arrival of Father Junipero Serra, founder of the California mission
system. In 1769, San Diego was permanently settled for the first
time in what was referred to as the "Sacred Expedition".
It was led by able bodied Captain Gaspar de Portola and included
monks of the Franciscan order. Most notable of these was the
Father Junipero Serra. On July 16, Serra offered his first mass
overlooking what would become present day Old Town. The building
of a fortification known as the Presidio started that same month.
Serra continued to mastermind the founding of a chain of missions
throughout California. It is these missions that most people
think of when visualizing Old California.