Fabián Martín, born in Macotera, Salamanca, worked as a gardener at the mansions of Pebble Beach. Martín found his way to California after emigrating to Cuba; in Monterey, he would meet and marry a young woman from the same town in Salamanca, whose family had emigrated to Hawaii, before re-emigrating to Monterey. (courtesy Bob Martin).
- In the first decades of the twentieth century, sardine fishing and the vast canneries that would later be immortalized by Steinbeck were two of the primary sources of employment that attracted a good number of Spanish immigrants to this city that had been the capital of California under Spain, Mexico and the US. Some of the Spaniards had re-emigrated to California from the Hawaiian Islands, where they had been recruited to work on the sugarcane plantations.
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- En las primeras décadas del siglo XX, la pesca de sardinas y las grandes conserveras –luego inmortalizadas por Steinbeck en “Cannery Row”– fueron dos de las principales fuentes de trabajo que atrajeron a un buen número de inmigrantes españoles a esta ciudad que había servido de capital de California para España, México y EEUU. Algunos de estos españoles habían re-emigrado a California de las Islas de Hawai, donde habían sido reclutados para trabajar en las plantaciones de azúcar.
Spanish Immigrants in the United States 
Thanks for using using dad’s photo. His name was Fabian, not Roberto. We’re looking forward to the final product.
Thanks again for your dedication to this project,
Bob
Hi Bob,
My name is Nicole Henares, I am also researching the Spanish community of Cannery Row for my master’s thesis. If you don’t mind, I would like to interview you- my email is nicolehenares@yahoo.com Thanks!
hey bob i am frank hernandez’s youngest grandson jason reinke its amazing to come across family info that i have been disconected from for so long as i remeber we had bob and marie, aunt mary.then across the presidio rose and bob? living next to frank and augie diaz
That young woman he met was AnaMaria Hernandez, ( my Aunt ) also from Macotera. One of 6 children ( Ana Maria, Frank, Connie, Marie, Agustina & Pabla ( my Mother ) born to Manuel & Estefania Hernandez. They lived at 651 Van Buren St. the house still stands. “La Pilla” the wash basin my Grandfather made still stands there with his signature and date written in cement.
franks wife mary her family was part of the enclave from rocklin ca. maria dolores solis
There was a very large population of Spaniards in Hollister as well. My Grandparents Mariano and Ceferina Sanchez immigrated from Mancera de Abajo and then to Hawaii on the SS Harpalion in 1912. They were married in Hilo. They settled in Hollister and were found members of the Union Beneficia Espanola that provided burial insurance and help to the families from Spain in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Lots of memories of going to the Spanish Lodge in Hollister in the early 1960’s.
Sorry for the delay in responding, Michael. We’d love to know more about your family’s history. Do you guys have old photographs and documents? We’re going to be out in California between Christmas and New Years doing field work. Please drop me a note: jf2@nyu.edu
I have photos, give me a date when your going to be in Norcal. I live in the San Joaquin Valley two hours East of San Francisco.
Un tio de mi madre tambien de Macotera, Apellidos Bueno. Un tio mio hermano de mi padre de Cantaracillo apellido Malaga.