-
Mission San Francisco Solano: 10 Interesting Facts
2023 marked the 200th anniversary of the founding of Mission San Francisco Solano. Nestled in the Valley of the Moon, in the heart of California’s wine country, the mission is an unmistakable landmark. The simple 2,400-square-foot church stands along Sonoma’s main square, across the street from the barracks that General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo built to house the troops that protected Mexico’s northern frontier. The mission represents a rich history that includes native peoples, the area’s Spanish and Mexican heritage, the U.S. conquest of California and statehood. Below are ten interesting facts about Mission San Francisco Solano. The Final Link in the Chain Mission San Francisco Solano is the last and northernmost of…
-
Mission San Francisco Solano Facts
-
Fr. José Altimira and Mission San Francisco Solano
Fr. José Altimira was a Spanish Franciscan priest who founded Mission San Francisco Solano, the last — and most controversial — of the Alta California missions.
-
The Legend of Chief Solano
“He was of gigantic stature, standing six feet seven inches–without his stockings, for he had none. And he was large all over in proportion, with the strength of several men. His name by baptism was Francisco Solano, and by that name he was best known.” – Platon Vallejo Joining the Mission When young Sina was baptized at Mission Dolores in 1810, he received the name Francisco Solano. Sina probably didn’t know much about his patron saint, a Franciscan missionary in 17th-century Peru, and he likely didn’t know that someday people would call him “Chief Solano.” Sina/Francisco Solano was born a member of the Suisun people. The Suisun were a Patwin-speaking…
-
Mission San Rafael Arcángel: The Hospital That Became a Mission
Originally built as a hospital outpost for Mission Dolores, Mission San Rafael Arcángel grew to become a successful mission in its own right. Nearby China Camp State Park offers a complementary glimpse into California’s unique history.
-
The Coast Miwok: People of the Northern California Coast (Part 2)
Read Part 1 here. First Encounters with Europeans Early Explorations The Coast Miwok people’s encounters with Europeans date back to the sixteenth century. In 1579, the English privateer Francis Drake made landfall along the northern California coast. There, he probably met Coast Miwok people. Portuguese explorer Sebastião Rodrigues Soromenho — also known as Sebastián Rodríguez Cermeño — surveyed the northern California coast for the Spanish crown in 1595-96. Historians believe he interacted with the Coast Miwok. Spanish Missions The Coast Miwok began to enter the Spanish missions as early as the 1770s at Mission San Francisco de Asís. Later, they entered San Rafael (founded in 1817) and San Francisco…
-
The Bear Flag Revolt: California’s Insurgency
The Bear Flag Revolt is one of the central episodes in the events leading to the U.S. annexation of California.
-
California Missions
All our best resources about the Spanish missions in California. Maps California Missions Map California Mission Facts What Were the Spanish Missions in California? Complete California Missions List and Facts California Missions: 50 Interesting Facts 9 Ways the Missions Impacted California Facts about Individual Missions Mission San Francisco Solano Mission San Rafael Arcángel Mission San Francisco de Asís (Mission Dolores) Mission San José Mission Santa Clara de Asís Mission Santa Cruz Mission San Juan Bautista Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad Mission San Antonio de Padua Mission San Miguel Arcángel Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa Mission La Purísima Concepción Mission Santa Inés Facts…
-
California Missions: 50 Interesting Facts
The California missions are home to fascinating stories and interesting facts. The following is a list 50 things you might not know about the missions– but there are many more to discover. Pirate Raid In 1818, a French privateer named Hippolyte Bouchard (known in Spanish as Hipólito Bouchard), led a series of raids along the coast of Alta California. Bouchard attacked the Presidio of Monterey and attempted to raid the presidio and mission of Santa Barbara, as well as Mission San Juan Capistrano, before returning to South America. Indian Cowboys Some of the earliest vaqueros (cowboys) were Native Americans working on mission ranchos. Vaqueros had a high social status at the missions, and many later…
-
9 Ways the Missions Impacted California
How did the Missions Affect California? Much of the culture of California has its roots in the history of the Spanish missions. And although the missions were only fully active for about 60 years, their presence had a major impact on many areas of life in California. In this article we’ll talk about some of the most important. Spanish Place Names Among the first things that visitors to California notice are Spanish names of cities, towns and other landmarks. Places like San Francisco, San Diego and San Juan Capistrano all take their names from missions and their patron saints. Many other geographic names come places associated with the missions, such…
-
How Did the California Missions End?
The California missions ended after Mexico became independent of Spain. The newly independent Mexican government eventually passed laws that called for an end to the mission system through a process called “secularization.” Secularization: The end of the Spanish missions in California To visit the California missions today is an impressive experience. The church buildings, gardens and grounds are beautiful and well-maintained, and harken back to an earlier, more romantic period. Museum displays tell of the history of the missions, and gift shops offer all sorts of keepsakes to take with us. But if we were to travel back in time to a little over 100 years ago, we would probably…
-
Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo
Military commander, town founder, politician, patriarch. Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo was arguably the most powerful man in northern Alta California. After the American takeover, he helped form the new state and fought to preserve the history of Spanish and Mexican California.
-
Coast Miwok Tribe Facts
Home region: Marin and southern Sonoma Counties Mission affiliations: San Francisco de Asís, San Rafael, San Francisco Solano Historical background: Speakers of the Miwok language in northwestern Alta California were divided into Lake Miwok and Coast Miwok. Both Francis Drake in 1579 and Sebastián Rodríguez Cermeño in 1595 spoke of encountering the Coast Miwok. In addition to the Spanish missions, the Coast Miwok also were associated with the Russian colony around Fort Ross near Bodega Bay. Interesting facts: The Coast Miwok were especially fond of sea animals for food, but unlike other coastal indigenous groups, they don’t seem to have hunted marine mammals. Today: Today, the Graton Rancheria includes descendants of Coast…
-
California Mission Facts
Between 1769 and 1823 Spanish missionaries founded 21 missions up and down the coast of Alta California (today’s state of California). These missions were meant to continue the chain of missions extending north from the southern tip of Baja California. Below is a list of mission facts:
-
Early California History Timeline
The history of the encounter between European and native people in California stretches back at over 500 years. You can use this timeline to put events into context and relate them to one another, either by scrolling through the years, or selecting a specific year. 1510 Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo publishes Las Sergas de Esplandián in Seville, with the first known reference to a place known as California. 1533 Spanish ships reach the tip of Baja California. 1535 Hernán Cortez and crew reach Baja California. 1539 Francisco de Ulloa confirms that Baja California is a peninsula and not an island. 1542 Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo arrives in San Diego Bay. He later…
-
Native Americans in the Rancho Era: Roberto-Suñol and Olompali
In 19th-century California, some Indians sought to recover their native lands by requesting grants from the Mexican government. The Roberto-Suñol Adobe and Olompali State Historic Park commemorate two men who did just that.
-
California Mission Founders: Names, Dates and Bios
People often ask who founded the Spanish missions in California. And while Fr. Junípero Serra and Fr. Fermín Francisco de Lasuén are rightly credited as the main mission founders, several other missionaries were involved in establishing missions in California.
-
Native Americans of the California Missions: Territories, Affiliations and Descendants
Native American Tribes of the California Missions
-
Mission Profiles
Name: Mission San Diego de Alcalá Year founded: 1769 Patron saint: St. Didacus of Alcalá Founder: Fr. Junípero Serra Native peoples: Kumeyaay [Ipai/Tipai] (Diegueño) Goods produced: Wheat, barley, corn, beans, peas, lentils, garbanzos and habas (broad beans). Current Status: Roman Catholic Parish Name: Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo Year founded: 1770 Patron saint: St. Charles Borromeo Founder: Fr. Junípero Serra Native peoples: Esselen, Rumsen (Costanoan) Goods produced: Wheat, barley, corn, beans, vegetables. Current Status: Roman Catholic Parish Name: Mission San Antonio de Padua Year founded: 1771 Patron saint: St. Anthony of Padua Founder: Fr. Junípero Serra Native peoples: Salinan (local), as well as Yokuts from the San Joaquin Valley…
-
California Mission List: Photos, Locations, Founders
Between 1769 and 1823 Spanish missionaries founded 21 missions up and down the coast of Alta California (today’s state of California). These missions were meant to continue the chain of missions extending north from the southern tip of Baja California.
