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LA REINA LOS ANGELES IN THREE CENTURIES 17

St cAthanasius episcopal Church, first Protestant house of worship, was erected in 1864
and stood on southwest corner of 'Temple and New High Streets
finally got his throne back from Joseph Bonaparte, he found the colonial empire
tottering. By 1810 the rebellion in Mexico was well started; by 1815 it had spread
to South America, and by 1821 Spain found herself left with only Cuba and a few
small islands in all the New World.
During the revolt, Spain had the sympathy of California. But the Mother
Country could not reward her colony for its loyalty with so much as salaries for the
officials, the soldiery or the priests. She, in fact, was powerless even to sail her
ships on the Pacific. If it had not been for the contraband trade, California might
not have maintained her economic existence. As it was, her capital, Monterey was
destroyed, the great Ortego Rancho was raided, and Mission San Juan Capistrano
was ransacked by a Buenos Aires privateer which considered the loyal colony rightful
prey It was in the month of March, 1822, that word finally came from Mexico
telling of Spain's relinquishment of her Western possessions. A new oath of alle-
giance to Mexico was taken without delay and a new flag was raised over the Plaza
at the Pueblo of Los Angeles. No one objected.

"Don Abel's s Palacio," as it was known, stood where the Baker Block now stands;
and as its name indicates, was an elegant affair "