Mission San José (California) facts for kids
The mission in 2011
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 Location in California
Location in the United States
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| Location | 43300 Mission Blvd. Fremont, California 94539 |
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| Coordinates | 37°31′58″N 121°55′10″W / 37.53278°N 121.91944°W |
| Name as founded | La Misión del Gloriosísimo Patriarca Señor San José |
| English translation | The Mission of the Glorious Patriarch Lord Saint Joseph |
| Patron | Saint Joseph |
| Founding date | June 11, 1797 |
| Founding priest(s) | Father Fermín Lasuén |
| Founding Order | Fourteenth |
| Headquarters of the Alta California Mission System | 1824–1827; 1830–1833 |
| Military district | Fourth |
| Native tribe(s) Spanish name(s) |
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| Native place name(s) | Oroysom |
| Baptisms | 6,673 |
| Marriages | 1,990 |
| Burials | 4,800 |
| Secularized | 1834 |
| Returned to the Church | 1858 |
| Governing body | Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland |
| Current use | Chapel / Museum |
| Designated | 1971 |
| Reference no. | 71000131 |
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| Website | |
| http://www.missionsanjose.org/ | |
Mission San José is a historic Spanish mission located in Fremont, California. It was founded on June 11, 1797, by Franciscan missionaries. This mission was the fourteenth one built by the Spanish in California. After a period of growth, the mission faced challenges and a gradual decline. Over the years, many parts of the original mission were damaged, especially by earthquakes. Thanks to restoration efforts, many of the original buildings have been carefully rebuilt. Today, the old mission church serves as a chapel for Saint Joseph Catholic Church. There is also a visitor center and museum where you can learn about the mission's rich history.
Contents
Exploring Mission San José's Past
Founding and Early Construction
The first location considered for Mission San José was in the San Ramon Valley in 1772. However, the Native Americans living there were not welcoming to the Spanish settlers. So, it was decided to build the mission further south, in what is now Fremont, California.
Work on Mission San José began in May 1797. Native American people from Mission Santa Clara, about 13 miles south, helped with the construction. Franciscan missionaries and Spanish overseers guided the work. The mission was built on slopes overlooking the Fremont plain, on the east side of San Francisco Bay.
Life at the Mission: Native American Communities
The area had been home to Ohlone people for countless generations. The Ohlone lived by hunting and gathering wild plants. Their diet included seeds, roots, berries, acorn flour, small game, deer, fish, and shellfish. Many Ohlone people from the mission area had already been baptized at Mission Santa Clara. These people returned home to help start the new Mission San José community. The mission walls were about 5 feet thick. The church was 126 feet long, 30 feet wide, and 24 feet high. It was made of adobe and redwood, with tile floors and walls.
Growth and Cultural Diversity
By the end of 1800, the mission population grew to 277 people. This included both Ohlone and Bay Miwok speakers. By 1805, most Native Americans from the East Bay south of Carquinez Strait had joined the missions. After a serious measles epidemic in 1806, people from more distant areas began to join. These new groups included the Yokuts from the San Joaquin Valley, starting in 1810. Later, Coast Miwok from Sonoma County and Patwin from Napa and Solano counties also came. By 1825, Delta Yokuts was the main language spoken among the 1,796 people at the mission. Later, Plains Miwok speakers also moved to the mission. By the time Mission San José closed in the mid-1830s, Plains Miwok was the most common native language.
Father Narciso Durán and Mission Life
Father Narciso Durán became the mission's pastor in 1806. He stayed until 1833. Father Durán was known for his love of music. He taught the Native Americans music and organized both a choir and a 30-piece orchestra. This orchestra became famous throughout California! While at San José, Father Durán twice served as the Father-Presidente, the leader of all the Franciscan missions.
The mission's first permanent Adobe church was dedicated on April 22, 1809. Many valuable gifts, like religious clothes and statues, were given to the mission. These items came from across the Spanish Empire. Mission San José was a busy center for industry and agriculture. The location was chosen for its natural resources, including water, fertile ground, stones, and adobe soil for building. Thousands of cattle grazed on mission lands. Acres of wheat and other crops, like grapes, olives, and figs, were grown and harvested. In 1868, the mission produced a large amount of wheat and other produce.
Peak Prosperity and Secularization
By 1832, the mission had 12,000 cattle, 13,000 horses, and 12,000 sheep. Its lands stretched from present-day Oakland to San Jose. San José was one of the most successful of all the California missions. An inventory in 1833 listed many buildings, including a church, living quarters, a guardhouse, a guest house, and a women's dormitory. However, this prosperity changed quickly. On August 17, 1833, the Mexican government passed a law to take control of the missions. This process was called "secularization."
The Rancho Period: A Time of Change (1836–1853)
During the transition to secularization, Father José González Rubio remained at the mission to manage church matters. José de Jesús Vallejo was appointed as a civil administrator. The mission lands were gradually divided and given to private landowners. In 1842, Father González Rubio moved to Mission Santa Barbara.
Many Native American people left the mission. They faced great challenges adapting to new ways of life, and many struggled with illness and lack of resources. The mission buildings, farms, and gardens began to fall apart. The large herds of animals scattered. In 1845, Mexican Governor Pío Pico sold the mission property for $12,000. During the 1848 California Gold Rush, H. C. Smith converted the mission into a general store, saloon, and hotel. The town of Mission San José became a busy supply center for miners. Many important early California families, like the Livermores, Peraltas, and Alvisos, had close ties to the mission.
California Statehood and Natural Disasters (1850–1890)
The Rancho period ended when California became part of the United States in 1850. On March 18, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln returned the California missions to the Catholic Church.
On October 21, 1868, a strong earthquake (magnitude 6.3–6.7) struck the area. The Hayward Fault runs right through the mission grounds. This earthquake shattered the walls of the mission church and broke open the roof. Other mission buildings were also damaged.
After the earthquake, the damaged church was cleared away. A new wooden church, built in a Gothic style, was constructed directly over the original red-tiled mission floor. In 1890, a Victorian-style rectory (a priest's house) was built where part of the old adobe administration building once stood.
Modern Era: Restoring the Past (1900–Present)
The original mission complex consisted of over 100 adobe buildings. Restoration efforts by the Native Sons of the Golden West in 1915 and 1950 saved the surviving portion of the mission wing. They converted it into a museum, surrounded by beautiful flowers and palm trees. In 1956, the town of Mission San José joined with four other towns to become the City of Fremont.
Rebuilding the Historic Church
Plans to reconstruct the church of Mission San José began in 1973. The Victorian-style rectory was relocated to nearby Anza Street. The Gothic-style wooden church was moved to San Mateo and restored by an Anglican church group. After extensive archaeological excavations and planning, construction began in 1982 on a replica of the 1809 adobe church. The work was completed, and the facility was rededicated on June 11, 1985. The new walls vary in thickness from 4 to 5 feet. Old timbers and rawhide strips show the practical methods of the Padres. They used leather laces instead of iron nails for building. The lumber used in the reconstruction has been given a hand-hewn appearance.
Inside the Reconstructed Chapel
The rebuilt mission church has a simple and strong exterior. Its richly decorated interior follows descriptions from the historic inventories of the 1830s. The crystal chandeliers are copies of period pieces. Two of the original statues have been placed on the two side altars. Ecce Homo, a figure of Christ crowned with thorns, stands on a balcony. The other statue of Saint Bonaventure was carved from wood and then painted. The original baptismal font, made of hammered copper, has been returned to the church. The bell wheel, used by the Ohlones during the sacred parts of the Mass, is also back.
The reredos behind the main altar features a painting of Christ, a statue of Saint Joseph, and two carved figures. A dove represents the Holy Spirit, and at the top sits God the Father with detailed golden rays. The altar and choir railings were copied from an original piece found in the museum.
Cemetery and Mission Bells
The mission cemetery (campo Santo), where many mission pioneers are buried, is next to the church. During the archaeological dig, the marble grave marker of Robert Livermore was found in the original tile floor of the church. It was carefully repaired and replaced in the reconstructed church. Many prominent Spaniards are buried in the floor of the Mission church, but only Livermore's grave is marked. Thousands of Ohlone people are resting in the Ohlone cemetery located almost a mile away.
Three of the original Mission bells were transferred from the destroyed adobe church to the wooden church in 1869. They hung there until the 1970s. The fourth bell had been given to a church in Oakland and recast. However, it was returned to the Mission during the reconstruction of the bell tower. Now all four bells hang, ready to ring on special occasions.
Mission San José Today
In 1985, the restoration of the church was completed by the Committee for the Restoration of the Mission San Jose and the Catholic Diocese of Oakland. It is considered a near-perfect replica of the original church. It also includes a hidden structural steel frame which provides earthquake resistance. Further reconstruction of the missing part of the Padres' living quarters and a restoration of the surviving adobe wing are part of the overall plans. Today, St. Joseph's parish administers the Mission. This includes the historic Mission building and the surrounding areas, an ordinary church building for daily parish needs, and a school for students in grades 1–8.
See also
In Spanish: Misión San José (California) para niños
- Spanish missions in California
- List of Spanish missions in California
- Mission Boulevard
- Mission Peak
- USNS Mission San Jose (AO-125) – a ship named after the mission
