Early Mexican-era explorers called it out as a landmark that could be seen for miles away across the broad plain of the San Joaquin. But it doesn’t exist on most maps today. We go in search of Monte Redondo, today on KVPR’s Central Valley Roots.
Let’s first imagine the Central Valley 200 years ago. In most places, the valley floor was virtually flat and largely devoid of trees, with nothing to block the view of the horizon. On many days, without modern pollution, visibility was truly remarkable. So any natural feature in the middle of the valley floor stood out – especially Monte Redondo.
The first reference to its location was in 1825, in the dairy of Sergeant Jose Dolores Pico, from his expedition to the San Joaquin River. It shows up again in another account from 1828. Other references continue through the 1870s…