The Lost Community of Misión Vieja/Old Mission

At the heart of the Whittier Narrows where the San Gabriel River flows between the Montebello and Puente hill ranges is a forgotten center of greater Los Angeles: Misión Vieja or Old Mission. Abundant water and plentiful plant and animal life made this area a magnet for human settlement from the indigenous people of untold generations to establishment of the original site of Mission San Gabriel to the ranches and farms of later years, including those owned by the Temple family. While much of the area is now a flood control zone, remnants of Old Mission are still with us. This talk is given by Museum Director Paul R. Spitzzeri.