Jack Swan

John Alfred "Jack" Swan (November 22, 1817 – January 6, 1896), also known as Jack Swan, was a prominent California pioneer who arrived in Monterey in 1843. He is credited with founding the First theater in California, around 1845, and helping Commodore John Drake Sloat raise the American flag over the Custom House, declaring California as part of the United States during the American Conquest of California.

After his return to London, he parted ways with the schooner Barkley and enlisted as a crew member aboard the Marquis. This vessel carried him on a voyage from London to Bombay. Subsequently, he joined the crew of the Cornwallis, navigating to Nei Lingding Island, China, and reaching this destination in April 1837. He spent several months on the Agnes, under the command of his elder brother Robert, before assuming the role of second mate on the Harriet. Engaging in the opium trade for a span of two years, he continued in this capacity until October 1839. His next endeavor led him to the Harlequin, which conveyed him to Mazatlán, Mexico in July 1840. Embarking on an overland journey to the Gulf of Mexico, he set sail to New Orleans, ultimately arriving shortly before Christmas in 1840.

Within Monterey, Swan embarked on a new path, initiating his journey by becoming a baker, crafting Swan's pies that garnered the favor of Yankees en route to the Mexican capital of Alta California.

First Theater

Swan purchased a plot of land on the old Calle Estrada, now the southwest corner of Pacific and Scott Streets, near the Custom House. This was before the American occupation in July 1846. The building was developed in two stages: the smaller wooden portion was erected around 1845, using lumber salvaged from a shipwreck, serving initially as both a boarding house and a tavern catering to traveling sailors coming to shore from Monterey Bay. There were four sets of two-room units, each equipped with exterior doors on the east and west sides, as well as a fireplace in the rear room. These units were divided by partitions that could be raised or lowered. The larger rectangular adobe building was added in 1847 to function as an actual theater.

On July 7, 1846, during the Mexican–American War, Swan helped U.S. Commodore John Drake Sloat raise the American flag, over the Custom House at Monterey, declaring California part of the United States during the American Conquest of California.

California Gold Rush

Following the 1849 California Gold Rush, a significant portion of the population, Swan included, journeyed to northern California with hopes of striking it rich. From 1850 to 1896, Swan leased out his theater and went to the Sierra Nevada, prospecting along the American River.

In 1885, following a life marked by the highs and lows of the gold rush era, Swan concluded his journey and retired to his old adobe home without any financial resources.