Ten miles northeast of Los Angeles (ls n´ gl-s) is the village of San Gabriel. It gets its name from this famous old Spanish mission. Much of the early exploration of our country, and many settlements were made by missionaries. One of the chief purposes of Columbus in trying to find the Indies was to convert the natives to Christianity. "To Christianize, to civilize, and to colonize" was the Spanish motto. Priests accompanied most Spanish exploring parties. When De Soto made his famous march to the Mississippi, priests were in the forefront of the band of warriors. French priests sailed the rivers of lower Canada, and explored the Great Lake region ahead of hunters and trappers. Father Marquette was the first white man to sail down the Mississippi from its upper reaches. Everywhere they went, these priests taught the Indians, and did much toward their civilization. From Florida westward there is a wide trail of missions founded by Spanish Priests. In southern California many such churches with their little Indian communities sprang up. Some of these are now sites of great cities. There was usually a central mission with branch missions or chapels near by. San Gabriel was a central mission. The first settlement at Los Angeles was a chapel founded by San Gabriel. It was called, "Our Lady, Queen of the Angels." The San Gabriel Mission was established in 1771-5 years before the Declaration of Independence was signed. The view shows its famous belfry with its many bells, and the fine old garden. You will observe the heavy upright buttress to support the walls. This kind of building is common to most southwestern missions. It is so common that it has become a style of architecture. Keystone ID: 13555 Note: All titles, descriptions, and location coordinates are from the original Keystone Slide documentation as supplied by the Keystone View Company. No text has been edited or changed.