What will the people of Duarte hold dear 100, 200, 300 years from now? Even today our history eludes us; few know how Duarte got its name. Most structures once central to Duarte life have disappeared, and many of those people who shaped our community have been forgotten. This is now changing. The community has come together to support our Duarte in Bronze project, commemorating Andres Duarte, who was born in 1805, two hundred years ago.

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. Duarte in Bronze---Now a Reality A crowd of some 500 turned out on March 31, 2007 to witness the unveiling and dedication of an 11 foot, 2 ½ ton bronze equestrian statue honoring the City’s namesake, Andres Avelino Duarte. More than 20 direct descendants of Andres Duarte were among those who attended the ceremonies on the site of the future Plaza Duarte, across the street from City Hall. “It’s a proud day,” said Phyllis Ramos, the family matriarch and great-great-great granddaughter of the man whose Rancho Azusa de Duarte Mexican land grant of nearly 7,000 acres once encompassed portions of what are now the cities of Arcadia, Azusa, Baldwin Park, Bradbury, Duarte, Irwindale and Monrovia. Ramos was joined by six generations of family members who came from as far away as Hawaii and Oregon for the statue dedication and a family reunion that ensued. Duarte Mayor Lois Gaston led the ceremonies that included congratulatory speeches from dignitaries including U.S. Congresswoman Hilda Solis, State Senator Gloria Romero, Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, Aracelli Gonzalez, district community liaison for California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Jay Gomez, representative for Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich. Assemblyman Ed Hernandez, whose 57th District includes Azusa, Irwindale and Baldwin Park, and many elected officials from surrounding cities, including Irwindale, Monrovia, Arcadia, Baldwin Park, El Monte, and Covina also attended the event. The statue dedication was the joyous culmination of a 7-year community effort, spearheaded by the Duarte in Bronze Committee of the Duarte Historical Society and completed with the help of funds from the City’s Redevelopment Agency, to erect a monument to the one time Mexican soldier whose long service and loyalty earned him the land grant in 1841 by Juan B. Alvarado, Governor of Alta California. The statue, located in the new Plaza Duarte depicts Andres Duarte mounted on his horse. He is shown as a proud rancher gazing over the vast land holdings granted to him by the Mexican governor in the year 1841. He exemplifies the age of ranching so basic to Duarte history. Click Souvenir Brochure to download the complete souvenir brochure. This is a large (10 MB) pdf file. Victoria Cordova and Richard Myer with the Bronze Model of the Proposed Statue We expect the statue to become an icon for the City of Duarte, a permanent landmark for travellers, and a trademark emblem of the City and Rancho. Making a Statue Nationally recognized sculptor/artist Richard Myer was commissioned to create the statue. Myer’s artistic talents are well-proven throughout the San Gabriel Valley. In the year 2000, Myer, who specializes in western themes, created the Glenn Miller bronze plaque located in Glenn Miller Park at the top of Melcanyon Drive in Duarte. Click here to see work at the foundry in creating the full-sized statue. Click News to see the mid-September 2006 press release about plans for installing the statue in the new civic plaza opposite City Hall. The Committee   Victoria Duarte Cordova (1912 - 2005)     Great-great granddaughter of Andres Duarte   Honorary Chairman   Chairman---Jim Kirchner Duarte Historical Society Executive Board Committee Members Elizabeth Bagwell Judy Blake Tzeitel Paras Caracci Jack Collins Ruben and Reyna Diaz John Fasana Frank Figueroa Margaret Finlay Truman Fisher Lois Gaston Jack and Tina Heany Alan Heller Kathy Kirchner Tim and Sandy Lowry Bill and Nita Norgard Manoj Patel Phil Reyes Dodie Smither Ray and Mary Somerlott Dilip Tiwari Karl Uhlig Margaret Viramontes Project Contacts The following may be contacted for more information on the project: Claudia Heller: (626) 796-7555 Irwin Margiloff: (626) 303-1266 Jim Kirchner: (626) 359-8709 Sheri Uhlig: (626) 358-2380 Terri Hanks: (626) 301-9582 Duarte Museum: (626) 357-9419 Website: www.duartehistory.org Plan to visit the Duarte Historical Museum, 777 Encanto Parkway, Duarte, California on Wednesdays 1-3 pm and Saturdays 1-4 pm.