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I continually post items about California on my blog, Father Serra's Legacy and just want to take this opportunity for any or all of you to drop by.

It is about far more than just the Franciscans.

Also, I am going to invite DavidK to be a guest on my blog.

Father Serra's Legacy

Originally Posted by sargentodiaz

I continually post items about California on my blog, Father Serra's Legacy and just want to take this opportunity for any or all of you to drop by.

It is about far more than just the Franciscans.

Also, I am going to invite DavidK to be a guest on my blog.

Father Serra's Legacy

Hi Dale, I answered your PM before seeing this post... so I understand more now what you are asking for. Thanks for the invite... Perhaps I can come up with something on my area of interest?

Originally Posted by David K

Hi Dale, I answered your PM before seeing this post... so I understand more now what you are asking for. Thanks for the invite... Perhaps I can come up with something on my area of interest?

Common areas of interest? You two already sound like twins sons of different mothers. Whatever you guys come up with will be interesting. Are there conflicting views among historical groups? I know DavidK has found errors in the documented history of Baja and nothing sells books like a good intellectual debate.

Originally Posted by Woooosh

Common areas of interest? You two already sound like twins sons of different mothers. Whatever you guys come up with will be interesting. Are there conflicting views among historical groups? I know DavidK has found errors in the documented history of Baja and nothing sells books like a good intellectual debate.

Most errors are in the newest books and those published in Mexico... A couple of great 'new' books include Ed Vernon's and Harry Crosby's... very little conflict between them and the historical records.

The year Santa Gertrudis was founded, being the common error. It did have an interesting beginning... and it was a mission that existed for years on paper before a site was picked or building began! This was also the story of what some have called a lost mission: Dolores del Norte!

You may have read my piece about modern California history being based upon the writings of an 18th Century American Protestant heavily biased against the Catholic church who showed his racism and bigotry by calling Mexican Californians ignorant and lazy!

Thanks, Sargento!

Originally Posted by sargentodiaz

I continually post items about California on my blog, Father Serra's Legacy and just want to take this opportunity for any or all of you to drop by.

It is about far more than just the Franciscans.

Also, I am going to invite DavidK to be a guest on my blog.

Father Serra's Legacy

Okay, I just added a story to your blog... but it wasn't clear where it goes... so I used the 'comment' section under one of your posts to add my story... Feel free to move it where you want it... and I can add photos too.

It is a story I wrote last year for Baja Bound as a way to introduce more stories on the missions, here it is as well:

The Spanish Missions on the California Peninsula

One of history’s greatest endeavors was the establishment of the mission system in Baja California. When it began in 1697, California was believed by many to be an island and as remote from Spain as Mars is today from Earth. The goal was to occupy the land for the king and convert the native population to Christianity and the European style of living.

The Jesuit Order was given the task to establish these missions as they had been successful on the mainland of Mexico. Because all previous attempts at colonizing the peninsula had failed, the Jesuits made special demands to have complete autonomy in the project. The king agreed, but the Jesuits would have to finance the operation with private money. Benefactors came forward and donated to a ‘Pious Fund’ from which the system could build the missions.

The following 70 years, 17 missions were founded by the Jesuits on the peninsula. They also had built a ’Royal Highway’ called El Camino Real to connect the missions and their satellite sub-missions, called ’visitas’ which supported the head mission, called a ‘cabecera‘.

With political changes going on in Europe, the Jesuit success in the New World became suspect. Rumors of wealth acquired in the new lands that were never proven, had caused their expulsion to be ordered in 1767. All the Jesuits in California were marched to Loreto, and in February, 1768 sailed to the mainland where they would walk across Mexico and join the other Jesuits in sailing back to Europe.

The Franciscan Order would be next on the peninsula, but without the autonomy and would be following Royal directives. One of these was to push the mission system into the lands north of the peninsula and quickly establish missions at the harbors of San Diego and Monterey (the bay of San Francisco was not yet discovered). This new land was first called Nueva (New) California and the peninsula was known as Antigua (Old) California. Before long, the names would change to Alta (Upper) California and Baja (Lower) California.

Just 5 years after the Franciscan arrived, they requested to be relieved of the Baja California missions, including the first one they had founded at Velicatá named San Fernando. The Dominicans would take over operation of the Baja California missions and establish nine more between San Fernando de Velicatá and San Diego from 1774 to 1834.

Mexico had won its independence from Spain in 1821, but California was so remote, the Dominicans and Franciscans were allowed to continue their efforts for many years following Mexico’s independence. Sadly, the diseases and new life styles introduced by the Europeans had devastating results on the native people, on the peninsula. By 1800, the mission system in Baja California was in decline and missions began closing for lack of purpose. By 1841, all but one mission had closed or became a parish church serving the new residents of Baja California, arriving from across the gulf. In 1849, the last mission serving the native people closed at Santo Tomás. In 1854, Fr. Gabriel Gonzalez resigned as the last Dominican president in Baja California.

The Franciscans who learned well of the mistakes made by their predecessors had greater success in Alta California. This success lasted until Mexico’s secularization act (issued in 1832) ended the mission system before the natives were fully converted to European ways. Most of the natives returned to the mountains, and the missions fell into ruin. In 1848, Alta California became American territory and the Gold Rush filled the region with new people from the East Coast. Baja California also had some short-lived gold rushes in the following years, but the population impact was not as great.

The history of Old California (Baja) is fascinating, and the missions are but one part of the story. Each of the 27 missions in Baja California has a story to tell and many books from grand intellectual masterpieces to small paperback guides have been written on the subject. Changes in information on the missions have been made as old texts from the padres are discovered. Information that fills in missing links to some of the stories on the missions help modern writers to tell a more complete story or correct past errors.

I'll remove it from the comments and post it as a separate post.

Send the photos to daleday782@gmail.com and I'll add them,

Thanks

Originally Posted by sargentodiaz

I'll remove it from the comments and post it as a separate post.

Send the photos to daleday782@gmail.com and I'll add them,

Thanks

As the host of your blog page, are you the only one that can add a separate post, as I couldn't find a place to do that... Thanks!

Originally Posted by David K

As the host of your blog page, are you the only one that can add a separate post, as I couldn't find a place to do that... Thanks!

Yes, that's why I want you to send the photos to me so I can include them in the post.

Originally Posted by sargentodiaz

Yes, that's why I want you to send the photos to me so I can include them in the post.

Okay.. I just looked and could not find the new post, so a link to the page would be nice. How many photos do you want?

Originally Posted by David K

Okay.. I just looked and could not find the new post, so a link to the page would be nice. How many photos do you want?

Send me two or three. The way it worked, when you commented, it showed up on Google+

Originally Posted by sargentodiaz

Send me two or three. The way it worked, when you commented, it showed up on Google+

I am still not seeing it, but no matter, it is your blog... as for photos here are a few at three Jesuit founded missions, north to south:

SANTA MARIA DE LOS ANGELES (1766/1767: year founded/ year moved to this site)








SAN FRANCISCO BORJA DE ADAC (1762)










SAN FRANCISCO JAVIER BIAUNDO (1699/1710)

Originally Posted by David K

Interesting, the narrow width of the church.....made so due to the limitations of the size of local timber for structure and forms. Laminated beams had yet to be developed.




.

Got 'em. Thanks

Originally Posted by sargentodiaz

Got 'em. Thanks

LOL... I just read your email and was going to send you a link to here...

To answer your question about when gold was discovered in California.

Soon after the founding of Los Angeles, settlers found several deposits of metals and a mine was actually undertaken nearby for silver. They also found small, scattered pebbles of gold but never thought there would be much to search for. Remember, those came down from the Pacific Coast range surrounding the basin.

In 1812, Padre Amador, along with Lt Moraga, took a small sloop up the American river, traveling north and then turning back to follow the San Joaquin. There, the padre discovered sizable gold nuggets but kept them secret. He knew what would happen if word of it got out. He might have sworn Moraga to keep the secret.

By the time Sutter's helper found nuggets in the sluice run of the mill, Vallejo and a couple of other Californianos knew what was coming and did their best to obtain land grants that would be valuable to them.

And thanks very much for the response. It will go up today as you wrote it!!!

All members here are more than welcome to check it out at Father Serra's Legacy

David,

I am now most curious about the presidios of Baja.

I know the one at Loreto was the seat of military power in California. And, when Captain Lorenzo died, Rivera was promoted to captain to replace him. As the military answered to the Jesuits, this now makes sense to me.

I've also learned of the presidio established at San José del Cabo. I've even got the information on the commander and his forced divided between three locations. And, later the captain was reduced to a lieutenant and made answerable to the comandante at Loreto.

Are either of these structures still standing? Do we know what they looked like?

I also assume, but cannot find anything confirming, that when Portolá was sent to California, the responsibility for all soldiers was his and the troops were then to be paid by the viceroy and not the Pious Fund. Am I right?

Dale

Anyone else with info, come on and chip in.

Originally Posted by sargentodiaz

To answer your question about when gold was discovered in California.

Soon after the founding of Los Angeles, settlers found several deposits of metals and a mine was actually undertaken nearby for silver. They also found small, scattered pebbles of gold but never thought there would be much to search for. Remember, those came down from the Pacific Coast range surrounding the basin.

In 1812, Padre Amador, along with Lt Moraga, took a small sloop up the American river, traveling north and then turning back to follow the San Joaquin. There, the padre discovered sizable gold nuggets but kept them secret. He knew what would happen if word of it got out. He might have sworn Moraga to keep the secret.

By the time Sutter's helper found nuggets in the sluice run of the mill, Vallejo and a couple of other Californianos knew what was coming and did their best to obtain land grants that would be valuable to them.

And thanks very much for the response. It will go up today as you wrote it!!!

All members here are more than welcome to check it out at Father Serra's Legacy

This exchange began as an email, so maybe we either share that to clue in the gang here, or I answer this on email?

The Gold Rush began with the discovery at Sutter's Mill in 1848, what happened in 1812 didn't affect the mission system that I am aware of. 49ers coming up the peninsula did, so that is why I mentioned that gold discovery and not the original.

Originally Posted by sargentodiaz

David,

I am now most curious about the presidios of Baja.

I know the one at Loreto was the seat of military power in California. And, when Captain Lorenzo died, Rivera was promoted to captain to replace him. As the military answered to the Jesuits, this now makes sense to me.

I've also learned of the presidio established at San José del Cabo. I've even got the information on the commander and his forced divided between three locations. And, later the captain was reduced to a lieutenant and made answerable to the comandante at Loreto.

Are either of these structures still standing? Do we know what they looked like?

I also assume, but cannot find anything confirming, that when Portolá was sent to California, the responsibility for all soldiers was his and the troops were then to be paid by the viceroy and not the Pious Fund. Am I right?

Dale

Anyone else with info, come on and chip in.

San José del Cabo was an independent presidio only for a short time, called The Presidio of the South (1737-1741). It returned to being a sub-presidio of Loreto and was moved to Todos Santos in 1748, the same year San José del Cabo was abandoned as a mission and became a visita of Santiago (it resumed full mission status with the arrival of the Franciscans, 20 years later in 1768).

The only illustration of San José del Cabo was made during its 20 year visita period, by Ignacio Tirsch the Jesuit Padre at the mission of Santiago from 1763 to 1768. It was Tirsch who first received Governor Portolá and was aware of changes coming and that Franciscans were seeking a role in California.

Here is Tirsch's drawing of San José del Cabo from the 1760's:



This is the final location of the mission, now today's town plaza, with a 1940's church built on the mission site. Nothing of the presidio remains, I am aware of.