Founding of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel (1771)

On September 8, 1771, Fray Ángel Fernández de la Somera and Fray Pedro Benito Cambón founded the fourth California mission. Named for the Archangel Gabriel, the site was later relocated after a 1776 flood destroyed the original complex.

Episodes

Background and detail

Founding Context. The mission was established by the Spanish Empire as the fourth of twenty-one California missions. It was named after the Archangel Gabriel and is historically referred to as the Godmother of the Pueblo of Los Angeles.

Early History and Relocation. Following the Portolà expedition's encounter with Tongva Indians in August 1771, the mission was founded in September. A flash flood in 1776 destroyed the original complex, prompting a relocation five miles closer to the mountains.

Site Identity. The original site, known as Misión Vieja, is located near San Gabriel Boulevard and Lincoln Avenue. The mission later became the most prolific in the chain, conducting over 25,000 baptisms between 1771 and 1834.

People involved

Sources

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