New Spain!

Carrie just reminded me of another factor that I briefly kicked around this weekend, WHY did Pete choose that bit of map? Just a random thing he happened to like? To use as a logo for the IOP? That doesn't seem likely. So anyway, Carrie pointed out the obvious--the Bay Area? Well, the only problem with that, of course, is, what was the state of knowledge of the Bay Area in 1598? Below is a map of New Spain from 1598:


UPDATE (via http://www.zpub.com/sf/history/sfh2.html):

European discovery and exploration of the San Francisco Bay Area and its islands began in 1542 and culminated with the mapping of the bay in 1775.

1579: In 1579 Captain Drake and crew, midway through their piratical circumnavigation of the globe, steered their Golden Hind into a foggy North Pacific cove surrounded by buff cliffs that reminded them of the White Cliffs of Dover. They stayed five weeks at the place they dubbed Nova Albion, repairing and supplying the ship and getting along famously with the natives.

1769: The entrance to San Francisco Bay, La Boca del Puerto (The mouth of the Port) is discovered on November 1 by Sergeant Jose Ortega.

Looks like the Bay Area theory is getting trickier. Some other part of California, perhaps.