Historical plaque inscription:El Monte, on the bank of the San Gabriel River, played a significant part in Californias early pioneer history. It was first an encampment on the Old Spanish Trail, an extension of the trail from Missouri to Santa Fe. By the 1850s, some began to call El Monte the End of the Santa Fe Trail. Early in that decade a permanent settlement was established by immigrants from Texas, the first settlement in Southern California founded by citizens of the United States.California Historical Landmark No. 975November 15, 1987