Father Junipero Serra Archives

Charles Swanston’s Headless Rancher Statue is a Casualty of War

January 4, 2023 11:25 amJanuary 4, 2023 2:15 pm

Rekindling ugly memories of the summer of 2020 when anarchist vandals burned and desecrated public memorials across America, the statue of a California rancher had its head cut off in a Sacramento park the day after Christmas. No one yet...

Historical Sacramento Statue of Local Cattle Rancher Decapitated

December 29, 2022 9:07 amDecember 29, 2022 2:56 pm

The statue of George Swanston, a 19th-century northern California cattleman, and meat-packing businessman, was decapitated Monday in the Sacramento neighborhood of Land Park. Vandals removed the head from the historic memorial statue to Charles Swanston, residents first reported Monday on...

Capitol Groundbreaking for Native American Monument Replacing Father Serra Statue

November 15, 2022 4:43 pm

Ground was broken during a ceremony outside the State Capitol Building on Monday for a new Native American Monument that replaces the statue of Father Junipero Serra, which was removed in 2020. The statue of Junipero Serra had been first...

Name Change for Father Serra Park in LA Finalized

October 15, 2021 3:33 pm

Plans were further finalized on Friday to rename a part of a Los Angeles Park honoring Father Junipero Serra to another name friendlier to Native Americans. While there had been some measures to replace the statue of Father Serra in...

Junipero Serra Statue On State Capitol Grounds To Be Replaced By Native American Memorial

September 27, 2021 3:25 pm

Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill over the weekend that replaces the now toppled state of Father Junipero Serra on the grounds of the State Capitol Building with a monument for Native Americans who lived in the Sacramento area before...

New Bill Would Replace Junipero Serra Statue with Native American Monument at State Capitol

February 5, 2021 5:42 pm

On Thursday, members of the Assembly gave a renewed push for the passage of a bill that would replace the toppled Junipero Serra statue outside the state capitol building in Sacramento with one honoring Native Americans in California. According to...

Five Protesters Charged With Toppling Junipero Serra Statues in San Rafael

November 17, 2020 2:15 amNovember 16, 2020 8:56 pm

Five protesters who helped topple a statue of Father Junipero Serra in San Rafael last month have been charged with felony vandalism, the first major charges for protestors destroying or knocking over statues this year. Destruction or toppling statues of...