A lot of the Anglo emigration occured during the Gold Rush period and some later to Central California during the Dust Bowl. But the west was first colonized b

A lot of the Anglo emigration occured during the Gold Rush period and some later to Central California during the Dust Bowl. But the west was first colonized by the Spanish. One of the first Anglos to reach Alta California was the Bartleson-Bitwell party https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josiah_Belden https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josiah_Belden