In this episode, I give my take on the California Missions Foundation conference that took place April 12-14. It was the first in-person conference since 2020, making it an important occasion to reconnect with California history in a special way.
The California Missions Foundation does a huge amount to preserve the physical reminders of California’s early past, particularly the missions, ranchos, and presidios.
It also supports scholarship into California’s native, mission, and rancho history. Each year, the conference is hosted by one of California’s 21 missions.
This year’s conference events took place at two missions: La Purísima in Lompoc for the paper presentations and Mission Santa Inés for the banquet and keynotes.
In addition to the conference and banquet, private tours were offered of nearby historical sites, such as the mission mills and the mission laundry area at Santa Inés. These tours are often led by experts, like the archaeologists who excavated these sites, providing a behind-the-scenes look into places that regular visitors might not be able to access.
The conference was fascinating for those interested in early Californian history. Hopefully, listening to this episode will get you excited to go next year.
