INTRODUCTION

San Juan Capistrano has a rich and colorful history. From its beginnings as an outpost of Spain to its prominence as a city in Orange County, California, dedicated to honoring the past, San Juan Capistrano has thrived on challenge and turned adversity into opportunity.

Mission San Juan Capistrano was founded in 1776, the seventh of the chain of missions founded by Fr. Junipero Serra. It flourished in its early decades, but suffered a spiritual decline after the earthquake of 1812. It rose again in the 1890s and was restored and flourishing by the 1920s, gaining international prominence as the annual return of the swallows on March 19 became well publicized. Today it serves as the heart of the cultural community of San Juan Capistrano, providing educational as well as entertainment venues for the region.

The town grew up as an outgrowth of the mission settlement, becoming a pueblo in 1841. It changed over time, adding amenities such as schools, stores, hotels, and eateries, becoming a prominent stop on the Santa Fe Railway line after 1887, just as it was a halfway stop between Los Angeles’s and San Diego’s stage lines earlier. Dominated by the ranchos of the Mexican and American period, it later turned to agriculture as an economic mainstay. The city incorporated in 1961 and took on its own unique character, one that mixes preservation and progress.

Today’s community, in the southern portion of the county, continues to be a magnet both for tourists wanting to experience early California and residents looking for a safe, urban community that honors its heritage. As it marches forward into the 21st century with such modern amenities as a desalinization plant and a state-of-the-art website, it still maintains its rural character through its trail system, tree conservation, ridgeline and open space protection, and historic preservation.

Despite a turbulent past that included a pirate raid, smallpox epidemic, cattle-destroying droughts, bandit attacks, and devastating fires and floods, San Juan Capistrano, like the mission that gave it its name, continues to meet the challenges of the future with dignity, grace and a spirit of optimism.

The mission corridor creates a sense of peace and serenity. The white pigeon resting on the pillar shows how the aura of the mission soothes the soul.