Veterans Memorial Building

Historical marker location:

1931 Center Street, Berkeley, California

( Marker can be reached from Center Street east of Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, on the left when traveling east.)

Marker installed: 1998

Henry H. Meyers, Architect, 1928. City of Berkeley Landmark,designated in 1985.

The state's name is derived from a novel called "Las Sergas de Esplandián," which was published in 1510. The book, written by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo, tells the story of a mythical island called California that is ruled by Queen Calafia and is said to be filled with gold and precious stones.