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Route 483 Page 510 Los Angeles Section
Cross RR 54.5. Pass Galivan Sta. on right 54.7.
59.5 14.3 3-corners, San Juan Capistrano Mission on left; bear right.
59.6 0.1 San Juan Capistrano,* P. 0. on left. Straight thru, following
winding road along RR. Avoid right-hand road 62.2.
Right at 62.2 is Note (c) Route 541 to Irvine via Laguna Beach.
Pass Las Flores Sta. on left 82.3, following shores of Pacific
Ocean. Pass Fallbrook Jet., sta. on left 87.7. Cross RR 88.6.
90.1 30.5 Oceanside,* State highway & 2nd St., bank on right. Straight
thru on State highway. Cross RR 91.3.
Left on 2nd St. is Note (b) Route 541 to Bonsall.
Left at 91.9 is Route 485 to Santa Ysabel.
93.2 3.1 End of road; turn right across RR at Carl Sta. and imme-
diately left along Pacific Ocean. Thru Encinitas 1Q2.2. Cross
RR 103.0.
*San Juan Capistrano, Cal., is the site of the of the church by the earthquake in 1812. The
old San Juan Capistrano mission, the “Mel- cloisters and kitchen have been reroofed and
rose Abbey of the West,” and the seventh braced and various preservative repairs car-
mission in order of founding, considered to ried out. Mass is still celebrated in “Serra’s
have been the most splendid of all the mis- Chapel,” as the old church restored by the
sions. Its ruins are both picturesque and Landmarks club is called. In the campanario
imposing and possess, particularly when on the northeast corner of the church of 1797
lighted by the full moon, a singularly romantic hang four bronze bells rung by ropes at-
beauty. Against a background of purple tached to the clappers. The large ones are
mountains they stand on a hilltop at the tolled for the death of adults and the small
border of the little town. The foundation of ones for the passing of little children.
this mission was attempted in 1775 by Father Whoever sees the ruins of San Juan holds
Lasuen, but after the work had proceeded for them ever after in lustrous memory. Grilled
eight days news received of the Indian revolt windows, quaint latticed chimney, irregular
at San Diego made it necessary to postpone arches, bits of carving in the stone capitals
the prosecution of the work to a more auspi- of pilaster, and above wide wooden doors, owl-
cious time. Accordingly, the bells were buried haunted colonnades of crumbling arches, clus-
and the workers retired to San Diego. Two tered pillars with broken filletings, crumbling
years later Padre Serra, assisted by Fathers walls and floors adorned by vines and flowers
Pablo Mugartegui and Gregorio Amurrio, in a bewildering riot of lines and colors, and
again took up the task. The cross was found roof tiles showing their red above the cream
still standing in its place, the bells were dis- of the time-stained walls and against the
interred, and the first Holy Mass was cele- exquisite blue of the sky, make a picture of
never-to-be-forgotten
brated on the Feast of All Saints, November 1, beauty. The church,
1776, which is generally considered as the date the ruins of which are still to be seen, was
of the founding of S'an Juan Capistrano. designed by Father Gorgonio. It is in the
Fathers Mugartegui and Amurrio were in form of a Roman cross and is 180 feet long
charge of the construction of the first build- and 90 feet wide, with an arched roof that was
ing and the administrative affairs of the mis- a series of seven domes or bovedas, and a bell
sion. They were both wise and zealous; the tower 120 feet high, surmounted by a gilded
natives were well disposed, the lands were cock. From the dome over the transept rose
fertile, and the mission prospered from the a narrow spire of the large square mission
first. In 1797 work was begun on the stone tiles or ladrillos. The patio, or padre’s gar-
church, the remains of which are still to be den, is still a lovely spot enclosed by a cloister
seen, and it was consecrated September 7, garlanded with flower and vine. Until about
1806, with splendid ceremonies. The mission 1895 San Juan had one of the best of the
was at the zenith of its prosperity in 1812, mission libraries. It consisted chiefly of well-
when at the Feast of Purisima an earthquake known Latin and Spanish books of divinity,
sent the church tower and roof crashing down bound in sheepskin or parchment, tied with
on the heads of the congregation, killing 43 leather thongs or having metal clasps. The
persons, the officiating priest escaping as by first page of the record of marriages was writ-
a miracle. In 1833 Figuero secularized the ten and signed by Junipero Serra. A striking
mission by organizing the Indians into a “pro- evidence of the industrial enterprises of the
visional pueblo” and issuing the statement padres is presented in the ruins of the aque-
that the padres had surrendered all tem- ducts or flumes, some of brick, others of
poralities. In 1846 the population, which had wood, supported across ravines, which con-
been 1,361, had dwindled to 113 souls. In veyed the water for irrigating the 80 acres of
February, 1896, the Landmarks Club of Cali- orchard, vineyard and garden which was once
fornia secured a lease of San Juan Capistrano, surrounded by an adobe wall. Several rem-
including all the buildings in need of care, nants of these aqueducts may still be seen
with the necessary ground and rights of way, in the village, and there remain reservoirs,
and a preference to the club as purchaser in cisterns and zanjzas of brick, stone and ce-
case the property should ever be for sale, and ment located at advantageous points.
work was undertaken under the direction of “Oceanside, Cal. (pop. 1,500, alt. 42 ft.), is a
Mr. R. Egan, who for many years had made summer and winter resort on the Pacific, 42
personal efforts toward the preservation of miles north of San Diego. It was one of the
the mission. The club has restored the old boom towns of the ’70’s. Here the tourist
adobe church, the first one built at the mis- leaves the railroad to visit the Mission San
sion and the one used after the destruction Luis Rey de Francia.