[p. 14] Chapter III The Mission Establishments
It was not the intention of the Spanish government that the mission establishments should continue permanently as missions. According to the law, at the end of ten years from its founding each mission was to be converted into a municipal organization, known as a pueblo, or town; and the property of the mission, both personal and real, was to be sub-divided among the neophytes of the establishment. But the training which the natives received did not fit them for self-government. They were forced to labor and were instructed in many branches of industry, as well as in the religious ceremonials; but they received no intellectual training and they made little progress toward self-control. The padres persistently urged that the neophytes were incompetent to use and manage property, and during the time that California was subject to Spain no attempt was made to carry out the law and secularize the missions.
In form, the different missions resembled one another. Col. J.J. Warner, thus describes the general form: "A large pile of buildings in the form of a quadrangle, composed partly of burnt brick, but chiefly of sun-dried ones, was erected around a spacious court. A large and capacious church, usually occupying one corner of the quadrangle, was a conspicuous part of the pile. In these buildings, which were covered with red tile, was the habitation of the friars, rooms for guests and for the major-domos and their families, hospital wards, storehouses and granaries."
A guard of four or five soldiers was kept at each mission to control the neophytes. Each establishment held possession of large tracts of land, continguous to its buildings. These were divided into ranches, over which roamed large herds and flocks under the charge of Indian vaqueros. The neophytes for the most part were docile and easily managed, and some of the brighter ones were taught mechanical trades and became fairly good blacksmiths, weavers, tanners, shoemakers, saddlers, brick-makers, etc. They certainly accomplished a large amount of labor under the padres and proved themselves capable, with proper supervision, of supporting themselves-and producing a large surplus for the benefit of the church.
The history and present condition of each mission is here presented.