Casa de Oro
Posted by: 
Touchstone
N 36° 36.171 W 121° 53.674
10S E 598868 N 4051385
In the 1850s this building was a general merchandise store operated by Joseph Boston & Co. In later years it was called Casa de Oro because of the unverified story that it had been a gold depository.
Waymark Code: WM7AV
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 02/07/2006
Views: 17
This two-story chalk-rock and adobe building was built
by Thomas O. Larkin in about 1845. Several years later, Joseph Boston leased the
structure to operate the first general merchandise store in the area. The actual
date of opening is said to have been between April, 1849 and April, 1850. A
surprising assortment of goods was sold during this period. Items available for
purchase included: silverware, pans, coffee mills, tubs, brooms, walnuts, tea,
hams and soap. Boston literally offered everything from garden seeds to grinding
stones!
The first safe in Monterey was installed in Boston's Store. The story goes
that miners returning from the gold fields often stored their assets there. This
led to the designation "Casa del Oro" or House of Gold. Today, one can
still find the original safe and Boston's office desk on display.