The Old Franciscan Missions Of CaliforniaJames, George Wharton
Religion
The Old Franciscan Missions Of California
James, George Wharton
Franciscans -- California; Spanish mission buildings -- California
I have elsewhere referred to the water supply of Santa Isabel as being
used for irrigation connected with San Miguel Mission. There is every
evidence that a large ranchería existed at Santa Isabel, and that for
many years it was one of the valued rancheros of the Mission. Below the
Hot Springs the remains of a large dam still exist, which we now know
was built by the padres for irrigation purposes. A large tract of land
below was watered by it, and we have a number of reports of the annual
yield of grain, showing great fertility and productivity. Near the
present ranch house at Santa Isabel are large adobe ruins, evidently
used as a house for the majordomo and for the padre on his regular
visitations to the ranchería. One of the larger rooms was doubtless a
chapel where mass was said for the neophytes who cultivated the soil in
this region.
CHAPEL OF SAN ANTONIO DE PALA
The chapel at Pala is perhaps the best known of all the asistencias on
account of its picturesque campanile. It was built by the indefatigable
Padre Peyri, in 1816, and is about twenty miles from San Luis Rey, to
which it belonged. Within a year or two, by means of a resident padre,
over a thousand converts were gathered, reciting their prayers and
tilling the soil. A few buildings, beside the chapel, were erected, and
the community, far removed from all political strife, must have been
happy and contented in its mountain-valley home. The chapel is a long,
narrow adobe structure, 144 by 27 feet, roofed with red tiles. The walls
within were decorated in the primitive and singular fashion found at
others of the Missions, and upon the altar were several statues which
the Indians valued highly.
Pala is made peculiarly interesting as the present home of the evicted
Palatingwa (Hot Springs) Indians of Warner's Ranch. Here these
wretchedly treated "wards of the nation" are now struggling with the
problem of life, with the fact ever before them, when they think, (as
they often do, for several of them called my attention to the fact) that
the former Indian population of Pala has totally disappeared. At the
time of the secularization of San Luis Rey, Pala suffered with the rest;
and when the Americans finally took possession it was abandoned to the
tender mercies of the straying, seeking, searching, devouring
homesteader. In due time it was "home-steaded" The chapel and graveyard
were ultimately deeded back; and when the Landmarks Club took hold it
was agreed that the ruins "revert to their proper ownership,
the church."
[Illustration: CAMPANILE AND CHAPEL, SAN ANTONIO DE PALA.]
[Illustration: ANOTHER VIEW OF THE CAMPANILE AND CHAPEL, SAN ANTONIO DE
PALA.]
[Illustration: MAIN DOORWAY AT SANTA MARGARITA CHAPEL.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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