Keel laid down of the Dutch merchant barque ship California at Nieuw Lekkerland, Netherlands according to the Dutch newspaper Zierikzeesche Courant dated Saturday 6 March 1852

At the yard of F. Smit at Nieuw Lekkerland was the keel laid down of the iron build bark ship California of about 400 lasten on behalf of an owner from Amsterdam. It was the first time that a ship of this size was built of iron in the Netherlands.