LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A group of more than 50 Southern Nevadans boarded a bus to retrace the path of Father Francisco Garces, marking 250 years since the explorer traveled through the region in 1776.
A name woven into the city
The tour began at Garces Street in downtown Las Vegas — a quiet reminder, organizers said, that pieces of this history are embedded in the city, often unnoticed. One stop included Lorenzi Park. Inside Guardian Angel Cathedral, a plaque toward the back of the church honors Garces, a name many Nevadans may not recognize.
Bishop Gregory Gordon said the occasion called for remembrance.
“We couldn’t let this day go by without remembering Father Garces,” Gordon said.
Nevada’s earliest written record
Gordon said Garces’ 1776 journey through the region represents one of the earliest written accounts of what is now Nevada.
“The Garces Diary, what Father Francisco Garces wrote in Spanish, in 18th century Spanish, is really the first written documentation in the state,” Gordon said.
Faith and Nevada history
For longtime Las Vegas resident John Dube, the pilgrimage connected Catholic history with the broader history of the state.
“I looked at what a wonderful spiritual opportunity it is to be grounded in the Catholic history and he was one of the first explorers here in Nevada, so it’s a lot to do with Nevada history, too,” Dube said.
Dube said he was looking forward to exploring that connection further.
“That relationship between my faith and our state is something that I’m really looking forward to,” Dube said.
A personal connection for Las Vegas newcomers
Mariano and Maria Luz Santana, who moved to Las Vegas from Mexico, said learning about this chapter of Nevada history carries its own meaning. Maria Luz Santana spoke about recognizing the contributions of the church’s early pioneers in Nevada.
Organizers said the day was about remembering how Nevada’s history began and recognizing the communities that were present long before Nevada officially became a state.
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