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CAMP PENDLETON HISTORICAL SOCIETY, INC. |
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HISTORY OF
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In 1769, a Spaniard by the name of Capt. Gaspar de Portola led an expeditionary force that included Father Junipero Serra, northward from lower California, seeking to establish Franciscan missions throughout California. On July 20 of that same year, the expedition arrived at a location now known as Camp Pendleton, and as it was the holy day St. Margaret, they baptized the land in the name of Santa Margarita. During the next 30 years, 21 missions were established, the most productive one being Mission San Luis Rey, just south of the present-day Camp Pendleton. At that time, San Luis Rey Mission had control over the Santa Margarita area. In 1821, following Mexico’s independence from Spain, the Californios became the new ruling class of California, and many were the first generation descendants of the Portola expedition. The Mexican governor was awarding land grants and ranchos to prominent businessmen, officials and military leaders. In 1841, two brothers by the name of Pio and Andres Pico became the first private owners of Rancho Santa Margarita. More land was later added to the grant, making the name Rancho Santa Margarita y Las Flores, and that name stayed with the ranch until the Marine Corps acquired it in 1942. In 1863, a dashing Englishman named John Forster (Pio Pico’s brother-in-law) paid off Pico’s gambling debts in return for the deed to the ranch. During his tenure as owner of the ranch, he expanded the ranch house, which was first built in 1827, and developed the rancho into a thriving cattle industry. Forster’s heirs, however, were forced to sell the ranch in 1882 because of a string of bad luck, which included a series of droughts and a fence law that forced Forster to construct fencing around the extensive rancho lands. It was purchased by wealthy real estate tycoon James Flood and managed by Irishman Richard O’Neill who was eventually rewarded for his faithful service with half ownership. Under the guidance of O’Neill’s son, Jerome, the ranch began to net a profit of nearly half a million dollars annually, and the house was modernized and furnished to its present form. In the early ‘40s, both the Army and the Marine Corps were looking for land for a large training base. The Army lost interest in the project, but in April of 1942 it was announced that about 125,000 acres of the rancho was about to be transformed into the largest Marine Corps base in the country. It was named for Major General Joseph H. Pendleton who had long advocated the establishment of a West Coast training base. After five months of furious building activity, the 9th Marine Regiment marched from Camp Elliot in San Diego to Camp Pendleton to be the first troops to occupy the new base. On Sept. 25, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt arrived for the official dedication. By the end of 1942 the 9th Marines completed its training and headed west for the Pacific Theater No sooner had that regiment shipped out than the 4th Marine Division, followed by the 5th Marine Division, prepared for combat at Camp Pendleton. They too headed west for assaults on Saipan, Tinian, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. As the war ended, Marines and sailors of the 6th Marine Division were training at Camp Pendleton for the final assault on the Japanese mainland. Following the end of World War II, Camp Pendleton became the home of the 1st Marine Division, a role that it proudly maintains today. It has been the launching base for Marines and sailors who prevented disaster at Pusan and turned the tide against North Korea at Inchon. First Division Marines and sailors sailed to the Caribbean during the Cuban missile crisis. 1st Division Marines and sailors, along with elements of the 5th Marine Division that also trained at Camp Pendleton, fought tenaciously in the mountains and paddies of Vietnam They have been the forward sentinels of democracy, serving in Pacific Ocean amphibious ready groups. More recently, they have fought skillfully and ferociously in Afghanistan, Kuwait, and, now, in Iraq. The land we know as Camp Pendleton
has a rich and colorful history that extends over 230 years – from
the Spanish mission days, through its service as a working ranch
under Mexican and United States rule, to its present role as an amphibious
training base for U.S. Marines. Amazingly,
much of Camp Pendleton would be recognizable today to Gaspar de Portola,
Pio Pico, Richard O’Neill, John Basilone, and other figures
of history whose stories are intertwined with the land. The
Camp Pendleton Historical Society believes this rich history should
be preserved and celebrated. We invite you to join our cause. |
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