Peter Hardeman Burnett
1807–1895 (age 88)
Settler/Pioneer
Biography
Peter Hardeman Burnett answered the call of the West and became California's first governor, guiding the young state through its earliest debates over law, land, and the rights of its diverse settlers.
In his later years near Mission Santa Clara de Asís, he reflected on those formative days, offering counsel to newcomers and ensuring the region's history stayed in the minds of those who followed.