At last, the consolidation of academic departments has proven useful.
In the university he once attended, departments such as Civil Engineering, Urban Engineering, and Architectural Engineering had existed side by side. But when he returned from military service, he discovered that they had all been merged into one.
At the time, the uproar had been immense. Who would've thought it would come to benefit him this way?
That night, while others slept soundly, the Crown Prince sat before a single sheet of paper, staring it down in deep contemplation.
Tomorrow, the construction of the settlement begins.
Ordinary settlers would likely build haphazardly—wherever the land looked good enough. But having studied urban planning, he could not abide such disorder.
He was determined to build a properly structured town, one that could endure into the future.
He had admittedly forgotten much about architecture and planning, having focused primarily on civil engineering. But some instincts remained.
Each settler household was to receive 160 acres of farmland.
Compared to the land allotted to Texan settlers, it may have seemed meager. But much of the Texan land had been pasture; their actual arable allotment was closer to 120 acres.
Even under the U.S. Homestead Act, the maximum land grant was 160 acres. It's far from small.
Moreover, Sacramento lay within California's Central Valley—one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world.
With the Sacramento River and its tributaries nearby, securing irrigation water would not be difficult. On 160 acres, the settlers would live in comfort, perhaps even prosperity.
He would place the government office, church, and commercial district at the heart of town—where the city once stood. From there, farms would stretch outward, particularly downstream.
With no computers and only a handful of maps, he was forced to sketch his vision freehand.
As he mapped the town's layout, his mind, gripped by habit, raced with ideas—dams, reservoirs, waterworks, roads, and even railways.
Not yet. One step at a time. These things must evolve with time.
Designing everything at once would be inefficient—little more than self-indulgent fantasy.
Still, surely a railway within ten years isn't too ambitious? Let's pencil that in.
The Next Morning
"Let's begin with the church. First, we'll need to secure lumber."
In the West, it was customary to build the church first when founding a new settlement.
Mexico, steeped in Catholic tradition, would benefit symbolically and practically from such an approach.
It was also a good opportunity to brush up on general architectural design.
He intended to use the balloon-frame construction method, a type of light-frame wooden structure. In this system, long vertical studs stretched uninterrupted from the foundation to the roof, held together by horizontal elements—joists and rafters—secured with nails and screws.
Though the timber-frame method, a traditional Western technique, yielded stronger and more beautiful buildings, it was labor-intensive, time-consuming, and complex to construct.
Speed was of the essence. Balloon framing was faster, simpler, and used less wood.
It was, in fact, designed by and for pioneers. Compared to the slower timber-frame method, American settlers had developed it to erect buildings quickly.
Later, balloon framing would evolve into platform framing, a more advanced but more material-heavy technique. For now, at this early stage, balloon framing was ideal.
To execute the plan properly, the lumber had to be processed from the outset in accordance with his specifications. He decided to give a live demonstration.
Surveying the scene, he found piles of timber laid out in front of him. The settlers stood by, watching with curiosity.
What a sight it must be—five hundred people, including soldiers, all gathered to watch a Crown Prince wield a saw.
"Everyone, please look this way. I'll demonstrate how to process lumber."
Selecting a plank, he drew perpendicular horizontal and vertical lines. These would ensure precision when framing later.
He then picked up a saw and began cutting along the vertical line.
Swish, swish!
The sound of slicing wood somehow helped him focus. When the cut was finished, he inspected the edge. Rough ends could cause misalignment during assembly, so he filed them smooth with a separate tool.
"As you can see, precision is everything. Inaccurate cuts will compromise the frame's stability. These are homes we're building, so treat the work with care."
The settlers watched attentively.
He then chose a piece for horizontal cutting, fixed it in place, and sawed along the drawn line.
This would serve as part of the frame's horizontal structure. He lifted the freshly cut timber and held it aloft.
"This one will be used for the horizontal beam. It's been cut to exact length and angle, ready for assembly."
He set the pieces aside and stepped back. The settlers could now begin their own lumber processing, following his example.
"Balloon framing allows for fast, efficient construction. But speed can invite imprecision. Accuracy in cutting is absolutely critical."
He reinforced the point again.
If the lumber was processed correctly, the entire settlement could be built swiftly and as planned.
He stayed a while longer, instructing the settlers as they worked.
Out of the 450 settlers, only ten claimed experience in carpentry or woodworking.
He gathered them to demonstrate how to combine vertical and horizontal elements using the pre-cut timber.
Truth be told, from here onward, he was relying on instinct and memory. But there was no helping it.
A civil engineer rarely had cause to build structures with balloon framing. He'd only come across the method in passing, while studying for exams.
"Now we'll use the processed timber to construct columns and beams. Watch closely."
He selected a beam intended to stand vertically—it would need to bear compressive loads, so strength was essential. He picked a piece of particularly stiff, dense lumber.
"The columns support vertical loads. Choose wood with the appropriate strength and stiffness—this directly affects building safety."
He checked the vertical alignment carefully. While measuring horizontal level might be second nature to a carpenter, verticality was no less vital for structural integrity.
"Even a slight lean can cause major issues later."
Then came the beams.
These bore horizontal loads between columns and required high tensile and bending resistance. He measured and cut accordingly.
"Beams must resist bending and tension. Strength, stiffness, and even weight matter."
Once all the pieces were ready, he joined them with nails and screws.
"These fasteners determine the building's integrity. They must be installed correctly."
The carpenters nodded in understanding.
"It may sacrifice a bit of durability compared to timber framing," one said, "but this is definitely faster. Your Highness—where on earth did you learn this?"
"In search of a fast, efficient building method using limited resources, I found it in an American text."
While he trained the ten carpenters, the rest of the settlers gathered timber and began the initial processing.
Of the fifty soldiers, twenty-five assisted with labor while the other twenty-five guarded the settlement under Major Manuel's command.
To streamline operations, the prince appointed one of the ten carpenters—Andrés Ortega—as chief carpenter. A mestizo in his late thirties, Andrés had over twenty years of experience.
"Master Ortega, please select twenty able-handed men today and teach them what I demonstrated yesterday."
"Yes, Your Highness."
This church would be rebuilt eventually, so it made for good practice. While architectural design differed from civil engineering in many ways, it also shared much. He simply had to dust off his memories from university.
As the first building in the settlement, the church would inevitably be small. And by nature, churches often incorporated materials like glass—less suited to light-frame construction. Once the town grew, it would have to be rebuilt.
So he let go of any burdensome perfectionism and designed a modest, beautiful church within his abilities.
After wasting dozens of sheets over three days, he finally created a design he could be proud of.
"Master Ortega, here is the blueprint. I've listed the required timber as well. Please begin processing as indicated."
"Understood, Your Highness."
He worked closely with the veteran carpenters to develop a precise construction plan, beginning with the foundation. As they labored on the church, the rest of the settlers followed the methods he'd taught to process wood in preparation for more buildings.
Once the foundation is done, we assemble the frame, build the roof and walls, do the interior, and finally inspect everything. No need to rush—as long as the steps proceed in order.
He personally oversaw the entire process, from start to finish.
"This is remarkable. For a first construction, every settler is moving in perfect coordination under Your Highness's command. I expected significant delays and mistakes—but instead, I've learned something myself."
Major Manuel was visibly impressed. As the prince's personal guard, he had watched the entire process unfold at close range.
With several years' worth of field experience in civil engineering, this was the least he could do. Asking teenagers to help was questionable, but given the times, even if he told them to rest, they'd feel too guilty to comply. There was no way around it.
"When I thought of how my father led his troops, I imagined how he might've commanded a work crew like this. And it all fell into place."
"...I see."
Another smooth deflection.
"Major Manuel, now that the construction is underway and proceeding steadily, I'd like to survey the surrounding area. We suffered losses on the way due to imprecise maps—this time, I intend to chart the terrain thoroughly. Have Company One stay to protect the settlement. Send Company Two with me."
"Wouldn't it be safer if I accompanied you personally, Your Highness?"
"There's nothing dangerous here but wild animals. I'll be gone briefly—please look after the camp in the meantime."
"...Understood, Your Highness. Travel safely."
At last, it was time to pursue the expedition's true purpose.