Jul 192012
Mission Dolores Park
The Mission
Miguel Hidalgo – Liberator of Mexico 1810
On the back in the marble is carved:
Monument Presented by
The Mexican Colony
To the City of San Francisco
September 16th, 1962
Below it is a brass plaque that reads
Miguel Hidalgo Y Costilla
Father of Mexican Independence
1753-1811
The liberation of Mexico after 300 years of domination by Spain started on September 16, 1810
in the town of Dolores in what is now the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. Miguel Hidalgo Y Costilla a priest and other patriots, among whom were Juan Aldama and Ignacio Allende, were at first successful but eventually Miguel Hidalgo was captured and executed. The war continued until its final victory in 1821 under the leadership of Vicente Guerrero and Agustin de Itrubide.
This monument by Juan F. Olaguibel was cast in bronze in Mexico and presented to the City of San Francisco by the Mexican Community September 16, 1963.
An excerpt from a September 17, 2005 article in the San Francisco Chronicle reads:
Father Hidalgo, who gave his El Grito battle cry in the city of Dolores, Mexico, was executed by Spanish troops before Mexico gained independence. The anniversary is celebrated in Mexico with decorations, and Mexico’s president rings the bell of independence.
“He’s the equivalent of your Abraham Lincoln,” said Mexican Consul General Alfonso de Maria y Campos, who attended the ceremony along with San Francisco Supervisor Bevan Dufty, who has helped efforts to refurbish the park.
The 43-year-old bronze statue of Hidalgo and the rest of the 13.5-acre park underwent a yearlong restoration to remove garbage and years of graffiti, with $30,000 from the city and $5,000 in donations raised by the Mexican Consulate. Trees were planted, flower beds restored and the statue scrubbed free of paint and pigeon droppings.
Juan Olaguibel 1896-1976 is responsible for one of my favorite public sculptures in Mexico City The Northern Star Shooter also called Diana the Huntress.
Mission Dolores Park is a 13.7 acre park in the city of San Francisco. It is undergoing a $13.2 million renovation scheduled to be completed in 2014.
I remember teaching about Fr. Hidalgo in my American History class…but I can’t remember exactly what I taught about him. As I recall the Spanish were unhappy with him because he called them out on their treatment of the natives, among other things.
Do you think he is somewhere aware of this statue?
I’m so glad the area has been refurbished!