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Juan Bautista de Anza

The Spanish commander whose 1776 expedition camped on the creek that gave Cupertino its name.

In 1776 Anza led an expedition from Sonora to found a presidio on San Francisco Bay. On March 25 his party halted at the arroyo of San Joseph Cupertino, which he judged useful only for travellers, and from camp they saw the estuary of the bay.

De Anza College and De Anza Boulevard carry his name.

Sources

Questions people ask

Did Anza camp in Cupertino?

His expedition camped at the arroyo of San Joseph Cupertino on March 25, 1776; his translator Bolton placed the site a little southwest of the town that kept the name.

Related terms

  • Pedro FontThe Franciscan priest, diarist and map-maker of Anza’s expedition, credited with naming the creek.
  • Arroyo San José de CupertinoThe Spanish name of Stevens Creek, honouring Saint Joseph of Cupertino, from which the city takes its name.
  • De Anza CollegeThe community college on Stevens Creek Boulevard, opened in 1967 on the site of the Baldwins’ Beaulieu winery.

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