Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo was born when California was part of Spain’s overseas empire. As a teenager he enlisted in the Mexican Army, eventually commanded all pueblos and missions north of San Francisco. Owned the 60,000-acre Petaluma land grant, founded cities of Petaluma, Sonoma, Vallejo and Benicia. A friend and ally of Indian chief Solano, he helped write California’s Constitution and represented Sonoma County in the first State Senate.
88 pp; 23 illustrations, paperback $15.00