Mission San Gabriel Arcángel facts for kids
A view of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel in April 2005. The open stairway at the far right leads to the choir loft, and to the left is the six-bell campanario ("bell wall") that was built after the original bell structure, located at the far end of the church, toppled during the 1812 San Juan Capistrano earthquake.
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 Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
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| Location | 428 South Mission Dr. San Gabriel, California 91776-1299 |
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| Coordinates | 34°05′48″N 118°06′24″W / 34.09667°N 118.10667°W |
| Name as founded | La Misión del Santo Príncipe el Arcángel, San Gabriel de los Temblores |
| English translation | The Mission of the Saintly Prince The Archangel, St. Gabriel of the Tremblors |
| Patron | Gabriel, Holy Prince of Archangels |
| Nickname(s) | "Pride of the Alta California Missions" "Mother of Agriculture in California" |
| Founding date | September 8, 1771 |
| Founding priest(s) | Pedro Benito Cambón and Ángel de la Somera (1st); Father Presidente Junípero Serra (2nd) |
| Founding Order | Fourth |
| Military district | First |
| Native tribe(s) Spanish name(s) |
Tongva Gabrieleño |
| Native place name(s) | 'Iisanchanga, Shevaanga |
| Baptisms | 7,825 |
| Marriages | 1,916 |
| Burials | 5,670 |
| Secularized | 1834 |
| Returned to the Church | 1859 |
| Governing body | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles |
| Current use | Chapel / Museum |
| Designated | 1971 |
| Reference no. | #71000158 |
| Reference no. | #158 |
| Website | |
| http://www.sangabrielmission.org | |
Mission San Gabriel Arcángel (Misión de San Gabriel Arcángel in Spanish) is a historic landmark in San Gabriel, California. It was started by the Spanish Empire on September 8, 1771. This mission was the fourth of twenty-one Spanish missions in California. It was named after the Archangel Gabriel. People often called it the "Godmother of the Pueblo of Los Angeles."
The mission was designed by Antonio Cruzado. He gave the building its unique capped buttresses and tall, narrow windows. These features make it stand out from other California missions. A large stone cross stands in the middle of the Campo Santo (cemetery). This cemetery was first used in 1778. It is the oldest cemetery in California. About 6,000 "neophytes" are buried there. Neophytes were Native Americans who lived at the mission.
Many Franciscan priests are also buried at the Mission. These priests served at the mission during their lives. Eulalia Pérez de Guillén Mariné, who was in charge of the keys under Spanish rule, is also buried here. Her grave has a special bench. Victoria Reid, a respected Native American woman, is also buried at the mission.
A Spanish story says that when the mission was founded, Tongva Native Americans tried to stop the Spanish. One priest showed them a painting of "Our Lady of Sorrows." The Tongva people, also called Gabrieleños by the Spanish, were so amazed by its beauty that they made peace. Today, this 300-year-old painting hangs in the mission's church. However, historical records show that the Tongva people did resist the mission. How much they truly accepted Catholicism is still debated by historians.
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Mission History and Changes
In August 1771, Spanish soldiers and priests met armed Tongva people. One month later, Mission San Gabriel was founded. It was started by Fray Ángel Fernández de la Somera and Fray Pedro Benito Cambón. The first site was near the Santa Ana River. But the priests chose a different spot. This new place was on a fertile plain next to the Río Hondo. This first mission site is called Misión Vieja ("Old Mission").
The mission was built using the labor of Native Americans from nearby Tongva villages. These villages included Yaanga and Toviscanga. When the Pueblo de los Ángeles was built in 1781, it competed with the mission for Native American workers.
In 1776, a big flood damaged the first mission complex. It destroyed many crops. So, the mission was moved about five miles closer to the mountains. This new location is where San Gabriel is today. The Tongva village of Shevaanga was also close to this second mission site.
Earthquakes and Rebuilding
On December 9, 1812, strong earthquakes hit Southern California. The 1812 San Juan Capistrano earthquake caused the mission's bell wall to fall down. This wall had three bells. After this, a new, larger bell structure was built. It had six bells. It was placed at the far end of the chapel.
More than 25,000 baptisms happened at San Gabriel between 1771 and 1834. This made it the busiest mission in the chain. Franciscan missionaries tried to change the ways of the Tongva people. They used religious teaching and labor. Sadly, a missionary reported that three out of four children at Mission San Gabriel died before age 2. Nearly 6,000 Tongva people are buried on the mission grounds.
Native Americans often tried to escape the mission. For example, in 1808, some "neophytes" ran away. A Spanish soldier named José Palomares went after them. He found them at a Serrano village. But the chief of the village refused to send them back.
After the mission was taken over by the government in 1834, most of its buildings fell apart. The large vineyards, which once provided food, were ruined. Fences broke, and animals roamed freely. In the 1850s, people even turned part of the mission into a saloon.
The mission's chapel became a local church from 1862 to 1908. Then, the Claretian Missionaries began to rebuild and restore the mission. In 1874, train tracks were built near the mission. In 2012, old mission items were found when the tracks were lowered. On October 1, 1987, the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake caused more damage. Much of the mission has been restored since then.
On July 11, 2020, a fire completely destroyed the roof of the church. Luckily, some paintings and items were saved because the mission was already being renovated. A man was later charged with starting the fire. The mission hopes to fully reopen by early December 2022.
Mission Industries and Daily Life
The missions aimed to become self-sufficient. This meant they wanted to produce everything they needed. Farming was the most important activity. Before the missions, Native Americans had their own complex ways of living. The mission priests taught them new farming methods. They also taught them mechanical skills and how to care for animals. The Native Americans living at the mission, called neophytes, made everything they used. After 1811, the mission Indians helped support the entire government of California.
Large farms called ranchos were set up to raise cattle, sheep, and other animals. These ranchos were spread over a wide area. They included places like San Pasqual, Santa Anita, and San Bernardino. When Rancho San Gorgonio was started in 1824, it was the farthest rancho from the mission.
Many Native Americans lived in communities called rancherías. Some rancherías linked to San Gabriel Mission were Acuragna, Alyeupkigna, and Cahuenga.
To manage its large lands, Mission San Gabriel created smaller outposts called asistencias. Some of these later became private land grants. These included Rancho Santa Ana del Chino and San Bernardino de Sena Estancia.
In 1816, the Mission built a grist mill to grind grain. This mill, called El Molino Viejo, still stands today. It is now a museum. Other mission activities included tanning cowhides, making soap and candles, and weaving cloth for blankets. They also made adobe bricks for building.
Mission Bells and Their Importance
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Bells were very important for daily life at the mission. They were rung to announce mealtimes and to call people to work. Bells also called residents to religious services. They marked births, funerals, and the arrival of ships. New monks learned the special ways to ring the bells. The mission bells also helped people tell time.
There was a TV episode called "The Bell of San Gabriel." It was part of the show Death Valley Days. In the story, a young boy named Miguel helps pay for a special bell. Years later, the sound of this bell saves his life when he is lost in the desert.
Cemetery and Exhibits
The Mission San Gabriel Arcángel Cemetery is the oldest Catholic cemetery in California. A large stone cross stands in the middle of the Campo Santo (cemetery). It was first blessed in 1778. About 6,000 "neophytes" are buried there. A small stone marks the grave of José de los Santos. He was the last American Indian buried there in 1921, at age 101.
The Tongva people have their own traditions for death. An old drawing from 1724 shows Native Americans carrying a body over a smoky fire.
Exploring the Mission Today
Visitors can explore the church, museum, and grounds. The adobe museum building was built in 1812. It was first used for sleeping and storing books. Inside, you can see mission items, old books, and religious artifacts.
Outside, you can see parts of the original mission. These include indoor and outdoor kitchens. There is also a winery and water storage tanks. You can see vats for making soap and candles. There are also vats for tanning animal hides. A gift shop is also available for visitors.
Researching Mission History
The San Gabriel Mission has important historical records. These are part of the William McPherson Collection. This collection is at the Claremont Colleges' Honnold/Mudd Library. William McPherson was a rancher and collector. He gave his large collection of mission documents in 1964.
The collection includes records about marriages from 1788 to 1861. These are interviews with couples who wanted to marry in the Catholic Church. They were done to make sure the couples were free to marry. The collection has 165 investigations. These involve 173 men and 170 women. The original records are very old and fragile. But you can find an online guide to search the collection.
See also
In Spanish: Misión San Gabriel Arcángel para niños
- Spanish missions in California
- List of Spanish missions in California
- Mission San Francisco Solano (California)
- Nuestra Señora Reina de los Ángeles Asistencia
- El Molino Viejo
- San Bernardino Asistencia
- USNS Mission San Gabriel (AO-124) – a Mission Buenaventura-class fleet oiler built during World War II
- Eulalia Pérez de Guillén Mariné
- Hugo Reid
- San Gabriel Mission High School
- Henninger Flats
- Casa de San Pedro – formerly owned by the mission
