List of Spanish missions in California
Franciscan priests established 21 missions between 1769 and 1833 in Alta California, accompanied by military outposts. Their goal was to spread Christianity among the local Native Americans.
To facilitate overland travel, the mission settlements were situated approximately 30 miles (48 kilometers) apart, about one day's journey on horseback, or three days on foot. The entire trail eventually became a 600-mile (966-kilometer) long "California Mission Trail." Rev. Lasuén successfully argued that filling in the empty spaces along El Camino Real with additional outposts would provide much-needed rest stops where travelers could take lodging in relative safety and comfort.[1]: 132 [2]: 152 Heavy freight movement was practical only via water. Tradition has it that the padres sprinkled mustard seeds along the trail to mark it with bright yellow flowers.[3]: 79 [4]: 260
Today a growing number of people, calling themselves California Mission Walkers, hike the mission trail route, usually in segments between the missions.[5] Walking the trail is a way to connect with the history of the missions. For some it represents a spiritual pilgrimage, inspired by Jesuit priest Richard Roos' 1985 book, Christwalk.[6] The loosely organized group is attempting to formalize the route and establish markers, similar to the 330-mile (530 km) El Camino de Santiago, in Spain.
Missions and outposts[]
Missions[]
Asistencias[]
Asistencias were branch missions that allowed the priests to extend their reach into the native population at a modest cost.
| Name | Date | Location | Image | Current use / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mission Dolores Asistencia | 1794 | San Mateo | [7] | |
| San Pedro y San Pablo Asistencia | 1786 | Pacifica 37°35′14″N 122°29′36″W / 37.58722°N 122.49333°W |
|
Museum |
| Santa Margarita de Cortona Asistencia | 1787 | Santa Margarita =35°24′2″N 120°36′44″W / 35.40056°N 120.61222°W |
|
Unknown |
| Nuestra Señora Reina de los Angeles Asistencia | 1784 | Los Angeles 34°N 118°W / 34°N 118°W |
Nonextant | |
| Santa Ysabel Asistencia | 1818 | Santa Ysabel 33°7′49″N 116°40′41″W / 33.13028°N 116.67806°W |
|
Chapel / museum |
| San Antonio de Pala Asistencia (Pala Mission) | 1816 | Pala Indian Reservation 33°21′40″N 117°04′45″W / 33.36111°N 117.07917°W |
|
Parish church / museum |
Estancias[]
An estancia or estância was a Spanish, Brazilian, or Portuguese term describing private landholdings.
| Name | Date | Location | Image | Current use / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Bernardino de Sena Estancia | 1819 | Redlands 34°02′40″N 117°13′15″W / 34.04444°N 117.22083°W |
|
Museum |
| Santa Ana Estancia (now the Diego Sepúlveda Adobe) (Costa Mesa Estancia) | 1817 | Costa Mesa 33°40′23″N 117°56′13″W / 33.67306°N 117.93694°W |
Museum | |
| Las Flores Estancia (Las Flores Asistencia) | 1823 | Camp Pendleton 33°17′59″N 117°27′39″W / 33.29972°N 117.46083°W |
|
Boy Scout Camp |
Presidios[]
Presidios in chronological order:
- El Presidio Real de San Diego (Presidio of San Diego), founded July 16, 1769
- El Presidio Real de San Carlos de Monterey (Presidio of Monterey, California), founded June 3, 1770
- El Presidio Real de San Francisco (Presidio of San Francisco), founded December 17, 1776
- El Presidio Real de Santa Bárbara (Presidio of Santa Barbara), founded April 12, 1782
- El Presidio de Sonoma (Sonoma Barracks), founded 1810
See also[]
On California Missions:
- Spanish missions in California
- San Antonio de Pala Asistencia, not a full mission, but still serving the Pala reservation
On California history:
- Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail
- History of California through 1899
- History of the west coast of North America
- Mission Vieja
On general missionary history:
- Catholic Church and the Age of Discovery
- History of Christian Missions
- List of the oldest churches in Mexico
- Missionary
On colonial Spanish American history:
- Spanish colonization of the Americas
- California mission clash of cultures
- Indian Reductions
- California Genocide
- Native Americans in the United States
References[]
- ^ Yenne, Bill (2004). The Missions of California. Advantage Publishers Group, San Diego, California. ISBN 1-59223-319-8.
- ^ Bennett, John E (January 1897a). "Should the California Missions Be Preserved? – Part I". Overland Monthly. XXIX (169): 9–24.
- ^ Markham, Edwin (1914). California the Wonderful: Her Romantic History, Her Picturesque People, Her Wild Shores. Hearst's International Library Company, Inc., New York.
- ^ Riesenberg, Felix (1962). The Golden Road: The Story of California's Spanish Mission Trail. McGraw-Hill, New York. ISBN 0-07-052740-7.
- ^ "El Camino Real's California Mission Walkers". California Mission Guide. 2014.
- ^ Roos, Fr. Richard (1985). "Christwalk". Paulist Press.
- ^ "San Mateo asistencia (hospice) and granary". San Mateo Daily journal. 2009-02-02. Retrieved 2015-06-17.
External links[]
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to California missions. |
- California Missions Foundation
- California Mission Studies Association
- California's Spanish Missions
- Library of Congress: American Memory Project: Early California History, The Missions
- Tricia Anne Weber: The Spanish Missions of California
- California Historical Society
- National Register of Historic Places: Early History of the California Coast: List of Sites
- California Mission Sketches by Henry Miller, 1856 and Finding Aid to the Documents relating to Missions of the Californias : typescript, 1768-1802 at The Bancroft Library
- Spanish mission settlements in North America
- Native American history of California
- California Mission Indians