Gonzalo López de Haro (bef. 1788 in Puebla – 1823) was a Spanish explorer, notable for his expeditions in the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Tho ...

in the late 18th century.

Background

In 1788 two ships were sent north to investigate Russian activity in Alaska. First Pilot

Esteban José Martínez Esteban () is a Spanish male given name, derived from Greek Στέφανος (Stéphanos) and related to the English names Steven and Stephen. Although in its original pronunciation the accent is on the penultimate syllable, English-speakers tend t ...

was the expedition commander and captained the sloop '' Princesa Real''. Haro, also a pilot, was given command of the

packet ship Packet boats were medium-sized boats designed for domestic mail, passenger, and freight transportation in European countries and in North American rivers and canals, some of them steam driven. They were used extensively during the 18th and 19th ...

'' San Carlos (el Filipino).'' Second Pilot

José María Narváez José María Narváez (1768 – August 4, 1840) was a Spanish naval officer, explorer, and navigator notable for his work in the Gulf Islands and Lower Mainland of present-day British Columbia. In 1791, as commander of the schooner '' Santa ...

sailed with Haro. The ships arrived at

Prince William Sound Prince William Sound ( Sugpiaq: ''Suungaaciq'') is a sound of the Gulf of Alaska on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is located on the east side of the Kenai Peninsula. Its largest port is Valdez, at the southern terminus of the T ...

in May. Haro sailed ''San Carlos (el Filipino)'' west to

Kodiak Island Kodiak Island ( Alutiiq: ''Qikertaq''), is a large island on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska, separated from the Alaska mainland by the Shelikof Strait. The largest island in the Kodiak Archipelago, Kodiak Island is the second la ...

and on June 30 found the Russian post at

Three Saints Bay Three Saints Bay (russian: Бухта Трёх Святителей, r ''Bukhta Tryokh Svyatitelyej'') is a 9 Mile (14 Kilometer)-long inlet on the southeast side of Kodiak Island, Alaska, north of Sitkalidak Strait. It is southwest of Ko ...

. The Russian commander, Evstrat Delarov, provided a map of the Alaskan coast and indicated the locations of seven Russian posts containing nearly 500 men. Delarov also told Narváez that the Russians intended to occupy the port of

Nootka Sound , image = Morning on Nootka Sound.jpg , image_size = 250px , alt = , caption = Clouds over Nootka Sound , image_bathymetry = , alt_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = Map of Nootka So ...

, on the west coast of

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest by ...

. Narváez returned to ''San Carlos (el Filipino)'' and Haro returned east, rejoining Martínez at Sitkinak Island. Haro and Martínez then sailed southwest to investigate

Unalaska Island Unalaska ( ale, Nawan-Alaxsxa, russian: Уналашка) is a volcanic island in the Fox Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in the US state of Alaska located at . The island has a land area of . It measures long and wide. The city of Unala ...

, where there was a large Russian post under the command of Potap Kuzmich Zaikov. Martínez arrived on July 29, Haro on August 4. In 1790 and 1791 he was a ''primer piloto'' (first pilot) in the expedition commanded by

Francisco de Eliza Francisco de Eliza y Reventa (1759 – February 19, 1825) was a Spanish naval officer, navigator, and explorer. He is remembered mainly for his work in the Pacific Northwest. He was the commandant of the Spanish post in Nootka Sound on Vancou ...

. Haro is reputedly the first European to discover the

San Juan Islands The San Juan Islands are an archipelago in the Pacific Northwest of the United States between the U.S. state of Washington and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The San Juan Islands are part of Washington state, and form the core of ...

. In 1821, after the

Mexican War of Independence The Mexican War of Independence ( es, Guerra de Independencia de México, links=no, 16 September 1810 – 27 September 1821) was an armed conflict and political process resulting in Mexico's independence from Spain. It was not a single, co ...

, Haro was jailed in Puebla,

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. He died in Puebla in 1823.Biografia de Gonzalo López de Haro
Biografías y Vidas

Haro Strait , image = Southern Gulf Islands, BC, Canada - panoramio.jpg , image_size = 250px , alt = , caption = View of Haro Strait from South Pender Island , image_bathymetry = Locmap-Haro-Boundary ad ...

and

Lopez Island Lopez Island is the third largest of the San Juan Islands and an unincorporated town in San Juan County, Washington, United States. Lopez Island is in land area. The 2000 census population was 2,177, though the population swells in the summer, ...

are both named after him.

References

Spanish explorers of North America Explorers of Alaska Explorers of British Columbia People of New Spain Year of birth uncertain 1823 deaths People from Puebla 18th-century explorers 18th-century Spanish people Spanish history in the Pacific Northwest Gonzalo Prisoners and detainees of Mexico {{Explorer-stub

Background

See also

References