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In the center of the park is the bicentennial Fountain built in 1976 to celebrate our nation's 200th birthday.
The Juan Bautista De Anza National Historic Trail comes through San Gabriel. You will find plaques in Plaza Park marking his arrival here. One, at the east end, commemorates his 1774 exploratory trip though uncharted wilderness to discover a land route from Sonora, Mexico, to California. The plaque next to the South entrance door to the Mission marks the famous 1776 trek bringing over 200 settlers, the first to come overland from Sonora, who went on to found the City of San Francisco. On the west side of the park is the Sister City plaque, shaded by Jacaranda trees, which honors the friendship between San Gabriel and Celaya, Mexico.
Top Bell: Cast by G. Holbrook of Massachusetts, an apprentice of Paul Revere.
Center row left: The gift of a Russian sea Captain, cast in Russia.
Center row, center: also cast by G. Holbrook.
Center row, right: An "Ave Maria" bell cast in Spain
Center row, left: The largest of the bells, La Gorda, was ordered from Mexico in 1830. A request was filed at the time of the order asking that the bell be loud enough to be heard for nine miles, thus reminding Los Angeles of a borrowed bell which they had not returned. The bell was returned in 1930.
Bottom row, right: Second of the "Ave Maria" bells.
Plaza Park is also the original site of the famous "Mission Play" which was performed here in a wood-framed, tin-roofed building from 1912 through the 1926 season. It was then moved to the new building, now the San Gabriel Civic Auditorium.
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