Other names Tipai, Ipai, Diegueño, Luiseño Home region San Diego County, northern Baja California Mission affiliations San Diego de Alcalá, San Luis Rey de Francia Historical Background Kumeyaay (Spanish pronunciation: Kamia) is … [Continue reading]
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 … [Continue reading]
Other names: Obispeño, Ventureño, Barbareño, Purisimeño, Yneseño, Canalino Home region: San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, as well as the Channel Islands, east to Castaic and Mt. Pinos. Mission affiliations: San Luis Obispo … [Continue reading]
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. … [Continue reading]
The second of a two part series. Read part 1 here. In this second part, we discuss Ohlone culture, including political organization, religion, myths, music and art, tools and crafts, the Ohlone today and Ohlone sites you can visit. … [Continue reading]
The Ohlone people occupied the San Francisco and Monterey Bay regions for thousands of years. Part 1 of a 2 part series. In the first part of this series, we will discuss the Ohlone name, their traditional territory, Ohlone languages, housing, food … [Continue reading]
Many words used to describe people and objects in Alta California are unfamiliar to us today. … [Continue reading]
Fr. José Altimira was a Spanish Franciscan priest who founded Mission San Francisco Solano, the last -- and most controversial -- of the Alta California missions. … [Continue reading]
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 … [Continue reading]
How was a mission site chosen? What factors went into the location of a mission? Who decided where to build a mission? When was Mission San Miguel Founded? Mission San Miguel Arcángel was founded on July 25, 1797 by Fr. Fermín de Lasuén and Fr. … [Continue reading]
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. … [Continue reading]
What type of culture developed among settlers in Alta California? What did they call themselves? How did they live under Mexico and Spain? And how did they respond to American rule? … [Continue reading]
Who settled California? What was their life like? What were the first towns? … [Continue reading]
How did native people live at Mission Santa Inés? What was daily life like? What languages did they speak? What foods did they eat? How did they dress? … [Continue reading]
Junípero Serra's statues are being defaced. Government institutions are seeking to remove his name from public monuments. All in the name of justice. Is there a better way forward? … [Continue reading]
How did native people live at Mission San Carlos Borromeo? What languages did they speak? What foods did they eat? How did they dress? … [Continue reading]
An update on an ongoing research project into the life of a Hispanic woman on the California frontier. In May, I told you about my research into the life of Sylveria Pacheco, a Californiana who had lived through Spanish, Mexican and American … [Continue reading]
Who were the soldiers that came to Alta California? What was their life like? What were the presidios and what was their role on the frontier? … [Continue reading]
