Brief by Central Staff
History – February 2008 – Colorado Central Magazine
The 2008 conference of the Anza Society will be held March 6-9 at the Presidio Chapel in Santa Barbara, Calif. It starts with a reception on March 6, followed by speakers on March 7, and a field trip on March 8.
The Anza Society studies the career and times of Juan Bautista de Anza, an 18th-century frontier Spanish soldier and governor. He led the party that founded the Presidio of San Francisco, Calif., in 1776. In 1779, he was governor of New Mexico, and his Comanche campaign that summer left the first written record of the northern San Luis Valley (which he most likely named), Poncha Pass, and the upper Arkansas Valley.
That visit is generally commemorated in late August with Anza Day in Poncha Springs, which is hosted by local residents.
The Anza Society moves its meetings to various places Anza visited during his career, ranging from Arizpe, Sonora, Mexico, where Anza is buried, to various California sites. In 2004, the Anza Society met in Salida, and it has also met in Pueblo and Alamosa in Colorado.
Registration for this year’s gathering is $75, which does not include meals or lodging. For more information, you can call 602-300-5297, or visit www.anzasociety.org.
