The De La Guerra Family Tomb

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Don José De La Guerra y Noriega, born to an established family in Santander, Spain, wanted to become a friar but at age 13 he was sent to Mexico City to live with a wealthy Uncle. Within a year he began work with the paymaster general of the presidial troops of California. This began his 52-year military career, 25 of which he spent as the Comandante at the Presidio Real de Santa Bárbara. At one time he owned over 500,000 acres of California land. He and his wife Doña Maria are buried inside the crypt under the altar in the church. This family tomb is the burial site for members of their daughter’s family.

The majestic Australian Moreton Bay Fig tree dominating the center of the cemetery was planted in 1900. The Santa Barbara climate allowed for diverse plants to flourish if irrigated. The Mission’s water system provided the water necessary for plants and trees, such as this Moreton Bay Fig, to flourish. It became fashionable in the late 1800s to bring plants from all over the world. What began as a land covered with chaparral, oaks, and sandstone outcrops became what you see today with hundreds of types of trees and plants, including many types of palm trees, not one being native to this land.