Juan Bautista de Anza is famous for finding a passage from Mexico to the coast of California. He is also remembered for founding L.A., San Francisco and San Jose.
Juan Bautista de Anza, or Captain de Anza to those who like military ranks, was born in Mexico. He was born in either 1735 or 1736 and died in 1788.
De Anza is credited with blazing an overland trail -- thus the term "trailblazer" would seem to be an apt description -- from Mexico to the northern Pacific coast of New Albion, where Sir Francis Drake was said to have landed in 1579. For those who are not up on their New Albion history, this is the old name for California.
De Anza blazed his trail through the desolate Sonoran Desert. With his expeditions to California came hundreds of new settlers, who helped to be the backbone of the emerging state. He is furthermore remembered for having established the cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Jose.
