The Seed of Modern-day Los Angeles- Mission San Gabriel Arcángel (Pasadena, CA)

Pretty much everyone knows Hollywood made Los Angeles into a world-famous city. But do you know how the modern-day metropolitan city of Los Angeles started? 

It has to do with Mission San Gabriel. Located at the junction of three major trails, the mission settlement became the seed of modern-day Los Angeles. Mission San Gabriel Arcángel (the 4th of California's 21 missions) was built in 1771. It became the foundation for Los Angeles, which was previously called El Pueblo de Los Angeles. That’s why this mission is often called the Godmother of the Pueblo of Los Angeles.

Los Angeles' founding actually began from the 1730s/40s with a Russian expedition to North America. Although Spain claimed the coast of upper California for nearly 200 years, it had not settled the area. But in 1741, a Russian expedition led by Danish explorer Vitus Bering reached Alaska, and Spain worried that the Russian empire's eastward expansion over Eurasia and across what would later be called the Bering Strait might indicate territorial desires on Spanish California.

In the mid-1760s, general José de Gálvez of New Spain planned for the colonization of California. The settlement plan had 3 aspects: a series of religious missions to convert indigenous people into Spanish subjects, presidios to secure Spain's military hold on the area, and pueblos to supply the garrisons with food and establish a civilian presence. Anticipating Russia's intent to expand south from Alaska, Spanish King Charles III approved the plans in 1768.

In 1769, the first presidio was built in San Diego, paving the way for the missions stretching north up California's coast. Mission San Gabriel Arcángel was founded in 1771.

The metropolitan city of Los Angeles started as a small town in 1781. It became part of Mexico in 1821 after the Mexican War of Independence from Spain, then became part of the U.S. in 1848 after the Mexican-American War. Major changes came from the completion of the Santa Fe railroad line from Chicago to Los Angeles in 1885. Immigrants flooded in. It grew rapidly with many suburban areas and Hollywood made the city world-famous.

Since Mission San Gabriel Arcángel is responsible for the foundation of modern-day Los Angeles, Mission San Gabriel gives Angelinos the opportunity to learn about their heritage. Mission San Gabriel Arcángel is the closest of the missions to Los Angeles.

Enter through the souvenir shop to see the church; the garden; the graves of friars, priests, and converted Native Americans; and vineyards that once produced Californian wine. Visitors can see the mission's kitchen; the place where soap, candles, and cow leather were made; the bell tower; and bibles, philosophy books, hymn notes, instruments, clothes, and utensils from the early days.

The 4-room museum displays many of the artifacts remaining from the mission's contemporary period.

The San Gabriel mission became one of the wealthiest and most productive missions- by 1829 it had 25,000 head of cattle, 15,000 sheep, and abundant crops, including grapes, wheat, barley, corn, beans, peas, and lentils. In 1781, the founding families and soldiers of Los Angeles came from here.

City Hall, San Gabriel Mission Playhouse (built in 1927), the Old Grapevine (that used to be the vineyard for the mission), and other historical buildings located in the neighborhood offer a glimpse of the past.

Also, check out more pictures of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel at the links below. 

-Only Moorish architecture-Mission San Gabriel & Beautiful Chapel
-Mission San Gabriel Arcangel Garden & Cemetery