Monterey Harbor and Cannery Row, October 4, 1940
Now famous for the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Research Institute (MBARI) and famous for its abundant sea life, Monterey was founded in 1770 and served as the capital of Alta California under both Spain and Mexico. California’s first constitutional convention was held in Monterey in 1849. Monterey was a major sardine canning town and beyond the harbor, Cannery Row can be seen in this image. Cannery Row was the setting for John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday. Fisherman’s Wharf is in the harbor and was rebuilt in 1926 after the original wharf was destroyed while unloading an unusually large load of sardines. The Presidio, in the light area on the left side of the image, originally was comprised of a square of adobe buildings located in the vicinity of what is now downtown Monterey. The fort’s original mission, the Royal Presidio Chapel, has remained in constant use since its founding in 1770 by Junípero Serra. Prior to the Second World War, the Presidio (Fort Ord), housed cavalry and field artillery units. At the beginning of World War II, only 14 months after this photo, the Presidio served as reception center and temporary headquarters of the III Corps until it was deactivated in late 1944.
