John Gilroy (who had changed his surname from Cameron) was the first non-Hispanic settler in California. He came to Monterey aboard the Isaac Todd, an armed merchant ship, during the War of 1812. The ship’s destination was Fort Astoria (present day Oregon), at the mouth of the Columbia River, but Gilroy never made it there. Instead – depending on the historical account – he either abandoned his post or was left behind to recover from scurvy. Gilroy…