List of Spanish missions in California facts for kids
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, as well as to affirm Spanish, and later Mexican, claims to the region.
Overview
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. 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.
Today a growing number of people, calling themselves California Mission Walkers, hike the mission trail route, usually in segments between the missions. 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. 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
There were 21 missions, 8 asistencias, and 5 estancias in what is now California.
| Name | Image | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mission San Francisco Solano |  |
1823 | Sonoma 38°17′38″N 122°27′20″W / 38.29389°N 122.45556°W |
Originally planned as an asistencia of Mission San Rafael Arcángel. Serves as a museum. |
| Mission San Rafael Arcángel |  |
1817 | San Rafael 37°58′27″N 122°31′40″W / 37.97417°N 122.52778°W |
Nonextant. Originally planned as the third asistencia of Mission San Francisco de Asís. A reconstruction of the original mission was completed in 1949, which served as a parish church and museum. |
| Mission San Francisco de Asís |  |
1776 | San Francisco 37°45′51″N 122°25′37″W / 37.76417°N 122.42694°W |
Also known as Mission Dolores. Serves as a parish church. |
| Mission San José |  |
1797 | Fremont 37°31′58″N 121°55′10″W / 37.53278°N 121.91944°W |
Serves as a parish church and museum. |
| Mission Santa Clara de Asís |  |
1777 | Santa Clara 37°20′57″N 121°56′29″W / 37.34917°N 121.94139°W |
Serves as a parish church within Santa Clara University. |
| Mission Santa Cruz |  |
1791 | Santa Cruz 36°58′41″N 122°1′45″W / 36.97806°N 122.02917°W |
Nonextant. A reconstruction of the original mission was completed in the 1930s, which serves as a parish church and museum. |
| Mission San Juan Bautista |  |
1797 | San Juan Bautista 36°50′42″N 121°32′9″W / 36.84500°N 121.53583°W |
Serves as a parish church. |
| Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo |  |
1770 | Carmel 36°32′33″N 121°55′11″W / 36.54250°N 121.91972°W |
Serves as a parish church and museum. |
| Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad |  |
1791 | Soledad 36°24′16″N 121°21′20″W / 36.40444°N 121.35556°W |
In ruins. A reconstruction of the original mission was completed in 1955, which serves as a parish church and museum. |
| Mission San Antonio de Padua |  |
1771 | near Jolon 36°00′54″N 121°15′00″W / 36.01500°N 121.25000°W |
Serves as a parish church and museum. |
| Mission San Miguel Arcángel |  |
1797 | San Miguel 35°44′41″N 120°41′53″W / 35.74472°N 120.69806°W |
Serves as a parish church and museum. |
| Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa |  |
1772 | San Luis Obispo 35°16′50″N 120°39′52″W / 35.28056°N 120.66444°W |
Serves as a parish church and museum. |
| Mission La Purísima Concepción |  |
1787 | Lompoc 34°40′13″N 120°25′14″W / 34.67028°N 120.42056°W |
Serves as a museum. |
| Mission Santa Inés |  |
1804 | Solvang 34°35′40″N 120°08′11″W / 34.59444°N 120.13639°W |
Serves as a parish church and museum. |
| Mission Santa Barbara |  |
1786 | Santa Barbara 34°26′18″N 119°42′50″W / 34.43833°N 119.71389°W |
Serves as a parish church and friary. |
| Mission San Buenaventura |  |
1782 | Ventura 34°16′52″N 119°17′53″W / 34.28111°N 119.29806°W |
Serves as a parish church and museum. |
| Mission San Fernando Rey de España |  |
1797 | Los Angeles 34°16′23″N 118°27′40″W / 34.27306°N 118.46111°W |
Serves as a parish church and museum. |
| Mission San Gabriel |  |
1771 | San Gabriel 34°5′50″N 118°6′22″W / 34.09722°N 118.10611°W |
The current mission church dates to 1805. Serves as a parish church and museum. |
| Mission San Juan Capistrano |  |
1776 | San Juan Capistrano 33°30′10″N 117°39′46″W / 33.50278°N 117.66278°W |
The Serra Chapel, built in 1782, is the oldest extant building in California. Serves as a parish church and museum. |
| Mission San Luis Rey de Francia |  |
1798 | Oceanside 33°13′57″N 117°19′12″W / 33.23250°N 117.32000°W |
Serves as a parish church, museum, and religious retreat center. |
| Mission San Diego de Alcalá |  |
1769 | San Diego 32°47′4″N 117°6′23″W / 32.78444°N 117.10639°W |
Serves as a parish church and museum. |
Two Franciscan missions, Mission Puerto de Purísima Concepción and Mission San Pedro y San Pablo de Bicuñer, were constructed within the present-day borders of California but were administered as part of the Spanish missions of Pimería Alta. As such, they are not considered a part of the 21 missions of Alta California.
Asistencias
Asistencias were branch missions that allowed the priests to extend their reach into the native population at a modest cost.
| Name | Image | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Eulalia Asistencia | 1824 | Cordelia 38°14′16″N 122°07′28″W / 38.23778°N 122.12444°W |
The ruins are preserved behind a business park at the intersection of Sandstone Way and Westamerica Drive. | |
| San Pedro y San Pablo Asistencia |  |
1786 | Pacifica 37°35′14″N 122°29′36″W / 37.58722°N 122.49333°W |
Nonextant. First asistencia of Mission San Francisco de Asís. |
| Mission Dolores Asistencia | 1793-94 | San Mateo 37°33′55″N 122°19′40″W / 37.56528°N 122.32778°W |
Nonextant. Second asistencia of Mission San Francisco de Asís. A granary was built south of San Mateo Creek in 1793-94 before being destroyed during an 1808 earthquake. A new adobe granary was built north of the creek before being demolished in 1868. | |
| Santa Margarita de Cortona Asistencia |  |
1787 | Santa Margarita 35°24′2″N 120°36′44″W / 35.40056°N 120.61222°W |
Asistencia of Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa. The ruins are preserved within a barn on Santa Margarita Ranch (private). |
| Santa Paula Asistencia |  |
c.1800 | Santa Paula 34°21′21″N 119°03′03″W / 34.35583°N 119.05083°W |
Nonextant. Asistencia of Mission San Buenaventura. Little else is known. |
| Nuestra Señora Reina de los Ángeles Asistencia | 1784 | Los Angeles 34°03′26″N 118°14′23″W / 34.0572°N 118.2396°W |
Nonextant. Asistencia of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel. The site is occupied by La Iglesia de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles. | |
| Santa Ysabel Asistencia |  |
1818 | Santa Ysabel 33°7′49″N 116°40′41″W / 33.13028°N 116.67806°W |
Nonextant. Asistencia of Mission San Diego de Alcalá. A new chapel was constructed in 1924. Serves as a parish church and museum. |
| San Antonio de Pala Asistencia |  |
1816 | Pala Indian Reservation 33°21′40″N 117°04′45″W / 33.36111°N 117.07917°W |
Asistencia of Mission San Luis Rey de Francia. The chapel serves as a parish church and museum. |
Estancias
An estancia or estância is a Spanish or Portuguese term describing private landholdings used for farming or raising livestock. They assisted in the development of their parent missions.
| Name | Image | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Marcos Estancia | c.1800 | near Santa Ynez 34°32′50″N 119°52′40″W / 34.54722°N 119.87778°W |
Nonextant. Estancia of Mission Santa Barbara. Little else is known. | |
| San Francisco Xavier Estancia |  |
1804 | Castaic Junction 34°25′58″N 118°36′19″W / 34.43278°N 118.60528°W |
Nonextant. Estancia of Mission San Fernando Rey de España. |
| San Bernardino de Sena Estancia |  |
1819 | Redlands 34°02′40″N 117°13′15″W / 34.04444°N 117.22083°W |
Estancia of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel. The reconstructed buildings serve as a museum. |
| Santa Ana Estancia |  |
1817 | Costa Mesa 33°40′23″N 117°56′13″W / 33.67306°N 117.93694°W |
Also known as the Costa Mesa Estancia. Estancia of Mission San Juan Capistrano. The Diego Sepúlveda Adobe serves as a museum. |
| Las Flores Estancia |  |
1823 | Camp Pendleton 33°17′59″N 117°27′39″W / 33.29972°N 117.46083°W |
Estancia of Mission San Luis Rey de Francia. The building is part of a 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
In Spanish: Anexo:Misiones españolas en California para niños
- Bibliography of California history
On Spanish Missions:
- Spanish missions in Arizona
- Spanish missions in Baja California
- Spanish missions in the Sonoran Desert (including Sonora and southern Arizona)
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:
