Adventure 049/101 - 21 : Mission San Francisco Solano

 










Capture California, the Game-2012

Adventure: 049/ 101 - 21 : Mission San Francisco Solano, 21st mission

Team: Thing One, Thing Two 

Date:  September 21, 2012

 Location: Sonoma

 








 
Description:

We got into Sonoma, which is where Mission San Francisco Solano is located, around 6:00pm. As we wandered around the plaza area, we were steadily moving towards the mission. We realized it would be closed, but we were hoping to get a good feel for it just the same.

Mission Solano is one of the two missions which are State Historical Parks. We suspect that because it is a place preserved, with the State's backing, you got a good feel for how it would have been 200 years ago. On the other hand, you missed the “catholicness” of the other missions, even the most run down mission there was an air of reverence when you walked inside of the chapel area. We were not able to go inside of the mission because of the hour, but we missed the sense of spirituality. One thing which we did see is on the side of the mission is a memorial naming all Native American's who were buried in the mission cemetery. This seemed so important to us that how the early missions was a protectorate for the Native Americans.

On this note, team Thing One, Thing Two have visited all 21 missions this year. This has been one of the highlights of Capture California. Visiting each mission, getting a feel for the peoples, the purpose of the mission. While the missions had a lot of flaws, it also was there to bring good to the area. In a lot of ways, it was a counter-balance to the military aspects of Spanish conquest.

From Wikipedia site:

The mission was built by the Mexican authorities as a barrier to Russia's attempts to extend control to the federal territory of Alta California.[8] During the years the Mission was active, General Mariano Vallejo resided in town. He was tasked with monitoring the activities of Russia at their nearby settlement of Fort Ross (krepost' rus'), and with establishing peaceful relations with the Native Americans of the region.[9] Vallejo helped to build the town of Sonoma and even paid for the rebuilding of the small Mission chapel. There were always soldiers and settlers in the town of Sonoma during the Mexican period. The Franciscan Fathers grew grapes and produced sacramental wine from the first vineyard in the Sonoma Valley, which was first planted in 1825. By 1834, Vallejo had the Rancho Petaluma Adobe built a few miles to the west, which became a large agricultural operation to support the Spanish military here.[10] By 1839, the Mission was in ruins and unoccupied. Through the years the Mission saw many different uses, among these a blacksmith's shop, a barn, and even a storeroom. In 1846, white American settlers took over the town in what has come to be known as the "Bear Flag Revolt." It was during this time that the Mission was sold to a man who used the chapel entrance as a saloon and stored his liquor and hay in the chapel.

From California Missions Resource Center site:

Mission Church: The current church is an authentic restoration of the 1840 church, rebuilt in 1911-13 with the support of the Historic Landmark League, which acquired the property in 1903. The last major restoration was in 1943-44. The church measures 105 feet long and is 22 feet wide.
Significant Event(s): The Bear Flag Revolt of June 14, 1846, declaring California a Republic, was staged directly across from the mission.

Interesting Facts: 

The mission was established by an overly eager padre acting without church approval.
The Sonoma Mission is the only mission established during Mexican rule of Alta California.
General Mariano Vallejo, who became Director of Colonization of the Northern Frontier in 1835, and who had control of Sonoma until the American takeover, "rescued" all the plantings from the mission vineyard after secularization and replanted the vines at his ranch.
The names of the Indian neophytes of the Sonoma Mission have been carved into a commemorative wall on the west side of the mission church.

From California State Parks site:

Founded in 1823 on July 4 by Father Jose Altimira, this historic mission is the site of the Bear Flag Revolt and the effort to establish the Republic of California in 1846. The church seen today is a parish church built in 1840; the original was mostly washed away by a tremendous thunderstorm. A small portion of the original quadrangle exists, and the world-famous Sebastiani Vineyards include much of the original mission vineyard. The annual Vintage Festival is the oldest in the state, and each year the blessing of the grapes is performed by a Franciscan priest in front of the mission. A small museum is housed in the former padres wing with a display of California mission paintings.
 20 E. Spain St., Sonoma, 95476, (707) 938-1519

Adventure 049/101 - 20 : Mission San Rafael Arcangel

Capture California, the Game-2012

Adventure: 049/101 - 20 : Mission San Rafael Arcangel, 20th mission

Team: Thing One, Thing Two

Date:  September 20, 2012

Location: San Rafael

Description:

With its golden doors and towering steeples, Thing One thought this has got to be the most gaudiest mission. So we dutifully took out pictures. That is until we noticed a little structure off to the side. We then noticed a sign which showed the original mission layout. The glimmering church was not the mission, but the current one. The mission was the humble building to our right. Isn't that they way of God? Not to overpower, but to gently infiltrate our senses.

This mission is known as the most obliterated mission. Even our humble building is not the original, not even placed on the original location. The current buildings are rotated at a 45 degree angle from the original mission. Not a stone was left on top of each other.

Thing One and Thing Two spent some time inside the mission, contemplating the stations of the cross and the stain glass windows; taking in what we could.

From Wikipedia site:

This was one of the first missions turned over to the Mexican government in 1833. In 1840, there were 150 Indians still at the Mission. By 1844, Mission San Rafael Arcángel had been abandoned; what was left of the empty buildings was sold for $8,000 in 1846. The Mission was used by John C. Fremont as his headquarters during the battles to make California a United States possession (see Bear Flag Revolt). In 1847, a priest was once again living at the Mission. A new parish church was built near the old chapel ruins in 1861, and, in 1870, the rest of the ruins were removed to make room for the City of San Rafael. All that was left of the Mission was a single pear tree from the old Mission's orchard, it is for this reason that San Rafael is known as the "most obliterated of California's missions."

From California Missions Resource Center site:

Mission Site: 15 miles north of San Francisco at the native site of 'Anaguani. Since San Rafael was intended to be a "hospital" asistencia, a key consideration was that the location be in a sunnier and more protected environment than San Francisco, which was foggy, damp and windy. The original mission buildings were razed in 1870. In 1919 the new St. Raphael Parish Church, with an imposing tower, was built on the site of the original chapel.
Layout: No effort was made to build a full complex. The initial building was a structure that measured 87 feet in length and 42 feet in width. It contained a hospital, chapel, padre's quarters and a storage area.
Significant Event(s): San Rafael was badly damaged in an Indian attack led by Chiefs Marin and Quintin in February, 1829. Loyal neophytes saved the life of the mission padre, Fr. Juan Amoros, by hiding him in the marshes.

Interesting Facts: 

Under the able leadership of Fr. Gil y Taboada, San Rafael became California's first sanitarium.
San Rafael maintained a substantial boat building operation, since boats were required to facilitate travel across the bay.
In 1846 John C. Fremont used the mission as his headquarters during the Mexican American War
After the mission ruins were removed in 1870, all that remained of the old mission site was a solitary pear tree. In 1909 the Native Sons of the Golden West erected a bell and sign on the original site.

From California State Parks site:

This mission is located 20 miles north of San Francisco at the foot of Mount Tamalpais. It was established as a sanitarium and hospital for San Francisco neophytes suffering from depression and disease. The one padre in California who had medical training, Luis Gil y Taboado was so successful that other missions soon began sending their sick Indians. Within five years it was raised to full mission status and dedicated to the patron of health in 1817. The small church with star windows was modeled after Carmel, however the structure was torn down in 1870 to be used for firewood. Today a chapel at the site duplicates most of the original mission church.
 1104 Fifth Ave., San Rafael, 94901, (415) 454-8141

Adventure 49/101, Mission 19 - Mission Carmel

Capture California, the Game-2012

Adventure: 101 - 19: Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo, 2nd mission

Team: Thing One, Thing Two

Date:  August 31, 2012

Location: Carmel

Description:

In part because of needing to go to this mission, we decided to go down the coast from the Bay Area. So the first thing we did on this trip was to visit this mission. It just off of Highway 1, about ¾ of a mile from the highway. When we got there, the parking lot was pretty full, even though it was a Friday afternoon. You can tell it is a popular mission-what in Carmel is not popular?

Well, there is a price to be paid with popularity, and Thing One is inherently cheap. So we decided that we would just look around the place and admire the garden and exterior. So that is what we did. After 18 other missions, isn't one mission the same as another (the answer is no—each mission is different, Such as this mission is unique in that it has a covered bell tower.) So, on we went down the road.

From Wikipedia site:

It remains a parish church today. It is the only one of the California Missions to have its original bell tower dome. It was the site of the first Christian confirmation in Alta California In May, 1771, the viceroy approved Serra's petition to relocate the mission to its current location near the present-day town of Carmel-by-the-Sea.Serra's goal was to put some distance between the mission's neophytes and the Presidio of Monterey, (the headquarters of Pedro Fages, who served as military governor of Alta California between 1770 and 1774, with whom Serra was engaged in a heated power struggle). The original site continued to operate as the "Royal Presidio Chapel" and later became the Cathedral of San Carlos Borromeo. "Mission Carmel" (as it came to be known) was Serra's favorite and, being close to Monterey (the capital of Alta California), served as his headquarters. When he died on August 28, 1784, he was interred beneath the chapel floor.



As a result of Sir Harry Downie's dedicated efforts to restore the buildings, the Carmel mission church is one of the most authentically restored of all the mission churches in California. In 1987, Pope John Paul II visited the mission as part of his U.S. tour.

Several notable people are buried in the church and churchyard.

• Juan Crespí (1721–1782), Spanish missionary and explorer
• Fermín Lasuén (1736–1803), Spanish missionary
• José Antonio Roméu, Spanish governor of California
• Junípero Serra (1713–1784), founder of the mission
  

From California Missions Resource Center site:

Layout: An irregular shaped quadrangle. Only the ruins of the church remained standing when restoration began in 1921, so extensive excavation of the old foundation was required to determine the precise layout of the mission.
Mission Art: Mission Carmel is filled with significant art and original artifacts. One of the most notable attractions is a large wooden cross in the quadrangle, recreated on the site where fragments of the Cross erected by Fr. Serra were discovered during the mission restoration.
Special Attraction: One of the most popular attractions is the elaborate Serra Memorial Cenotaph (a monument not a tomb) sculpted in 1924 by Jo Mora. This is made of travertine marble and bronze and shows life-sized figures of Fr. Serra and three other pioneer missionaries, all of whom are buried under the church sanctuary.
Significant Event(s): In 1818 Hipolyte de Bouchard, an Argentine privateer, attacked and burned Monterey. The Carmel mission was evacuated but it was not harmed.

Interesting Facts: 

Carmel was headquarters of the mission chain from 1770-1803
The noted mission restorer, Sir Harry Downie (1903-1980), appointed the Carmel curator in 1932, guided the mission restoration for almost five decades, personally carving the reredos and pulpit of the church in 1956-57. Downie is buried in the mission cemetery.
Fr. Junipero Serra was selected to represent the state of California in Statuary Hall in Washington D.C. Sculptor Ettoro Cadorin's magnificent 7' fall statue of Fr. Serra, unveiled in 1939, pictures him holding a model of the Mission Carmel church.
The Carmel mission Orchard House of circa 1774 is the oldest residential dwelling in California.

From California State Parks site:

Founded by Father Serra in 1770 on Pentecost Sunday, this m ission was considered to be his favorite, and both he and Father Lasuen are buried here. It served as the ecclesiastical capital of California and also as Father Serra's headquarters for administrative duties as presidente of the missions. Set against the sea and mountains 115 miles south of San Francisco, this beautiful mission presents the complete quadrangle courtyard typical of mission architecture. The architecture is Moorish in design and the facade holds a star-shaped window directly above the main entrance. The gardens include culinary and medicinal herbs, citrus and olive trees, roses, Mexican sage and bougainvillea.
 3080 Rio Rd., Carmel, 93923, (831) 624-3600

Adventure 49/101, Mission 18 - Mission San Francisco de Asis

Capture California, the Game-2012

Adventure: 101 - 18 : Mission San Francisco de Asis, Mission Dolores, 6th mission

Team: Thing One, Thing Two

Date:  August 30, 2012

Location: San Francisco

 Description:

After we got off of BART—we do not have that in Fresno, we walked a few blocks over to Mission San Francisco de Asis, or as most of us folks call it, Mission Dolores. The Dolores part is after the creek which used to run by the mission and the lake which may have been nearby. The creek was called that after Mary who wept.

But we got to the Mission around 11:30 on a day a bit cool, but sunny. After paying the entrance fee, we went inside the mission building. The roof has been repainted to simulate the colors and design of what may have been part of the original. The front is rich in religious figures, commemorating people significant to the missions past.

We then went across to the basilica, pausing to reflect. Then it is out to see pictures of the old mission and the 1989 visit by Pope John Paul II. We spent some time in the museum, particularly concerning the diary of Father Font, who was the diarist for Don Josef Joachin Moraga's expedition to find the area—he is buried under the church floor. Then out to the cemetery, seeing the various gravestones of early settlers and Native American converts.

From Wikipedia site:

Mission San Francisco de Asís, or Mission Dolores, is the oldest surviving structure in San Francisco. The Mission was founded on June 29, 1776, by Lieutenant José Joaquin Moraga and Father Francisco Palóu (a companion of Father Junipero Serra), both members of the de Anza Expedition, which had been charged with bringing Spanish settlers to Alta (upper) California, and evangelizing the local Natives, the Ohlone. Friar Font, wrote about the spot chosen for the Mission:

We rode about one league to the east [from the Presidio], one to the east-southeast, and one to the southeast, going over hills covered with bushes, and over valleys of good land. We thus came upon two lagoons and several springs of good water, meanwhile encountering much grass, fennel and other good herbs. When we arrived at a lovely creek, which because it was the Friday of Sorrows [that Friday before Palm Sunday], the 3rd of April 1776, we called the [creek] Arroyo de los Dolores ... On the banks of the Arroyo ... we discovered many fragrant chamomiles and other herbs, and many wild violets. Near the streamlet the lieutenant planted a little corn and some garbanzos in order to try out the soil, which to us appeared good.

The Mission chapel, along with "Father Serra's Church" at Mission San Juan Capistrano, is one of only two surviving buildings where Father Junípero Serra is known to have officiated (although "Dolores" was still under construction at the time of Serra's visit)
The mission is the subject of the Jerry Garcia song "Mission in the Rain."

From California Missions Resource Center site:

Interesting Facts: 

The mission church is the oldest intact building in San Francisco.
Mission Dolores survived the great fire and earthquake of 1906.
In the movie Vertigo Jimmy Stewart, as detective, Scottie Ferguson, followed Kim Novak (the central character, Madeleine Elster) through Mission Dolores and into the cemetery.
Some 36,000 adobe bricks were employed in the construction of the Dolores church.












From California State Parks site:

On a site selected by Juan Bautista de Anza, the first mission church was a 50-foot long log and mud structure that was eventually moved to higher ground, adjacent to Lake Dolores which gives it its second name, Mission Dolores. Dedicated to Saint Francis by Father Serra in 1776, today the mission sits in the heart of San Francisco and is the oldest building in the city. Much of the original church interior is intact and the guilded reredos and colorful wall paintings are good examples of early California art.
 3321 16th St., San Francisco, 94114, (415) 621-8203

Adventure 49/101, Mission 17 - Mission San Jose

 Capture California, the Game-2012

Adventure: 101 – 17 : Mission San Jose, 14th mission

Team: Thing One, Thing Two

Date:  August 30, 2012

Location: Fremont

Description:

We were going to San Francisco today via BART. We will embark at the Fremont BART Station. What is close to this station? Mission San Jose! So off we go to visit this mission. We find the mission pretty quickly, but cannot spend a lot of time here. So we look around the exterior and then it is off to the BART station.

From Wikipedia site:

The first Mission San Jose chapel was dedicated on June 11, 1797. However, no Indians came forth for baptism over the weeks that followed. The Saclan, a Bay Miwok-speaking group of present interior Contra Costa county to the north, had fled Mission San Francisco (Dolores) two years earlier and were threatening to go to war against any nearby groups that joined the mission. Spanish soldiers and townsmen from San Jose attacked the Saclan and arrested their leaders on July 20, 1797, ending that threat to the success of the mission. The first baptism took place on September 2, 1797, when 24-year old Gilpae from the Palos Colorados (redwoods), probably the San Leandro area, was baptized. The new Franciscan priests, Fathers Isidoro Barcenilla and Agustín Merino, succeeded in attracting more converts from villages to the north and east of the mission, so that by the end of the first year it had population of 33 newly-converted Catholic Indians, known to the missionaries as neophytes (McCarthy 1958).
Father Narciso Durán became the pastor of the mission in 1806, and remained until he was replaced by Father José González Rubio in February 1833 as part of a post-independence policy requiring the replacement of Spanish-born clerics with those born in Mexico. Durán trained the neophytes in music, organizing both a choir and a 30 piece orchestra that became famous throughout California. While at San José, Father Durán twice served as Father-Presidente of the Franciscan missions

During the 1848 California Gold Rush, H. C. Smith converted the Mission to a general store, saloon and hotel. The town of Mission San José became a thriving provision center at the gateway to the southern mines. The names of many pioneer families prominent in early California history: Livermore, Peralta, and Alviso (to name a few) were closely linked to the Mission.

On October 21, 1868 a 7.0 magnitude earthquake on the Hayward fault which runs through the grounds of the Mission shattered the walls of the Mission church and broke open the roof. Other Mission buildings, including the Tienda, the Priest's Quarters, and the Mission itself were also damaged by the earthquake.
Two of the original statues have been placed on the two side altars. Ecce Homo, a figure of Christ clothed in a scarlet robe and crowned with thorns, stands on a balcony above one of the side altars. The other statue of Saint Bonaventure was carved from wood and then painted. The original baptismal font of hammered copper on a turned wood base has been returned to the church, as has the bell wheel used by the Ohlones during the sacred parts of the Mass.

From California Missions Resource Center site:

Prominent Missionary Leaders: Frs. Buenaventura Fortuny and Narciso Duran were assigned to San Jose in 1806, and these talented, energetic padres worked together with the Indians for 27 years to build one of the most prosperous missions in California.
Significant Event(s): Estanislao, a San Jose mission neophyte, led a large scale Indian uprising in 1828-29. Several military expeditions were required to put down the revolt. Stanislaus County is named after Estanislao

Interesting Facts: 

A devastating epidemic of smallpox and measles took a terrible toll on the neophytes (over 150 died) in 1805-06.
The mission was renowned for its orchestra and choir, developed and led by Fr. Narciso Duran.
Mexican Franciscans from the Colegio de Zacatecas replaced the Spanish Franciscans in 1833.
The nearby Pueblo de San Jose de Guadalupe was established in 1777 as an agricultural settlement for provisioning the presidio garrisons at San Carlos de Monterey and San Francisco.

From California State Parks site:

The most recent mission to have its church restored, the work truly captures the look and feel of its 1830's prosperity. Founded in 1797 by Father Lasuen, the fertile site was chosen because of its view of Mission Dolores and Yerba Buena Island. At one time the mission lands reached north almost to Oakland and east to include the Sacramento Delta. The mission was named after Joseph, spouse of Mary and while nothing remains of the original church, the $5 million remodel has closely reproduced the 1809 structure. A parish church now stands on the site with relics including a hammered baptismal font, altar bells and vestiments
 43300 Mission Blvd., Fremont, 94539, (510) 657-1797

Adventure 49/101, Mission 16 - Mission Santa Clara

Capture California, the Game-2012

Adventure: 101 - 16 : Mission Santa Clara de Asis, 8th mission

Team: Thing One, Thing Two

Date:  August 23, 2012

Location: Santa Clara

Description:

Considering that Mission Santa Clara is only 9 miles from where I grew up and my parents still live, you would think this would be the first mission we would have visited. But no, we had to wait until we are three-quarters of the way through the missions before we visited it for Capture California. But even so, there is a connection with our team to this mission. The Cat in the Hat, many years ago when she was in fourth grade, did Mission Santa Clara as her mission. So with this in mind, we are off to Santa Clara.

From the start, Mission Santa Clara gives a sense of positiveness and inclusiveness. The entrance station person was very friendly, giving us a two hour parking pass. The mission gives you pretty good access, even without a fee like most of the other missions do.

The front of the mission is striking, with the original 1777 cross preserved in front. The rose garden on the side has roses which were in full bloom, giving off a pleasant fragrance. On the other side is a tralis with wisteria, which is over a hundred years old. Yes the whole place reeks with age. It even has the oldest building in the west of any college/university campus. That would be the Adobe Building, built in 1822. But where the mission shines is the interior. It has the most magnificent inside of any of the missions we visited. The high ceiling with the chandeliers, the stations of the cross, while a bit high they really attract your attention, both with your eyes and with your mind. Which then turns your attention to the main purpose, to the front of the sanctuary, where you turn your thoughts upward. Isn't that the whole purpose of the sanctuary?

From Wikipedia site:

A subsequent site of the Mission dating from 1784 to 1819 is located several hundred yards west of the De La Cruz overpass of the Caltrain track; moreover, several Native American burial sites have been discovered near this subsequent site.

Initially, there was tension between the people of the Mission and those in the nearby Pueblo de San Jose over disputed ownership rights of land and water. The tension was relieved when a road, the Alameda, was built by two hundred Indians to link the communities together. On Sundays, people from San Jose would come to the Mission for services, until the building of St. Joseph's Church in 1803

From California Missions Resource Center site:

Named For: Saint Claire of Assisi, a 13th century Italian nun, cofoundress with San Francis of the Order of Poor Clares or Clares.

Mission Church: The current church is a tasteful modern interpretation of the mission's fifth church constructed in 1825. The 1825 church was completely destroyed in a devastating fire.

Mission Art: A tall cross, erected in 1777 and now in protective casing, stands across from the church entrance.

Significant Event(s): In 1851, authority for Santa Clara was transferred to the Jesuits and the old mission became the nucleus of Santa Clara University

Interesting Facts: 

A four-mile Alemeda (or four-mile long road lined with willow trees) connected the mission and the nearby pueblo of San Jose.
The bells of Santa Clara have rung faithfully each evening since 1798 by request of King Carlos IV.
Santa Clara was the first California mission to honor a female saint.
Site of the first college, and the oldest university in California, founded in 1851.

From California State Parks site:

Located on the Guadeloupe River, the log chapel was founded in 1777 by Father Serra in honor of St. Clare only three months before his death. In 1851 the work began which ultimately produced Santa Clara University as we know it today. Located about 40 miles south of San Francisco, the main garden is devoted to tree roses, a mission tradition, and the string of willows planted along the miles between the mission and the pueblo of San Jose is today a well-traveled San Jose street known as The Alameda. Some initial mission walls exist and the bell tower holds the original bells sent from Spain. The University is rich in relics of the mission with a library of notable archival material.
 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, 95953, (408) 554-4023

Adventure 49/101, Mission 15 - Mission La Purisima

Capture California, the Game-2012

Adventure: 101 - 15 : Mission La Purisima Conception, 11th mission

Team: Thing One, Thing Two

Date:  August 17, 2012

Location: Lompoc

Description:

Mission La Purisima Conception is the last mission which we went to on our trip to San Diego. Being close to Mission Santa Ines was helpful. Also the mission is now a State Park. Consequently there is a very nice visitor's center, with a pretty good display for all stages of the area—from Native Americans to the CCC. The CCC had taken on the task of reconstructing the mission After it disintegrated. The job which they did made this the most complete mission reconstruction in the state of California.

So this all allowed us to spend an enjoyable and long time at this mission. First we spent 45 minutes in the museum, to get a better understanding of the area and the people. Then Thing One and Thing Two went on a hike—you can see our hikes on the blog (Hikes 55, 56, 57, and 58). This complimented the information in visitor center—the El Camino Real, the water system and the tanning vats all added to our understanding of mission life. Then we went to the actual mission area, which is a couple hundred yards from the visitor center. This was a day which the Mountain Man days (August 17 and 18). This is where volunteers come in an re-enact what life would be like. We were particularly fascinated by the person starting a fire with a bowstring, straw and wood. But we also talked with a man and his daughter-he played one of the Spanish guardsman. He talked about how the single men lived communally while the married ones had there own rooms. After three plus hours, we needed to leave after spending an enjoyable time.

From Wikipedia site:
The mission is part of the larger La Purísima Mission State Historic Park, part of the California State Parks system, and along with Mission San Francisco de Solano is one of only two of the Spanish missions in California that is no longer under the control of the Catholic Church. It is currently the only example in California of a complete Spanish Catholic mission complex.

The Viceroyalty of New Spain made an exception to the rule that no California mission was to be established within seven miles of any pueblo in Las Californias, as Lompoc was so small.

After Mexico won the Mexican War of Independence in 1823, Spanish funding ceased to the Santa Barbara Presidio. Many soldiers at the mission who were no longer being paid by the new Mexican government took out their frustrations on the local Chumash Indians. After a soldier apparently beat an Indian at nearby Mission Santa Inés, the Chumash Revolt of 1824 occurred at that mission. It spread to La Purisima Mission, where the Chumash people took over the mission for one month until more soldiers arrived from Monterey Presidio. Eventually, the Chumash lost their hold on the mission with many leaving the mission soon thereafter. However, many of the Indians who had sought refuge in the neighboring mountains during the revolt returned to the mission.

In the 20th century, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) pledged to restore the mission if enough land could be provided to convert it into a historic landmark. The Catholic Church and the Union Oil Company donated sufficient land for the CCC to proceed with the restoration. The nine buildings as well as many small structures and the original water system were fully restored with the mission's dedication occurring on December 7, 1941, the same day the United States entered World War II.

The mission is reportedly haunted by the Indians and Spaniards who died there and has recently been featured on the paranormal reality TV shows Ghost Adventures, The Othersiders and The Missions of California

From California Missions Resource Center site:
Mission Church: The mission church, which has a simple exterior, has been handsomely restored. Located as it is in an state historic park, it is not an active church.
Significant Event(s): In 1824 a revolt of the neophytes that began in Santa Ines spread to La Purisima. The rebels captured the mission and held it for about a month. In the battle sixteen Indians and one soldier died. Seven Indians were condemned to death.

From California State Parks site:

Founded in 1787 by Father Lasuen the mission is located 50 miles west of Santa Barbara. Considered to be the best example of mission architecture, it has 37 rooms that have been completely restored and furnished. Volunteers perform living history demonstrations of mission life such as candle making and weaving. In the garden area, water flows through a series of pools and a fountain before passing through the lavandareas where the mission women washed clothes. Plants were brought from the 20 other mission gardens to form one of the finest collections of early California flora in existence. Horses, cattle, burros and the four-horned Churro sheep graze in the quiet pastures.
2295 Purisima Rd., Lompoc, 93436, (805) 733-3713

Adventure 49/101, Mission 14 - Mission Santa Ines

Capture California, the Game-2012

Adventure: 101 - 14 : Mission Santa Ines

Team: Thing One, Thing Two

Date:  August 16, 2012

Location: Solvang

Description:

When we got to Solvang after coming in from Santa Barbara, we were looking for a place to stay as well as a chance to look at Mission Santa Ines. This was the mission which we looked at last year:

Item: 49 - Mission Santa Ines
Team: Tired 'Tirees
Date:  Sept 2, 2011
Link: Sherri and the Mission: https://picasaweb.google.com/100772251266580984847/CaptureCaliforniaFlag?authkey=Gv1sRgCMzpz4Ts59_mTg#5648222528645457698
         National Park Service Plaque:  https://picasaweb.google.com/100772251266580984847/CaptureCaliforniaFlag?authkey=Gv1sRgCMzpz4Ts59_mTg#5648222527805594002
Desc: Mission Santa Ines is in Solvang and still is an active Catholic church. In fact, while we were there, a private ceremony was being performed. The mission was established in 1804, a few years after Father SIerra's death.  The mission was named after Saint Agnes, an early Roman martyr who was known for her pure heart.

And like last year, there was an event this year—may have also been a wedding, just like last year. But we could see some of the features of the mission. Such as the rich farmland valley which the mission over looks. Or the calm beauty of the bell tower against the surrounding trees and grass area. All of these makes this mission an ideal place for gatherings, such as weddings.

We looked over the area for about 20 minutes, then rejoined our parents, ready to find a place to stay. We actually found a place, maybe 200 yards from the mission. Then took a walk through downtown Solvang. A good way to end our time at this mission and our day of missions.

From Wikipedia site:

The Mission was home to the first learning institution in Alta California[5] and today serves as a museum as well as a parish church of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Highwayman Jack Powers briefly took over Mission Santa Inés and the adjacent Rancho San Marcos in 1853, intending to rustle the cattle belonging to rancher Nicolas A. Den, but he was defeated in a bloodless armed confrontation. He was not to be ousted from the Santa Barbara area until 1855.

The Danish town of Solvang was built up around the Mission proper in the early 1900s. It was through the efforts of Father Alexander Buckler in 1904 that reconstruction of the Mission was undertaken, though major restoration was not possible until 1947 when the Hearst Foundation donated money to pay the for project. The restoration continues to this day, and the Capuchin Franciscan Fathers take excellent care of the Mission. Today the Mission is an active parish; there is also a museum, gift shop and information center.

From California Missions Resource Center site:
Mission Art: The mission is known for its extensive collection of church vestments, which date from the 17th century through 20th century and includes a Chasuble worn by Fr. Junipero Serra and a 17th century cape crafted in materials from the Court of Louis XIV of France. The impressive mission museum includes a painting of the Archangel Raphael rendered on canvas by an Inézeño or neophyte convert of Santa Inés
Significant Event(s): The largest Indian uprising in the mission era began at Santa Inés in 1824, triggered by the excessive beating of a neophyte by a soldier.

Interesting Facts: 

The mission served a buffer against a hostile Indian group, the Tulares, who occcupied the region to the northeast.
Santa Inés was never totally abandoned after secularization, and California's first seminary / college, Our Lady of Refuge, was built in 1844 on the mission grounds.
The mission companario collapsed in 1911 and was rebuilt with five bells. It was finally restored to its original design in 1947.
Mamie Goulet, the neice of Father Alexander Buckler, devoted twenty years (1904-1924) to the restoration of the vestments of Santa Inés.

From California State Parks site:

Named for a 13 year-old Roman martyr, St. Agnes, who refused to sacrafice to the pagan gods in 304 AD, Santa Ines was dedicated in 1804 by Father Estevan Tapis. Amazingly, it survived the numerous earthquakes. The museum contains a notable collection of vestments, church records and missals, and the church displays some of the original decorations on a wall behind the altar. A historic grape arbor shelters a walkway that transports the visitor back in time, emerging in the lovely gardens that appear today much as they did nearly 200 years ago.
1760 Mission Dr., Solvang, 93464, (805) 688-4815