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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…
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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…
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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…
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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.
