How old are the Camino Real Bells?

Their history goes back to 1906, when Forbes designed the first of the El Camino Real Bells.



The El Camino Real Mission Bell markers that dot the California coastline in 2026 are part of a system that is 120 years old. The very first bell was erected in front of the Plaza Church in Los Angeles in 1906 by the Camino Real Association. The project was the brainchild of Mrs. A.S.C. Forbes, who designed the distinctive "shepherd's crook" bells to mark the original "Royal Highway" connecting California's 21 missions. By 1913, over 450 bells had been installed. Over the following century, many of the "original" bells were lost to theft, vandalism, or road construction. However, a major restoration project led by Caltrans in the late 1990s and early 2000s saw the installation of hundreds of "exact replicas" cast from the original 1906 molds. While most of the bells you see along Highway 101 today are these newer 21st-century versions, they represent a heritage that dates back to the early 20th-century effort to preserve the Spanish colonial history of the state. The dates "1769 & 1906" cast into the bells refer to the founding of the first mission in San Diego and the placement of the first commemorative bell, respectively.

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OETTING: The first highway mission bells were installed in 1906. They were roadside markers placed every mile or so to help travelers find their way between California's coastal towns. By the mid-1950s, the highway bells were drumming up car tourism, leading road trippers between the missions.

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So what's up with those bell markers on the 101? According to the California Department of Transportation, the Mission Bell Marker system has existed on the historic El Camino Real route since 1906. The original marker system called for installation of bells one mile apart along the entire length of the El Camino Real.

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Camino is a Spanish word, meaning “path,” “trail,” or, more generally “way.”

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The El Camino Real has many names, most common are “The Royal Road” and “The King's Highway.” The El Camino Real is widely known today as a 600-mile (965-kilometer) road which is spans from the area in San Diego near the Mission San Diego del Alcalá to the Mission San Francisco Solano in Sonoma.

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El Camino Real -- originally part of 101 -- runs the length of the Peninsula between San Francisco and San Jose. Its very name implies a regal history. Translated from the Spanish, it means The King's Highway.

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The compostela is a certificate of accomplishment given to pilgrims on completing the Way. To earn the compostela one needs to walk a minimum of 100 km or cycle at least 200 km. In practice, for walkers, the closest convenient point to start is Sarria, as it has good bus and rail connections to other places in Spain.

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To walk the classic Camino Francés route from St-Jean-Pied-de-Port or Roncesvalles to Santiago de Compostela, most people require between 4-6 weeks, however, the time needed depends on your daily mileage and whether you take any rest days.

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King's Highway was built from 1650 to 1735 decades before the United States became a country, making it the oldest road in America. The Texas Department of Transportation notes Kings Highway as the oldest highway in the United States.

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Many Indigenous people see California mission bells as a reminder of painful history Some Native Americans wants the bells that mark El Camino Real in California removed. They say the highway markers symbolize the painful history of the missions. Others say removal erases history.

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The Camino is a network of pilgrimages leading to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. There, according to tradition, lie the remains of St. James the Great—one of the first apostles called by Jesus, and the first to be martyred.

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