The Old Spanish Trail - San Gabriel, California
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 34° 05.787 W 118° 06.399
11S E 397916 N 3773402
Historical marker at the San Gabriel Mission giving a brief history of the Old Spanish Trail and the role the Mission played in its history.
Waymark Code: WM51H1
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 10/26/2008
Views: 19
Old Spanish Trail
1829 - 1848
The Old Spanish Trail was an historic pack trail connecting Santa Fe to the
pueblo of Los Angeles. Travelers on the trail aimed for the San Gabriel
Mission as a welcome destination and gathering place. In addition to
Mexican traders, emigrants from Santa Fe also used the trail. Traders
brought wooden good from New Mexico and returned with highly prized California
mules and horses. The trail originated as a trade route from Santa Fe into
central Utah during the Spanish Colonial days but was extended west to
California during the Mexican period.
San Gabriel Mission
On September 8, 1771 founding Fathers Pedro Cambon and Angel Somera named the
new mission for the Archangel Gabriel. It was the fourth in a chain of 21
missions in California. In 1774, Juan Bautista de Anza arrived and
established a formal overland route from Mexico City to California.
As trade between the United States and Mexico and the new Republic of Mexico
expanded, Santa Fe traders saw the potential for profits in dealing directly
with California ranchers and church missions. In the fall of 1829, well
after Mexican Independence from Spain, Antonio Armijo led a caravan westward
from Santa Fe. He arrived at the San Gabriel Mission in January, 1830 with
60 men and pack mules loaded with woolen goods. Armijo returned to Santa
Fe that spring with an additional 100 horses and mules. For the first
time, a trade and communication route was established between the Mexican
provinces of New Mexico and California. Thus the Old Spanish Trail was
born.
Following the success of Armijo's expedition, San Gabriel Mission became the
focal point for the lucrative trade. Traders, trappers and travelers
coming west gathered here to conduct their business with the Californios.
The Mission was one of the most prosperous in California, and the padres
graciously provided food, rest and shelter to the travelers, weary from the long
and difficult trail. Some of the visitors were no doubt rough and unruly,
but all were treated with gentle courtesy by the padres of the Mission.
The San Gabriel Mission was secularized in 1834 and much of the land became
private property. In 1874, the Catholic Church was granted control of the
13-acre property surrounding and including the Mission Church ~ text of marker