Hi John, I couldn't find any references to "VANDAL/VANDALL" but I did find some information on "MURRAY" and Palo Colorado Canyon. >From "Monterey County Place Names" by Donald Thomas Clark: MURRAY GRADE This is the name applied to that section of Palo COlorado Road that climbs steeply as it passes to the south away from Palo Colorado Canyon and up the base of Green Ridge. Located in SWQ Sec. 4 and NWQ Sec. 9 T18S R1E. Named for EUGENIA MURRAY, fondly remembered by SAM TROTTER. He tells about her in his memoirs of an early trip in Big Sur: "From there we went down in the Palo Colorado canyon where there were plenty of redwoods. Then we crossed over a divide [see Green Ridge] between Palo Colorado and Rocky Creek. On a bench on a ridge there was a neat little house made of redwood board and hewed timber. There lived old lady MURRAY and her son ROBERT. Mrs. MURRAY was one of the finest little old ladies I ever met and talked to. She and her husband had lived there since about 1873. He had died and her two sons and daughter carried on the ranch, raised cattle and horses on their own land and government land as far back as the Big and Little Pines, Devil Peak and down on Skinner Ridge." "Old lady MURRAY and her son ROBERT" are listed in the 1900 census along with sister EUGENIA. The mother is listed as a widow, CLARISSA MURRAY, born in Louisiana in November 1822, no occupation given. ROBERT is shown as "head of family," born in California in April 1856, stock raiser; EUGENIA was born in California in March 1865, occupation, school teacher. The second son is not listed. The grade has also been known as Schoolhouse Grade for the schoolhouse located there (see Schoolhouse Grade in the entry for "The Hoist"). THE HOIST A feature in LPNF in Sec. 10 T18S R1E at 1343 ft. elevation. "Follow the Palo Colorado Canyon for three miles up from Highway 1 to the top of Schoolhouse Grade (a country school served the homesteaders there), drive downgrade a half mile to Rocky Creek, upgrade another half a mile to the saddle between Rocky Creek and Bixby Creek and you are at the Hoist, so named because from here to the bottom of Bixby Creek stretched a cable on which tanbark was hoisted out of the canyon. — Mackie." Schoolhouse Grade is now called Murray Grade for EUGENIA MURRAY who taught at the Murray School. "She apparently lived on the property for many years after the last classes were conducted. — Norman." - ----------------------------------------------- >From "A Wild Coast & Lonely — Big Sur Pioneers" by Rosalind Sharpe Wall: "SAM TROTTER kept a journal of his first trip to the wild Monterey Coast. It took them all day to get from Carmel and the Hatton ranch and dairy, making various stops and visits at Carmel Highlands, to the GARAPATA where they stayed overnight with SWETHAM, then proceeded on their journey to the Little Sur via Palo Colorado Canyon where they stopped at the STARRETTs and the MURRAYs. 'Mrs. MURRAY was one of the finest little ladies I had ever met and talked to,' wrote SAM. 'She and her husband had lived there since 1875. He had died and she and her two sons, ROBERT and NED, and her daughter, EUGENIA, had carried on the ranch, raising cattle and horses.' It was this same NED MURRAY, son of Mrs. MURRAY who got involved with the ill-fated CUSHING girl and took off for China, never to be heard of again. His brother ROBERT and his sister EUGENIA, who became a school teacher, stayed on at the ranch." - ------------------------------ Hope this helps, Anita C. Monterey County John Glover Vandall wrote: > > Posted on: Monterey County Queries > Reply Here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Ca/Monterey/373 > > Surname: Murray, Vandal, Vandall > ------------------------- > > My great Aunt Jean was a teacher in Monterey in the late 1800's. Her brother-in-law,Bartholomew > Columbs Vandal, also livd in Monterey County. He had propety somewhere > in Palo Colorado Canyon down by Big Sur. Also there were other Murrays > and other Vandals in the area. I believe there is a gravesite in the old > cemetary in Monterey with the name Vandal/Vandall on it. Either spelling > is found. If anyone has information on where to check for these "lost relatives", > I would appreciate it very much. Thanks for any and all help!!