Mission San Gabriel Arcángel facts for kids

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Mission San Gabriel Arcángel
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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.
Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Location	428 South Mission Dr. San Gabriel, California 91776-1299
Coordinates	34°05′48″N 118°06′24″W / 34.09667°N 118.10667°W / 34.09667; -118.10667
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


California Historical Landmark
Reference no.	#158

Website
http://www.sangabrielmission.org

Mission San Gabriel Arcángel is a famous California mission and a historic place in San Gabriel, California. It was started by the Spanish Empire on September 8, 1771. This made it the fourth of what would become twenty-one Spanish missions in California. The mission was named after the Archangel Gabriel. People often called it the "Godmother of the Pueblo of Los Angeles."

The mission's unique design was created by Antonio Cruzado. He added special capped buttresses and tall, narrow windows. These features make it stand out from other California missions. The main church building was finished in 1805. A large stone cross stands in the middle of the Campo Santo (cemetery). This cemetery was first blessed in 1778. It was blessed again on January 29, 1939. It is the final resting place for about 6,000 Native Americans who lived at the mission.

An old Spanish story says that when the mission was being founded, a group of Tongva Native Americans met the Spanish. They wanted the newcomers to leave. One of the priests showed them a painting of Our Lady of Sorrows. The Tongva people, whom the Spanish called Gabrieleños, were so impressed by its beauty that they made peace. Today, this 300-year-old painting hangs near the main altar in the mission's church.

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Discover Mission San Gabriel Arcángel

A Look at Mission History

Founding and Early Years

In August 1771, a Spanish group of soldiers and priests met Tongva Native Americans. One month later, on September 8, 1771, Mission San Gabriel was founded. Fray Ángel Fernández de la Somera and Fray Pedro Benito Cambón started it. The first location was near the Santa Ana River. However, the priests chose a different spot. This new site was on a fertile plain next to the Río Hondo. This first mission site is known as Misión Vieja or "Old Mission."

The mission was built and operated with the help of the local Tongva communities. These included villages like Yaanga and Toviscanga. The Tongva people's traditional way of life changed greatly. They learned new farming methods and crafts. When the nearby Pueblo de los Ángeles was founded in 1781, it also sought workers from the Native American communities.

Challenges and Changes

The explorer Juan Bautista de Anza visited the mission in 1774 and again in 1776. In 1776, a big flood damaged the mission's crops and buildings. Because of this, 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.

On December 8, 1812, a series of strong earthquakes hit Southern California. The 1812 San Juan Capistrano earthquake caused the mission's bell tower to fall. This tower had three bells. A new, larger bell structure with six bells was then built. It was placed at the far end of the chapel.

Between 1771 and 1834, over 25,000 Native Americans were baptized at San Gabriel. This was the highest number among all the missions. The Tongva from nearby villages, like Akuranga, experienced many changes. The missionaries aimed to introduce new religious and social practices. Life at the mission was very different from their traditional customs. Some Native Americans found these changes difficult. There are records of some people leaving the mission during this time. For example, in 1808, some Native Americans left. A Spanish soldier tried to bring them back, but the village chief refused.

San Gabriel Arcangel circa 1900 Keystone-Mast Company

Mission San Gabriel Arcángel around 1900. The path in front is part of the original El Camino Real.

Rebuilding and Restoration

Mission San Gabriel once provided food and supplies to many places in California. However, after it was taken over by the government in November 1834, many buildings fell into disrepair. In the 1850s, parts of the mission were even used as a saloon.

The mission's chapel became a local church from 1862 to 1908. Then, the Claretian Missionaries began the important work of rebuilding and restoring the mission. In 1874, train tracks were built near the mission. In 2012, old mission artifacts were found when these tracks were lowered. On October 1, 1987, the Whittier Narrows earthquake caused more damage. A large part of the original mission has since been carefully restored.

On July 11, 2020, a fire completely destroyed the roof of the church. Luckily, some paintings and artifacts were saved because the mission was already undergoing renovations. An investigation into the fire was conducted. In May 2021, a person was charged in connection with setting the fire. An invitation-only Mass was held in September 2022. The mission officially reopened to the public in July 2023.

Life and Work at the Mission

How the Mission Supported Itself

Land claims of the Catholic Church at Mission San Gabriel in 1854. This map shows the church, cemetery, ruins, houses, orchards, gardens, and vineyards.

The main goal of the missions was to become self-sufficient. This meant they needed to produce everything they used and consumed. Farming was the most important activity. Before the missions, Native Americans had their own successful cultures. The mission priests aimed to teach them new ways of farming, crafts, and raising animals. The Native Americans who lived at the mission, sometimes called "neophytes," did most of the work. After 1811, the mission's products helped support the entire government of California.

Far-Reaching Lands and Communities

The mission had many large farms, called ranchos, for raising cattle, sheep, and other animals. These ranchos spread across a wide area. Some of these included San Pasqual, Santa Anita, Azusa, and San Bernardino. Rancho San Gorgonio, started in 1824, was the farthest rancho from the mission.

Many Native Americans lived in their own communities called rancherías. Some of the rancherías connected to Mission San Gabriel were Acuragna, Alyeupkigna, Awigna, and Cahuenga.

To manage its large lands, Mission San Gabriel also set up smaller sub-missions called asistencias. Some of these later became independent land grants after the missions were taken over by the Mexican government in the 1830s. These included Rancho Santa Ana del Chino, Rancho La Puente, and San Bernardino de Sena Estancia.

Other Mission Crafts

In 1816, the mission built a grist mill to grind grain into flour. This building, called El Molino Viejo, still stands today as a museum. Other important mission activities included tanning cowhides, making tallow for soap, creating lime kilns, making tiles, weaving cloth for blankets, and making adobe bricks.

The Mission Bells

The bell tower of Mission San Gabriel, 1905

Bells were a very important part of daily life at the mission. They rang to announce mealtimes, call people to work, and signal religious services. Bells also marked births and funerals. They would ring to announce a ship arriving or a missionary returning. New mission residents 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" in 1953. It told a story about a young boy named Miguel. He helped get money to make the mission bell sound beautiful. Years later, the sound of that same bell saved his life when he was lost in the desert.

Resting Places at the Mission

Who is Buried Here?

The Mission San Gabriel Arcángel Cemetery is the oldest Catholic cemetery in California. A large stone cross stands in its center. It was first blessed in 1778 and again in 1939. About 6,000 Native Americans who lived at the mission are buried here. A small marker shows the grave of José de los Santos. He was the last Native American buried on the grounds in February 1921, at 101 years old.

Many Franciscan priests who served at the mission are also buried here. This includes Father Miguel Sánchez and Father Antonio Cruzado. Also buried here is Eulalia Pérez de Guillén Mariné. She was known as the "keeper of the keys" during Spanish rule and lived to be very old. Her grave is marked by a special bench. Another important person buried here is Victoria Reid. She was a Tongva woman who became a respected figure in Mexican California.

Exploring the Mission Today

What You Can See and Do

A streetcar of the Pacific Electric Railway stops at Mission San Gabriel Arcángel around 1905.

Visitors can explore the church, museum, and grounds. The adobe museum building was built in 1812. It was once used for sleeping and storing books. Inside, you can see mission artifacts, old books, and religious items. Outside, you can see parts of the original mission. These include indoor and outdoor kitchens, a winery, water storage tanks, and vats for making soap and tanning hides. The historic cemetery is also part of the tour. There is also a gift shop.