SAN JUAN experience
HISTORIC SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO
BY BRIAN PARK No other city in Orange County boasts the same rich heritage as his-
toric San Juan Capistrano. History is and forever will be the hallmark of this venerable city. As the birthplace of the county, San Juan Capistrano is steeped in his-
tory and tradition, and over the years, the city has gone to great lengths to not only preserve its unique character but to share it with residents and visitors for generations to come. Aſter all, San Juan Capistrano’s motto reads, “Preserving the Past to Enhance the Future.” Although the city wasn’t incorporated into the county until 1961, its
origin goes all the way back to the 18th century. Central to the city’s heri- tage is its most famous attraction, Mission San Juan Capistrano, known as the “Jewel of the California Missions.” Fr. Fermín Lasuén, a Franciscan priest from Spain, first established the
Mission on Oct. 30, 1775, but just over a week later, he and his fellow mis- sionaries and soldiers were called back to San Diego to address a violent
20 | San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce Business Directory & Visitor Guide |
visitsjc.com
uprising by the indigenous population. A year later, Fr. Junípero Serra and his men arrived in the Capistrano Valley to reestablish the Mission, and to this day, the Mission and the city celebrate Serra’s arrival on All Saints’ Day, Nov. 1, or Founders Day. It’s here, at the Mission, that the town grew. Te Mission not only
spread the Christian faith to the local inhabitants, but it also was a prosperous agricultural and commerce center, producing tons of corn, barley and wheat and livestock on its grazing lands. Te Mission is also considered the birthplace of the California wine industry. Fr. Serra and his missionaries cultivated vineyards and taught Native Americans how to grow grapes and produce wine. In fact, California’s first wine-producing vines were grown and harvested in San Juan Capistrano. Of course, along with the Mission, San Juan Capistrano is known
throughout the world for the legendary migration of the swallows. Every year, on March 19, or St. Joseph’s Day, residents and curious visi- tors eagerly await the return of the famed cliff swallows from their winter
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