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Heritage District in Sunnyvale in Santa Clara County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
 

De Anza Expedition 1775 - 1776

 
 
De Anza Expedition 1775 - 1776 Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Syd Whittle, April 25, 2010
1. De Anza Expedition 1775 - 1776 Marker
Inscription.
Lt. Colonel Juan Bautista de Anza by decree of Carlos III of Spain led an expedition to this site – The mission being to colonize the San Francisco Bay Area.

In the center of the marker is a circular motif, designed by Doris Birkland Beezley, of a rider superimposed upon a sun-like set of compass points, with the "De Anza Expedition 1775 1776" written above the rider.
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial EraExplorationSettlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1775.
 
Location. 37° 22.926′ N, 122° 1.58′ W. Marker is in Sunnyvale, California, in Santa Clara County. It is in the Heritage District. It can be reached from North Sunnyvale Avenue east of East California Avenue. Marker is located at the Martin Murphy Jr. Historic Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Sunnyvale CA 94086, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in California’s San Francisco Bay Area, in Silicon Valley, and on the Coast Ranges. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Home of Martin Murphy, Jr. (here, next to this marker); Hendy Stamp Mill / Hendy's "California" Stamp Mill (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); F.E. Cornell’s Country Store (approx.
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0.4 miles away); Del Monte Building (approx. 0.4 miles away); Hendy Ironworks (approx. 0.4 miles away); Joshua Hendy Iron Works (approx. 0.4 miles away); Murphy Station District (approx. half a mile away); City Hall Bell & City Hall Cornerstone (approx. 1.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sunnyvale.
 
Also see . . .
1. A KTEH TV Production of the DeAnza Trail on YouTube. In this video one learns the history and purpose of the DeAnza Expedition, the heritage of descendants of expedition members, and current sites along the trail. (Submitted on May 2, 2010.) 

2. Juan Bautista de Anza - Blazed the Anza Trail. Juan Bautista de Anza was the first European to establish an overland route from Mexico, through the Sonoran Desert, to the Pacific coast of California. New World Spanish explorers had been seeking such a route through the Desert Southwest for more than two centuries. (Submitted on May 2, 2010.) 
 
De Anza Expedition 1775 - 1776 Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Syd Whittle, April 25, 2010
2. De Anza Expedition 1775 - 1776 Marker
De Anza Expedition 1775 - 1776 Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Syd Whittle, April 25, 2010
3. De Anza Expedition 1775 - 1776 Marker
This marker shares its base with the “Home of Martin Murphy, Jr” California Registered Historical Landmark marker and a "Heritage '76" plaque.
Heritage '76 image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Syd Whittle, April 25, 2010
4. Heritage '76
1776 - 1976
A Bicentennial Landmark of
The California State Historical Commission
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 2, 2010, by Syd Whittle of Mesa, Arizona. This page has been viewed 1,322 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 2, 2010, by Syd Whittle of Mesa, Arizona.
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Jun. 19, 2026