[2] During the Spanish rule of California, Spain's Inspector General José de Gálvez, organized the Portola Expedition for a joint land-sea journey up the Pacific coast.

The first leg of the expedition consisted on five groups, all departing from Baja California and heading north to San Diego.

[4][5] On January 9, 1769, the flagship San Carlos left the port of La Paz.

Inspector General Gálvez, catholic priest Junípero Serra, and the town residents blessed and sent off the San Carlos, along with its chaplain, Franciscan friar Fernando Parrón.

Gálvez supervised the repairs and loading of the ship, which carried 25 Catalan soldiers under Fages' command.

Pedro Prat, who was a member of the navy, served as crew doctor, and Hernando Patron was the ship's chaplain.

[7] Prat, the expedition's doctor, struggled to heal the sick men, as he too was weakened from scurvy.

The marker is located in the Aquatic Park Historic District near the corner of Beach and Larkin Streets.

Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the San Francisco Twin Bicentennial, Inc., August 5, 1975.