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mcfez
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Where did the name Willard come from in Punta Willard
I was at Papa's Website and read this:
Where did the name Willard come from in Punta Willard and Bahia Willard?
We don't know! If you do, please share your information with the world by contacting the Web master at lightner@lightner.net. There is a reward!
DavidK?
Old people are like the old cars, made of some tough stuff. May show a little rust, but good as gold on the inside.
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David K
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You know, tht should really be an easy question...
I first looked through my books, then on line...
However, it isn't... I thought for many years it was a British sea captain's name... but I cannot find the documentation (I have been searching for 2
hours). I found a couple of "Willard's" that may be the ones (from about 120 years ago).
Anyway, when it is found, you will be the first to know!
The bay is really 'Bahia San Luis Gonzaga', not Willard... but the point by Papa Fernandez' has no other name but 'Willard'. Boaters tend to call it
'Willard Bay' because of the H.O. charts that have been calling it that.
The larger bay, south of Alfonsina's to Punta Final, is actually 'Ensenada de San Francisquito'... but with a name like that, you can't blame anyone
for wanting to just call it 'Gonzaga Bay' as well!!!
[Edited on 10-11-2010 by David K]
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El Camote
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Willard...
Don't you remember the 1971 movie? The prequel to "Ben" with the theme song sung by Michael Jackson. 
Knowledge is good. - Emil Faber
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David K
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Excellent Camote, excellent!
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mcfez
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
You know, tht should really be an easy question...
I first looked through my books, then on line...
However, it isn't... I thought for many years it was a British sea captain's name... but I cannot find the documentation (I have been searching for 2
hours). I found a couple of "Willard's" that may be the ones (from about 120 years ago).
Anyway, when it is found, you will be the first to know!
The bay is really 'Bahia San Luis Gonzaga', not Willard... but the point by Papa Fernandez' has no other name but 'Willard'. Boaters tend to call it
'Willard Bay' because of the H.O. charts that have been calling it that.
The larger bay, south of Alfonsina's to Punta Final, is actually 'Ensenada de San Francisquito'... but with a name like that, you can't blame anyone
for wanting to gust call it 'Gonzaga Bay' as well!!! |
'Ensenada de San Francisquito'......had no idea of that real name. Davidk......you need to apply for a teacher's certificate and teach history.
Seriously.
Old people are like the old cars, made of some tough stuff. May show a little rust, but good as gold on the inside.
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durrelllrobert
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I understand that a group of Mexicans that joined the Mormon Church went to Utah as missionarys and stole the name there. www.utah.com/stateparks/Willard_bay 
Bob Durrell
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David K
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Let's Look Back in Time!
First, three satellite views of the area surrounding Punta Willard:
Bahia San Luis Gonzaga ('Willard Bay'):
Punta Willard:
2008:
2003:
1975:
1970:
1962:
1941:
1930:
1919:
1907 ('Willard Point' first appears on maps):
This map from Arthur North's 'Camp and Camino in Lower California' c1910 (No mention of Willard Point in the book)
1905 (published in 1919):
1905:
1904:
1888:
1868:
1823:
1788:
1772:
1757 ('San Luis Gonzaga' first appears on maps):
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Mexitron
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Nice time transect David! Will be interesting to find out the origins of the name.
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Stickers
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Where did the word "transect" come from?
ORIGIN mid 17th cent. (as a verb): from trans- [through] + Latinsect- ‘divided by cutting’ (from the verb secare).
Sorry Mexitron, couldn't help myself 
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SFLowTide
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Looks like I'm going to have to do some research while I'm down there this week. Not sure the locals even know, but I'll ask.
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mcfez
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Some of this stuff you come up with DavidK.....incredible docs and maps. Mind blowing. Thanks for the great timeline
Old people are like the old cars, made of some tough stuff. May show a little rust, but good as gold on the inside.
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DENNIS
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This fact is almost buried in history and would be lost if not for a chat I had with a miner in Loreto in the early sixties.
It took a box of beer to loosen his tongue, but with the appearance of a second box of Leche de Madre, the story tumbled out as a downpour.
It seems Papa Fernandez, many years back, raised ducks. Large, white and noisy ducks. He had practical reasons for this venture...he loved to eat
them. Papa was tired of fish and would throw a duck on the fire regularly.
Papa would clip their wings and let his flock run around the neighborhood in a tight-nit group, almost as a covey of quail....which Papa also loved to
eat, but they were too much effort for the yield.
After a few seasons of his flock multiplying in numbers, Papa was the proud owner of what amounted to a herd of ducks and one Pato in particular
became attached to him, much like a loyal dog, and would follow in his path wherever his toils would take him. It was a tender, loving sight to
see....... a man and his duck.
Papa was strongly attached to his new friend and would purposely keep him out of the line when the rest of the flock assembled to have their wings
clipped as Papa thought the procedure too undignified to submit his loving bird to. Papa even gave his duck a name. He stopped short of Baptism, but
named him Willard and Papa towering over Willard would stand to the side of the slow moving line and watch the common ducks be rendered as
"grounded."
Time passed uneventfully until one fateful day, the wind arose and came through the area with a vengeance, tearing off roofs and laying flat the
fences. The storm also picked up Willard who was able to flap his like-new wings, compensating for the death dealing hurricane and he flew in the
direction of least resistance across the waters and landed, somewhat confused, on Isla San luis. Papa watched Willard's lift-off and noted the
direction in which he had been flung and prepaired to set out at first calming of the weather to retrieve his beloved friend. Along with him he took
his hired hand, Beto, to man the boat across the waters to landfall on the distant point.
After arriving on Isla San Luis, Papa and Beto set up camp and ate their fill of Duck Jerky to give them energy for the search ahead which was decided
to take them in opposite directions around the point. Willard, for which it was hoped and prayed, would be found and reunited with his loving
master, Papa, and off they went calling for Willard at the top of their voices, "Willard---Willard---Come here boy---Willard."
They walked and they called for days and when Papa had circled the island returning to the launch, Beto was nowhere to be seen. Papa was at first
puzzled and after a few days of confusion, he became disheartened when a terrible reality set in. Willard had not been found and Beto was lost.
Papa could wait no longer as his cache of Duck Jerky was dwindling and more storm was gathering on the horizon so he struggled his way alone across
the water to an empty home.
Time passed, weather subsided and Papa began his vigil of sitting on the shore, day and night, listening to the plaintive calls of, "Willard---C'mon
Willard---Here Willard," and all the while, as Papa will swear to, the reply, "Quack---Quack---Quack," would echo in the air.
Neighbors and friends of Papa are certain to this day the voices in the distance can be heard.
And.....That's why it's called Punta Willard.
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durrelllrobert
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
And.....That's why it's called Punta Willard. |
OK, I'll buy the Willard part but what was the orgin of the
Punta part
Bob Durrell
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DENNIS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by durrelllrobert
| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
And.....That's why it's called Punta Willard. |
OK, I'll buy the Willard part but what was the orgin of the
Punta part |
That's a reference to the top of your head.
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mcfez
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
This fact is almost buried in history and would be lost if not for a chat I had with a miner in Loreto in the early sixties.
It took a box of beer to loosen his tongue, but with the appearance of a second box of Leche de Madre, the story tumbled out as a downpour.
It seems Papa Fernandez, many years back, raised ducks. Large, white and noisy ducks. He had practical reasons for this venture...he loved to eat
them. Papa was tired of fish and would throw a duck on the fire regularly.
Papa would clip their wings and let his flock run around the neighborhood in a tight-nit group, almost as a covey of quail....which Papa also loved to
eat, but they were too much effort for the yield.
After a few seasons of his flock multiplying in numbers, Papa was the proud owner of what amounted to a herd of ducks and one Pato in particular
became attached to him, much like a loyal dog, and would follow in his path wherever his toils would take him. It was a tender, loving sight to
see....... a man and his duck.
Papa was strongly attached to his new friend and would purposely keep him out of the line when the rest of the flock assembled to have their wings
clipped as Papa thought the procedure too undignified to submit his loving bird to. Papa even gave his duck a name. He stopped short of Baptism, but
named him Willard and Papa towering over Willard would stand to the side of the slow moving line and watch the common ducks be rendered as
"grounded."
Time passed uneventfully until one fateful day, the wind arose and came through the area with a vengeance, tearing off roofs and laying flat the
fences. The storm also picked up Willard who was able to flap his like-new wings, compensating for the death dealing hurricane and he flew in the
direction of least resistance across the waters and landed, somewhat confused, on Isla San luis. Papa watched Willard's lift-off and noted the
direction in which he had been flung and prepaired to set out at first calming of the weather to retrieve his beloved friend. Along with him he took
his hired hand, Beto, to man the boat across the waters to landfall on the distant point.
After arriving on Isla San Luis, Papa and Beto set up camp and ate their fill of Duck Jerky to give them energy for the search ahead which was decided
to take them in opposite directions around the point. Willard, for which it was hoped and prayed, would be found and reunited with his loving
master, Papa, and off they went calling for Willard at the top of their voices, "Willard---Willard---Come here boy---Willard."
They walked and they called for days and when Papa had circled the island returning to the launch, Beto was nowhere to be seen. Papa was at first
puzzled and after a few days of confusion, he became disheartened when a terrible reality set in. Willard had not been found and Beto was lost.
Papa could wait no longer as his cache of Duck Jerky was dwindling and more storm was gathering on the horizon so he struggled his way alone across
the water to an empty home.
Time passed, weather subsided and Papa began his vigil of sitting on the shore, day and night, listening to the plaintive calls of, "Willard---C'mon
Willard---Here Willard," and all the while, as Papa will swear to, the reply, "Quack---Quack---Quack," would echo in the air.
Neighbors and friends of Papa are certain to this day the voices in the distance can be heard.
And.....That's why it's called Punta Willard. |
I just forwarded this to Papa Fernández camp. Interesting story...very interesting.
Old people are like the old cars, made of some tough stuff. May show a little rust, but good as gold on the inside.
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David K
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That is quite a yarn Dennis... Jimmy Smith would be proud of you!!
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DENNIS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
That is quite a yarn Dennis... Jimmy Smith would be proud of you!! |
Yarn??? This is Gawd's Truth. Would I kid you, David?
Oh....thanks for the Jimmy Smith comment. That puts me, undeservedly, in fine company.
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SFLowTide
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| Quote: | Originally posted by durrelllrobert
| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
And.....That's why it's called Punta Willard. |
OK, I'll buy the Willard part but what was the orgin of the
Punta part |
Dennis,
I can almost smell the campfire, feel the warm sand under my feet and see the billions of stars in the sky when I read your story. It brings me back
to the dozens, if not hundreds of stories my family has had the benefit of hearing from a trusting local fisherman, camp owner or, heaven forbid,
hitchhiker we shared our campfire, a ride, supplies or just time with. It still amazes me how many of these "stories" we were told tuned out to be
fact. Some of these "yarns" have taken decades to be proven, but out of the blue we get confirmation. Unfortunately, it seems that this was truer of
stories of from years back. This doesn't mean that we had to endure our share of fables and out & out BS over the years, buy it did teach me to
have an open mind. It is still one of the main reasons we keep coming back…
Stew
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David K
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In 1957, Gonzaga Bay was uninhabited, only the pilot road opened by Arturo Grosso passed by it heading north from Laguna Chapala (built in 1955, info
from Greg Niemann's 'Baja Legends')
The government road being built south from San Felipe had almost reached the area of El Huerfanito in 1957. Puertecitos had just started as a tourist
resort in 1957, as well.
By 1962, following completion of the government road, two tourist camps had begun operations (Papa Fernandez' and Alfonsina's).
(from 1962 Lower California Guidebook)
A photo dated 1958 shows Papa Fernandez at Gonzaga Bay, and may have been when he started living there full time.
Here is a 1994 photo of Papa Fernandez (97) with (Baja Nomad member) 'Desert Rat':
Papa Fernandez passed away on February 20, 2001 at 104 years of age. (from Carlos Fiesta's www.BajaExpo.com)
In 1907, when the first map was published using the name 'Willard' for the point or bay, Papa was 10 years old.
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Steve in Oro Valley
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Hi everybody:
Willard, If I am not mistaken, was a surveyor, plant explorer with the Mexican boundary survey in about 1855?
His name is part of the scientific name for the Sonoran palo blanco tree which is commonly seen on the slopes of Tetas de Cabra hill near San Carlos
Bay in Sonora. That name would be Acacia willardiana (Willard's Acacia). Other plants from Sonora may contain reference to his name....
The Sonoran palo blanco is not to be confused with the palo blanco of Baja California Sur which is Lysiloma candida....
Willard's name may show on American made maps of long ago but newer Mexican maps use their own local and often Mexican names for place names...
Steve in Oro valley
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