Burton Mound

Syuxtun stood here, spelled Syujtun on the bronze: one of the largest Chumash towns on the coast, around 600 people when Portolá passed in 1769, about 120 by 1800, gone by the early 1830s as its people died of introduced disease or were forced into labor at the mission. A hotel later covered the mound and burned in 1921. In 1923 the Smithsonian sent J. P. Harrington to dig; he lifted more than 2,500 objects, which went to New York and are still there. The plaque itself was stolen in May 2023.

What the plaque says

Burton Mound Thought to have once been the Indian village of Syujtun, this site has yielded some of the most important archeological evidence found in California. In 1542 the village was recorded by Cabrillo while on his voyage of discovery, and again, in 1769, by Fr. Crespí and the redoubtable Portolá. Don Luis Burton, after whom the mound was named, acquired the property in 1860. California Registered Historical Landmark No. 306 Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the California Historical Landmarks Advisory Committee, the Grand Parlor of the Native Sons and Daughters of the Golden West, and the City of Santa Barbara. August 5, 1966.

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Trussell-Winchester Adobe — 0.3 mi
• De La Guerra Plaza — 0.7 mi
• Casa Covarrubias — 0.8 mi
• Old Lobero Theatre — 0.8 mi