MONTEREY-CARMEL

The Wild West was America’s claim to the wild frontier and the adventures that came with it. The term frontier is used to describe the area of land that was being settled by pioneers and explorers from the east. As people moved west during the early years of American history the frontier zone shifted with the movers. Eventually the frontier zone met up with the Pacific Ocean. The Monterey-Carmel areas of California are today’s frontier zones.
Monterey was first settled in 1770 and served as the capital of California from 1777 to 1849. Monterey has existed through the governments of Spain and Mexico. During the early years leaders were worried about coastal invasion from Russia, so the Presidio of Monterey was erected as a defense of the city.

The city was settled in such an area to make it the only port of entry for imports into California. The Custom’s House was set up to oversee all incoming items. The Custom House is the oldest governmental building in the state. The Custom house was built in three stages under three different governmental ruler ships. The first was under Spain in 1814, from there Mexico added to the building in 1827, and then finally the United States completed construction in 1846.

In 1916 Frank Powers and Franklin Devandorf planned the development of the Carmel Highlands. Carmel is a small town located near Monterey. The real estate has become known as some of the most expensive anywhere. People who are famous settle in the area making it a cultural icon community. This area of the country is an ever changing frontier bound to challenge the imaginations of everyone who comes to visit.