Fresno-Tulare-Kern County CA Archives History - Books .....Catholic Missionaries 1892
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Book Title: Memorial And Biographical History Of The Counties Of Fresno, Tulare, And Kern, California

CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES.

  Resuming the second historic period of California, we find the Jesuit regime
inaugurated by the Spanish Court at Madrid, in 1677, when it was decided that
the survey, conquest, and settlement of the new country should be undertaken on
a new basis. The instructions were accordingly sent to Enrique de Rivera, then
Viceroy of New Spain, as well as Archbishop of Mexico, and the prosecution of
the enterprise was entrusted to Admiral Don Isidro Otondo. The plan was, that
the undertaking should be conducted at the expense of the crown, which was to
supply Otondo with a body of priests and a sufficient number of soldiers to
protect the missionaries. The spiritual government of the expedition was
conferred on the Jesuits, then the most powerful priestly organization in
Mexico, with Father Ensebio Francisco Kuhn-a German by birth and called by the
Spaniards Kino-at their head. The party left Chacala in May, 1683, and sailed up
the gulf, landing at various Indian towns on the peninsula and preaching their
gospel to the (so called) heathens. In later years Kuhn associated himself with
Fathers Salvatierra Picola and Ugarte, and these pioneers of Christianity and
civilization, filled with a pious zeal which urged them on against every
obstacle,-the unwillingness of their own society, the indifference and
backwardness of the court, the delay of officials, and their own limited
finances as well as the small number of their coadjutors,- pursued their lahors
to a glorious end. In 1691, Kuhn and Salvatierra reached the modern Arizona
line, and afterward explored the country as far as the Gila river.

  Later on the Jesuits began to lose their influence, a feeling of enmity grew
up against them, and they became involved in vexatious controversies; settlers
and miners began to advocate secularization; hatred to the priests was fomented,
and in 1766 Charles III summarily put an end to all the strife by an ordinance
for the instant and general expulsion of the Jesuits from all the Spanish
dominions. Early in 1768, the decree went into effect, and California was again
left to the savage tribes which had peopled it from remote ages.

  We find the next historic period of civilized invasion of California was by
the Franciscan friars following the expulsion of the Jesuits. Their instructions
were to take possession of the missions in peninsular California, and also to
establish new missions which should protect the country further north against
seizure by the English or French. The convent of San Fernando, the principal
establishment of the Franciscan monks in New Spain, was given charge of the
work, and the head of the convent selected Junipero Serra as the head of the
proposed establishments.

  In 1768, Serra, with fifteen friars, arrived in Lower California, and San
Diego-the San Miguel of Cabrillo-having been decided on as the objective point,
two expeditions by land and two by sea were started for that place. Experiencing
many hardships, privations and diseases, the expeditions arrived at their
destination, and on July 11, 1769, the mission of the San Diego was founded.
Three days later Captain Portola, who afterward became first governor of the
territory, set out in company with friars Crespi and Gomez, with forty-five
other whites and a few Indians, with a view of occupying .Monterey. The object
of this expedition was not accomplished, but resulted in the discovery of San
Francisco bay; and January 24, 1770, a second attempt to find Monterey was made.
June 23 the mission of San Carlos and the presidio, or fort, of Monterey was
founded, and a formal declaration of the possessions of the country in the name
of the King of Spain was made.

  The foregoing events were the subject for hearty congratulations and prayers
in Mexico, and immediate and liberal provision was made for the establishment of
other missions.

  The mission of San Antonio was founded at the foot of the Santa Lucia
Mountains July 14, 1771; that of San Gabriel, on the river of the same name, in
August, 1771, and that of San Luis Obispo in September, 1772. Four years later,
in 1776, the missions of San Juan Capistrano and San Francisco were founded.
Subsequently the following missions were founded: Santa Clara, 1777; San
Buenaventura, 1782; Santa Barbara, 1786; Concepcion, 1782; Soledad, 1791; Santa
Cruz, 1794; San Fernando, 1797; San Miguel, 1797; San Juan, 1797; San Jose in
this same year, and San Luis Rey, in 1798; those of Solano, San Rafael and Santa
Ynez being built in the present century.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Memorial and Biographical History
OF THE COUNTIES OF
Fresno, Tulare, and Kern, California

Illustrated
Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast from the
Earliest Period of its Occupancy to the Present Time, together with Glimpses of
its Prospective Future: with Profuse Illustrations of its Beautiful Scenery,
Full-page Portraits of Some of its most Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of
Many of its Pioneers, and also of Prominent Citizens of to-day.

"A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will
never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote
descendants." -Macaulay.

CHICAGO:
The Lewis Publishing Company.
Undated, but OCLC lists a publication date of 1892

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