The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1920-02-01
WILL RESTORE
OLD MISSIONS

blOub OF thIlOTnla movement lH
/ now on foot. It's aim is to rescue
/ those Of tho old buildings which are
crumbliug TO decay and to preserve
| in their original condition those
| that have survived the hundred
! years that have elapsed since these
missions formed the background of
one Of the romantic chapters of the
settlement of North America.
About the time the colonies on the
eastern coast were seething with the
fires of revolution. the padres, pene-
trating the country along the coast
of Upper California, founded the first
of these missions and pioneered the
way for civilization on the western
coast.
In the course OF the years between
1869 and 1928 there were establish
ed a string OF twenty-cne missions.
ranging from San Diego to San
Rafael and San Francisco de Solano.
lH' ihtt'l l"o DSiHB VI tht
city of San Francisco.
The distinctive type OF the mis-
sion buildings, with colonnades and
red tiled roofs, which has been the
inspiration OF architects, net only In
California but in other parts of the
country, and the sweet-toned mission
bells. are characteristics of these
settlements that are generally
known.
SO well did the padres build with
the help of their Indian neophytes
that many of the buildings are in
good state of preservation despite
the century they have been stand
ing. Others that have been aban-
doned, however, are falling to de-
cay and are inhabited by bats and
spiders.
Junipero Sierra, Spanish priest,
filled with a zeal for conversion of
the Indians. was the guiding spirit
OF the mission founders. When the
king of Spain sought to extend his
dominion and check foreign powers
who were then eyeing California. he
ordered his representative in New
Spain, Jose de Galvez, to send ex-
peditions to found settlements and
build forts at San Diego and Mon
terey. GalveZ summoned Junipero
Sierra to aid in the venture, and so,
long after the kings original pur-i
pose was fulfilled the work of the
padres continued.
Backed by the Plus Fund, which
was raised for missionary work
among Indians by Jesuits and turned
over to the Order of st. Francis in
1867, the padres directed by Juni-
pero Sierra continued their work
until the chain OF missions was es-
tablished and tiourishing. Always
on foot, and generally two by two,
the padres made their way from
mission to mission. The Indians be-
came devoted to them, and toiled for
them not only in building but in cul-
tivating the soil, planting orchards,
and doing various kinds of work.
Some even developed into artists,
specimens of their work remaining
to this day. The padres had grain
fields, herds of cattle, and were the
pioneers of the fruit industry of Cali
fornia. Many of the missions be-
came wealthy. and some engaged in
export trade.
The missions continued to thrive
until 1888, when the Mexican gov
ernment confirmed a mandate issued
by Spain some years before. Under
this the padres were compelled to
leave, and each Indian was to be-
come his own master, free from con-
troll of the church, and to have his
own land. Many of the Indians,
however, eventually drifted back
into wild life, and some of the mis-
sions were deserted entirely.
The missions and the years of
their foundation are: San Diego,
1863; San Carlos, at Monterey,
1770 San Gabriel, near Los An
geles, 1771; San Antonio, 1771; San
Luis Obispo, 1772; San Francisco
Dolores Cat the site of the present |
city of San Francisco), 1916; San
Juan Capistrano, 1776; Santa Clara,
1777; San Buenaventura. 1882;
Santa Barbara, 1886; La Purisima,
1887; Santa Cruz, 1871; Soledad,
1891; San Jose, 1877; San Juan
1897; Sa miguel, 1877;
San Fernando, 1897; San Luis Rey,
1898; Santa Inez, 1904; San Rafael,
1917; San Francisco de Solano,
1928.