Charles J. Berger (American, 1922 - 2012) "First Permanent Settlement" Signed lower left. Original Acrylic painting on Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting was published on the Fleetwood First Day Cover for the U.S. 13c Settlement in Alta, California stamp issued September 9, 1977. As America was struggling for independence along the eastern seaboard of North America, Spain's Charles III was strengthening his hold on Alta (Upper) California along America's future west coast. Consisting of the present states of California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona, and parts of New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming, the huge province was a part of New Spain. Earlier installations in the remote area had been primarily military outposts along an inhospitable frontier, peopled by soldiers, their families, and handfuls of missionaries. Such outposts -- presidios is more precise -- were more symbols than defenders of Spanish empire. Provisioning the presidios proved to be a huge problem, situated as they were on strategic, but infertile, sites. As a solution, Governor Felipe de Neve gathered together fourteen families and sent them north under the leadership and protection of Lieutenant Jose Joaquin Moraga and a few soldiers. In a fertile area just to the southeast of today's San Francisco Bay, on November 29, 1777, they founded the Pueblo de San Jose de Guadalupe. The name honored both Saint Joseph and the nearby Guadalupe River. That first civil settlement in all of Alta California had one primary purpose: to be a granary for the military outposts. The first buildings consisted of earthen-roofed houses whose walls were palisaded logs. Today, nothing remains of those first Spanish civil buildings, erected nearly two centuries ago on the spot that is today's San Jose, California. Image Size: 12 x 13 in. Overall Size: 17.25 x 20 in. Unframed. (B05475) See More