The Anne Loucks Chapter, located in Martinez, CA, spent their June Outing learning about the 1200-mile-long Anza Trail from two National Park Rangers. In 1776, Juan Bautista de Anza arrived at San Francisco, leading 30 families from New Spain (Mexico) up through Alta California on an overland colonizing expedition. After determining the sites for the Presidio and Mission Delores, Anza and his exploration party surveyed the East Bay area over a period of about a week before rejoining the main party. They followed Indian trails as far east as Antioch, passing through our chapter’s “backyard.” Segments of the Trail can be visited by present-day explorers.

The John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez also houses the interpretive center for the Anza Trail on its site, called the Vicente Martinez Adobe. It was built in 1849 and is currently closed for structural repairs. It is the only interpretive center along the Trail so it is significant, and we plan to assist in its restoration. The NPS is planning a 250th anniversary recognition that parallels with our DAR America’s 250! Celebration.

Vice Regent Lynne Hill states, “Our chapter is looking forward to collaborating with the National Park Service (NPS) and our community to raise awareness of the Anza Trail in the San Francisco East Bay. This project will provide many diverse opportunities to educate us about the earliest people who lived in California. We will be building towards our two significant 1776 – 2026 commemorations in the next few years.”

The photo is the group in front of the Vicente Martinez Adobe. Park Ranger, Ives Humphreys, is on the left.