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Landing of the First Filipinos - Historical Landmark

5 star rating
based on 2 reviews

Category: Landmarks & Historical Buildings  [Edit]

Coleman Dr
Morro Bay, CA 93442

2 reviews for Landing of the First Filipinos - Historical Landmark

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Photo of Christalle R.

Elite '09

66

242

Christalle R.

Irvine, CA

5 star rating
8/12/2009

It's always awesome to check out a piece of US history...and it's even more awesome if it's from the motherland.

The landmark is not to hard to find. If you set your GPS to Coleman Park and look for the rock underneath the tree (to your left), you're there. Don't make the mistake of going up the road, past Coleman Park and mistaking another rock (to the right) for it. And if you reach the HUGE rock formation, you've gone too far.

I've known about the landmark for a while, so it was pretty neat to see this in person.

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Photo of Ron Jeremy R.

 

443

69

Ron Jeremy R.

Honolulu, HI

5 star rating
9/19/2007 7 photos

====================================
RJR - ISSUE #27 - Excellent Adventure Edition
====================================

"MANILA, TRANQUILITY BASE HERE. THE FILIPINO EAGLE HAS LANDED..."

On October 18, 1587, 33 years before the pilgrims arrived in New England and 20 years before the founding of Jamestown in Virginia, Filipinos were a part of the Spanish Unamuno's Expedition that landed on the coast of California.

From what I understand, there has been some debate as to the exact spot of their landing location, but there is no debating that they were here.  

Filipinos landed in Morro Bay in 1587 - - and 420 years later - - my girlfriend and I landed in the exact same spot.  http://static.px.yelp....

And why did we come here? -  To leave our own footprints too.  =p

Because in 1995, the Filipino American National Historical Society (FANHS), California Central Coast Chapter, sought the creation and installation of a Filipino American Landmark  in Coleman Park at Morro Bay.  And they succeeded.

This historical marker commemorates the "first recorded arrival of Filipinos to what is now part of the continental United States."

So after spending time in San Luis Obispo - we decided to venture out to Morro Bay to find this Filipino America Landmark - before we made our way down the coast to Pismo Beach for dinner.

And we found embedded in a rock at Coleman Park a plaque that read: http://static.px.yelp....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
During the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade era from 1565 to 1815 Spanish galleons crossed the pacific between the Philippines and Mexico. On October 18, 1587, the Manila Galleon Nuestra Senora de Esperanza commanded by Pedro de Unamuno entered Morro Bay near here. A landing party was sent to shore which included Luzon Indios, marking the first landing of Filipinos in the continental United States. The landing party took official possession of the area for Spain by putting up a cross made of branches. The group was attacked by native Indians two days later, and one of the Filipinos was killed. Unamuno and his crew gave up further exploration of this part of the coast.

Historical Landmark Declared by the
Filipino American National Historical Society
California Central Coast Chapter
Dedicated October 21, 1995
http://static.px.yelp....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(CHECK OUT MY UPLOADED PHOTOS)

FIVE STARS for the Filipino American National Historical Society (California Central Coast Chapter) in establishing this historical site.    

Thank you in helping the future to always remember our past...  
http://static.px.yelp....

*TAKE NOTE*

- The Morro Bay plaque is mid-way between the Morro Rock and Embarcadero Road, in the waterfront area of Morro Bay. At this mid-way point along this land bridge, you will come upon a small grassy area, which is Coleman Park.  When you are at this park, look right by the roadway and you will see a large angular rock.  And there you are!

- If you ever venture out to this site, be sure to stop by the Tognazzini's Dockside and get some Fresh  BBQ'ed Oysters - They're Swimming in Garlic Butter.  It's just down the way!   http://www.yelp.com/us...

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