Portola, Gaspar de

Gaspar de Portola, a Spanish military officer and explorer, was one of the few early Spanish explorers whose impact on Santa Cruz County is still felt today. Along with head chaplain Juan Crespi, Portola wrote an official diary of the expedition, including the names given to the places visited by the explorers - such as "San Lorenzo", "Santa Cruz", and "Pajaro".

• The Sidewalk Companion to Santa Cruz Architecture (4th ed. 2023) , Chapter Five, item (64), page 172.