The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1946-08-19

- fhe west
sincc Il was founded 246 years
40. ihls fabulous church in the
iseart ~ the desert has been plln-
tefra by Pimas; served as a look
uat for raiding Apaches; used by
Afexiean soldiers as barracks. sta
i'ies end barns; withstood earth
4aakNs and housed JesuitS and
ffaneiscans who came to Chris
iianize the Indians of the New
World.
New. within days of the ami
Nerary Of the arrival of its
faansier, Father Eusebio Fran
clsfo kino. the school building
hoped Tor by the men who follow
sd him viii be opened.
Founder a cattleman-P Priest
Records show IL was late in
AuEuat ~ 1892 when Father Kino
Feaehed Bac. nine miles south of
here. The energetic Jesuit, cattle
nsan and farmer named the place
Nan Xavier and preached his first
eeFnaun 20 the Indians by unroIl-
iftz a map of the world and tell
iatR them 81 the great distance he
ha4 come 30 tell them of Chris
tiamlty.
On April %. 100. he began the
taak - building his mission, the
"Nhlic dove Of the desert. He
also held council with the Indians
a. see Il they could tell him
whether California was an island
uf peninsula. Eleven years later
Fafher kino died on a bed of
ahcrps kins.
fiaif a century after work was
started The Indians rev0lted, kill
iag some If the priests. chasing
usiaefs snuthwsrd and plundering
Sen Xavier and other missions.
Again the priests returned,
o4iif O. abandon the mission in
1877 when word came from Spain
- fhe expulsion Of the Jesuits.
AZ the priests departed, some
bFlieve. they buried or hid ire
nseud0tls wealth in gold collected
fFsan the Indians over many
wears. With the coming of civili-
kativn. men spent tremendous eff
foft la digging for this lost
1tssnish gold. Il is still being
NosNbt
Ten years later Apaches
sMoupcd down from the north,
Killing and plundering and taking
pvef San Nwxicr rs a lookout.
fisen. along with either abandon
81 missions. Il was taken over by
the Ffanciscans.
The foundation Of the mission
- . bed of stone. six feet or more
deep.
Ia The Indian women was as
sikncd thc task Of bringing the
Fsm.kN to the mission from noun
lsins many miles away.
Ne Rests Counsenanced
Patiently the women trudged
aefuss the desert, where surface
temperatures reach l55 degrees in
ne summertime. perched a boul-
a. an their head. and walked
imek again These were sacred
stemcs. which could not be al
lawed 10 loueh the ground from
the tlHae they left the mountains
unfii they reached their destina-
tsssn. when one was dropped, the
esaueu believed the spell had
tNen broken. left II where il lay,
ard returned to the mountains for
Hsatser
The Indians knowledge Of
hmtidlBH Na1 confined 10 the con-
sifssciion ~ rude abode huts, but
ihe pfiest were artists and archi-
texs ss well as builders. Under
ihs,f Ruidancc the structure took
fasm.
Ga aFdcr to build the huge
asule. loGends recount, the priests
iss8ed ihe body II the church with
esfth. Faundcd q into shape and
osvsgel u with the present abode
hFhk
Cold Bait In Doubt
1HeH file Indians were told
f,aHg Euia colns were b. be found
in liie 1sgi in the church Seeking
eeaifb. thry iaborcd 10 remove
tae eaffh isaving the dome where
81 8w eianslS.
aufhfagluluglsis paint out that
fHen Il ihr diet bad been pure
sssa the Indians wouldn't have
tskfn fhe ifosgtic 90 remove IL.
a8ne Knld bad $40 value 90 them.
2sse "a ftr tusFcFs ID the front
"a tts nsl lpn wili always remain
aofinlsllsd Legend says all the
ffafh was finished with the ex-
fsnt 80 ~ she dome over one
ts@ef Chief arrlltect Father Ig-
nsfht Eaoaia climbed a. the top 90
f.ah fisr building himself. Los
lstz IS ffslanrv. Dc Is supposed to
hass ff#eiged o. has death In his
s.safsfe the tower has been left
sise waB De- last saw h. accONhng
e. feIk fue
Amnghef report says The King
~ ersln bad ruled that a lax
nTa b. paid upon The compile
f6sa s.f eaeh church. To avoid this