In 1598, a Spanish expedition led by Don Juan de Oñate created the first European road in the United States, El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (the Royal Road to the Interior Land) and later built the first European settlement west of the Mississippi at San Gabriel. The expedition initiated 400 years of commerce and cultural exchange throughout the Southwest. A 32-cent stamp was issued, which features a photograph of La Mision de San Miguel de San Gabriel. The building is a replica of the church at San Gabriel and islocated in present day Espanola, NM, near the site of the original Spanish settlement.