That Haunting Rio San Gabriel
The famed Porciuncula isn’t the only river to make a dramatic impact on Los Angeles. Believe it or not, on January 8, 1847, this otherwise unremarkable stretch of San Gabriel Riverbed in present-day Montebello was the most important site in all California, let alone for the City of Angels.
Here Gen. Jose Maria Flores’ Mexican militia engaged U.S. forces led by Gen. Stephen Kearny and Comm. Robert Stockton in what turned out to be a pivotal battle in the Mexican-American War. The prize was Los Angeles, Alta California’s provincial capital and last holdout against the American Conquest. After completely routing Flores over a two-day period, the U.S. contingent finally marched unopposed into the City of Angels on January 10. Read more
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