Mission San Gabriel Arcángel
GLO Record of the Week for January 12, 2020
This survey plat, approved January 18, 1870, shows Mission San Gabriel Arcángel in sections 11 and 12. Generally, missions are locations of religious communities that spread the belief of Christianity among indigenous populations.
Often food, shelter, and medical care are provided. Missions were self-sufficient. They consisted of churches, gardens, fields, barns, workshops, dormitories, and schools. Most were located near an adequate water supply. Can you locate the nearby creek?
A Historic American Building Survey drafting of the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel ground floor plan.
Panning to the lower right corner of the survey plat reveals Sherman Day's approval signature in 1870. In 1855, Sherman Day created a survey of wagon-road routes across the Sierra Nevada. In addition to his surveying roles, he was also a member of the United States Senate from 1855 to 1856.
Photo of Sherman Day
Mission San Gabriel was founded in 1771. The church standing today was built in 1812 and was later reinforced after a major earthquake in 1987. The property has the oldest cemetery in Los Angeles; 6,000 Indians are buried there. Its vineyards were once one of Alta California’s leading producers of wine grapes.
Interior of the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel Church
Six-bell structure constructed after the collapse of the three-bell during the 1812 series of earthquakes.
A Historic American Building Society drafting of the six-bell structure.
Between 1771 and 1834, over 25,000 baptisms were conducted at Mission San Gabriel. That’s more than 396 baptisms a year!
Today, Mission San Gabriel is approximately 20 acres and is open to the public for religious ceremonies, weddings, and visiting hours to the museum, gift shop and grounds.
Check out this informational tour on YouTube!
Video Tour of the San Gabriel Arcángel Mission
If you've missed any of the previous BLM Record of the Week Story Maps be sure to check out our shortlist of all story maps!
