The Old Franciscan Missions Of CaliforniaJames, George Wharton
Religion
The Old Franciscan Missions Of California
James, George Wharton
Franciscans -- California; Spanish mission buildings -- California
It was in 1814 that Padre Boscana, who had been serving at San Luis Rey,
came to reside at San Juan Capistrano, where he wrote the interesting
account of the Indians that is so often quoted. In 1812, its population
gained its greatest figure, 1361.
In November, 1833, Figueroa secularized the Mission by organizing a
"provisional pueblo" of the Indians, and claiming that the padres
voluntarily gave up the temporalities. There is no record of any
inventory, and what became of the church property is not known. Lands
were apportioned to the Indians by Captain Portilla. The following year,
most probably, all this provisional work of Figueroa's was undone, and
the Mission was secularized in the ordinary way, but in 1838 the Indians
begged for the pueblo organization again, and freedom from overseers,
whether lay or clerical. In 1840 Padre Zalvidea was instructed to
emancipate them from Mission rule as speedily as possible. Janssens was
appointed majordomo, and he reported that he zealously worked for the
benefit of the Mission, repairing broken fences and ditches, bringing
back runaway neophytes, clothing them and caring for the stock. But
orders soon began to come in for the delivery of cattle and horses,
applications rapidly came in for grants of the Mission ranches, and
about the middle of June, 1841, the lands were divided among the
ex-neophytes, about 100 in number, and some forty whites. At the end of
July regulations were published for the foundation of the pueblo, and
Don Juan Bandini soon thereafter went to supervise the work. He remained
until March, 1842, in charge of the community property, and then left
about half a dozen white families and twenty or more ex-neophytes duly
organized as a pueblo.
In 1843 San Juan was one of the Missions the temporalities of which were
to be restored to the Padres, provided they paid one-eighth of all
produce into the public treasury. In 1844 it was reported that San Juan
had no minister, and all its neophytes were scattered. In 1845 Pico's
decree was published, stating that it was to be considered a pueblo; the
church, curate's house and court-house should be reserved, and the rest
of the property sold at auction for the payment of debts and the support
of public worship. In December of that year the ex-Mission buildings and
gardens were sold to Forster and McKinley for $710, the former of whom
retained possession for many years. In 1846 the pueblo was reported as
possessing a population of 113 souls.
Twenty years ago there used to be one of the best of the Mission
libraries at San Juan. The books were all in old-style leather,
sheepskin and parchment bindings, some of them tied with leathern
thongs, and a few having heavy homemade metal clasps. They were all in
Latin or Spanish, and were well known books of divinity. The first page
of the record of marriages was written and signed by Junipero Serra.
[Illustration: CAMPANILE AND RUINS OF MISSION SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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