Relics from a Spanish Galleon and the Portola Expedition of 1769

Relics of a Spanish Galleon Shipwreck, 18thCentury Mexican made; found at Solana Beach, California Wood; 7 1/2 - 5 1/2 in. 39088.1-.2

These two pieces of wood do not appear to be of much importance but they may hide the answer to a mystery still waiting to be solved. In 1958 a 30’ long and x 6’ wide section of a wooden ship washed up onto the shore near the city of Solana Beach, California  about 20 miles north of San Diego. The wreckage, described as being constructed of thick oak ribs, hand carved beams, nails fashioned by hand, and irregularly placed dowels in the beams, clearly came from a ship crafted in a time before plans for ship building were used. The discovery led to great speculation: Could this be the lost Spanish galleon, the San Jose, that was part of the Sacred Expedition of 1769 led by Gaspar de Portolá and that included Father Junípero Serra, founder of the Alta (upper) California Missions? It is unclear how the Bowers Museum acquired these two fragments, but it is suspected that they were collected from the remains of the vessel itself. Notes from Bowers’ files show that experts were called to weigh in on the origin of the fragments. They included individuals from the Museum of Man and Scripps Institute in San Diego as well as the Assistant Curator of the Smithsonian Institute who in 1960 stated that it was their opinion that the wood is definitely Mexican timber from a Manila galleon. Manila galleons were built by the Spanish in Mexico and used predominantly on the trade route between Mexico and the Philippines (hence the name Manila galleon) in the late 1700s. Expert opinions suspected, and certainly did not rule out, that the fragments were from the famed San Jose.

Wreckage of Spanish Ship Found Off Solana Beach, 1958 Unknown photographer; United States Photograph; 5 x 3 1/2 in. 39089.2

In 1769 Gaspar de Portolá led the second of two groups of men and supplies that traveled from Mexico to Alta California by foot in order to explore and lay Spanish claim to the territory and its inhabitants. Two ships, the San Antonio and the San Carlos, carrying more men and supplies were also dispatched from Mexico in order to rendezvous in San Diego with those who came by land. A third supply ship, the San Jose, was filled with back-up resources for the four parties. The San Jose departed from the city of San Blas, Mexico never to be seen again. The hardships of the ocean voyages left both crews of the San Antonio and San Carlos in terrible health, many perished. Portolá stayed only a few days in San Diego before continuing on north to the city of Monterrey while Father Junípero Serra stayed and assisted in caring for those who couldn’t continue on. In July 1769 Serra dedicated Mission San Diego as the first of the coming chain of missions in Alta California and the San Diego Presidio, the first Spanish California settlement. Does the rest of the San Jose lie off the coast of San Diego filled with the provisions it once carried? Or is the wreckage that washed ashore that of another ship that once sailed along the coast? Hopefully in time the two wood artifacts at the Bowers Museum will be able to lead experts to a definitive answer. All text and images under copyright. Please contact Collection Department for permission to use. Information subject to change upon further research.