first site by the Guadalupe River flooded, so in 1797 it moved to higher ground around the plaza.