Los Rios Water Tower - San Juan Capistrano, CA - Water Towers on Waymarking.com

The plaque says, "Eugene Oyharzabal and her daughter Carmelita (Carmen) are greatly respected for their vision and generosity in the Los Rios District and San Juan Capistrano.

In 1878, Domingo was the first Oyharzabal to arrive in San Juan Capistrano. Having left his home in France, he traveled to Chile and then to California. While living in Inyo County he developed an interest in sheep farming, bringing it to Orange County which he believed was the most perfect place in the state. Domingo began acquiring land eventually amassing over 4,000 acres within a few years. With those acres he planted walnuts and oranges, raised cattle, other livestock and had a herd of 25,000 sheep.

Domingo opened a hotel he called the French Hotel to house the other French Basque workers. The hotel building was built in the Monterey style of architecture, and is the best example of this type of construction in Orange County. Next to the hotel was the Domingo Yorba Adobe, now on the National Register of Historic Places, and where the Ovharzabal family has lived since the 1880s.

Nephew Esteban Oyharzabal had joined his uncle in San Juan Capistrano and managed the property for the family. Esteban's wife, Eugenie and their daughters, Carmen and Marie Theresa continued the family business into the 21st century.

The Ito family bougnt their nursery property, which included half of River Street from Eugenie Oyharzabal. Carmen with her brother in-law Tom Rodriguez gifted the san Juan Capistrano Historical Society with its property, housing four unique historical structures: the Silvas Adobe, Leck House, Stanfield abode, and the Garcia/Pryor house, home to the O'Neill museum. Without the vision and generosity of the Oyharzabal family the SJC Historical Society would not have its home, nor been able to preserve the other structures."

The plaque says, "Following their dream after being interned in Manzanar, Atsuo James and Hiroko Ito came to San Juan Capistrano in 1959. Jimmy, as he was known and Hiroko met and married in Manzanar during WWII. Their eldest son Braven was born there, Douglas, their second son, was born in Los Angeles. After losing everything during internment, Jimmy wanted to own land he could turn into a nursery that also be a wonderful legacy business and property to leave to their sons. The search landed Jimmy and Hiroko in San Juan Capistrano where they bought property from Eugene Oyharzabal that became the Ito Nursery.

Opening in 1970, the four of them worked together to build Ito Nursery into a successful business selling outdoor plants to both retail and wholesale buyers. The nursery supplied other nurseries, cities festivals, schools and parks with its plants, as well as homeowners. The nursery starter without electricity, telephone or plumbing. It was only piped with water lines to hand water the plants and trees it grew. Retiring in 1979, Jimmy and Hiroko spent time perfecting the art of Sumi-e, a Japanese style of ink painting, and growing fruits and vegetables in a section of the nursery, Jimmy loved sharing the produce from his garden with friends and neighbors.

Carving the mantle of what their parents began, Braven, Doug and Doug's wife Sheree continued running the nursery. It became more difficult for Braven to work as he had been diagnosed with muscular dystrophy and it was taking its toll on him. After 48 years of doing business, Doug and Sheree decided to close the nursery and retire. Having enjoyed the nursery grounds they looked for someone that would create a place for the community and visitors to be able to also enjoy the property."

The plaque says, "or centuries the Acjechemen, Missionaries, and early settlers used River Street as the path down to the Pacific Ocean.

River Street was originally a path used by the Indigenous people of the area to reach Trabuco Creek. The Creek was one of the main sources for water in the area. River Street is shown on maps from the late 1800's crossing Trabuco Creek and extending about four miles to the Ocean ending in Dana Point.

The thoroughfare was used by sheep herders to drive sheep to the area off Alipaz, which is across the creek, where shearing took place. At one time there was a bridge across Trabuco Creek where River Street ends today. It was known as the McKinley Bridge, named for the one time co-owner of the Mission along with Don Juan Forster. The bridge was washed away in a flood and never rebuilt.

In 1948 it was abandoned as a street. It is unknown when the street was first paved. Now the street is 25 feet wide and 600 feet long. It runs from Los Rios Street to the west terminating at Paseo Adelanto. It is part of the area placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1983 by local historian Ilse Byrnes. It is a private street owner by the property owners facing the street."

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