| Yes, Hwy 5. Well, I suppose a big pile of rocks could have lasted all that time, if it was well above the floor of the arroyo. A few threads back
there was a picture of a stone coral from the Jesuit period, perfectly intact. However, there is a pretty good possibility that gold prospectors
would have found it. With placer gold present in the Sierra Cucapa just to the north, and lode gold at La Fortuna nearby, more than a few probably
trudged up those canyons around the turn of the last century with a keen eye for anything that looked out of the ordinary. A big stone monument would
have stuck out like a sore thumb. Perhaps some crusty old miner came across it, dug up the grave, and looted it, never realizing its significance.
The ethic of preserving colonial history was not very strong back then; the Missions in Alta California were allowed to fall into ruin by the 1920's.
Its a great mystery, but one I doubt will ever be solved. |
