The San Diego Garden Fair - Committee of One Hundred

THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUNDall through the afternoon, until the ~olden raysof the setting sun began to lose their splendor.In despair he cast one more forlorn glance outupon the sea, and sure enough there was a sightwhich caused his sorrow to vanish. The nextminute he was rushing down the hill into camp,shouting and weeping with joy. Back up thehills the soldiers dashed, and when they too sawthat Father Serra's wish had been fulfilled, therewas no more talk of immediate return, and whenthe relief expedition came into port, it turnedout to be a large body who had lost their way,mistaking the charts. Cruising up and downthe coast, they had looked in vain for the harbor.Naturally Father Serra, as a truly religious man,pronounced it a miracle, and if it really happenedthat way, perhaps it wastIn this way the little settlement became permanent.The little Mission which he had builtat the Presidio hill was abandoned and severalmiles up the valley was founded the Mission ofSan Diego de Alcala - the first mission onCalifornia soil- on the sixteenth of July, 1769.This laid the foundation of that long chain oftwenty-one missions which marks the progressof the northward march of the Christian civilizationof the Franciscan padres. About everyforty or fifty miles the missions grew up, tooffer the weary wanderer a resting place aftera full day's journey.The entire character of the Exposition, architecturallyspeaking, is so intimately connectedwith the Missions of Mexico and California thateven the barest outline of the growth and pro~ressof these peculiar centers of civilization IS[9]