Originating in 1769, El Camino Real, also known as the King's Highway or the Royal Road, took its name from the Spanish monarch who directed the establishment of a chain of Franciscan missions along the Alta California coast to secure the land for Spain. It provided a vital link between the 21 California missions and eventually ran from the first mission in San Diego to the northernmost mission in Sonoma. Stretching 700 miles, it was essentially California's first long-distance highway and played an important role in the state's history as the main arterial road for early travelers. In 1902, the California Federation of Women's Clubs in Los Angeles developed a plan to mark the route with icon bells, large cast-iron bells hung 11 feet above the ground from iron poles resembling a Franciscan walking stick, and by 1913 more than 450 had been placed. Although many of the original bells are gone, more than 500 replicas have been placed next to highways and city streets to mark the original route, and mission bells still guide motorists along the path begun long ago by Saint Junipero Serra.