Special Thanks to Rick Whelan

ON THE DUARTE

By

RICK WHELAN

July 30, 2017

Between Mission San Gabriel 
And San Bernardino,
Andres Avelino Duarte
Rode across the Rio Azusa…
Stopping to water his horse
Along the west bank,
He gazed over sloping foothills
Covered with huge oak trees…
This stretch of fertile land
Lush with ripe fields,
And brilliantly colored flowers
And the golden sunshine…
There is truly this magical place!
This spirit of Rancho Azusa de Duarte
Nestled between mountains-
On The Duarte!

On his family’s small adobe casa
Near Indian Springs
Were planted gardens and vineyards
Surrounded by animals grazing…
There was also a stream with yellow flakes
Bringing a flood of gold hunters,
Then came periods of large herds of sheep,
Horses, and cattle, raising an empire…
Fruitful pasturelands welcomed
An era of rancheros-- 
With orchards of peaches, apricots, oranges
And the golden sunshine…
There is truly this magical place!
This spirit of adventure
Wild with teeming beauty-
On The Duarte!

This colony takes root,
The “Queen” of the foothills,
A flourishing citrus industry
With land booms and busts…
A sturdy people, generous, responsible,
Believing in each other, 
Celebrating their heritage,
In their City of Hope…

Good hearts building homesteads
Along Route 66,
Emerging pioneer traditions
Helping to grow this community,
Shaping their tomorrows
Committed to health and education,
Self-reliant against adversity
With their future still unfolding…
Duarteans are the living pageant
Of continuity with the past,
And soaring blue skies
Dotted with evergreen pines,
Chaparral-covered hillsides
Climbing towards Fish Canyon Falls,
Orange-perfumed trails
And the golden sunshine…
There is truly this magical place!
This spirit of families
Sharing their dreams-
On The Duarte!