[p. 36 La Soledad, Mission of, p. 36, 1908a, 1908d ]
[p. 36 San Jose, Mission of, p. 36, 1908a, 1908d ]
[p. 36] La Soledad, p. 36
The Mission of "Our Lady of Solitude" ("Soledad"), was founded October 9th, 1791, by Father Lasuen. The sites for Soledad and Santa Cruz were selected upon the same trip. Governor Portola named this lonely spot Soledad in 1769, but it was not until 1797 that the adobe structure with its roof of straw, which was known as the chapel of Soledad, was completed. Later a tiled roof and corridors were added. Soledad became a flourishing Christian settlement, but after secularization in 1835, so great was the devastation and ruin that the venerable Father Vincente Sarria, who had labored for the mission for thirty years, and who refused to leave his post of duty or the remaining Indians, died here in 1835, the year of the secularization, of starvation and want. June 4th, 1846, Soledad Mission was sold to Feliciano Soberanes for $800, yet the inventory of '35 had shown a valuation of $30,000, besides the church property.
A heap of ruins standing alone in an open field, used for the growing of grain, is all that today remains of Soledad Mission. The Indians called the place Chuttusgelis, but the Spaniards called it Solitude.
[p. 36] San Jose, p. 36
Mission San José was founded June 11, 1797, Trinity Sunday. By an order from the College of Fernando, Mexico, the new mission was dedicated to St. Joseph, the foster-father of our Our Lord. A wooden structure with grass roof was quickly constructed, and Father Barcenilla was left in charge. San José was founded by Father Lasuen. The northern missions contributed very generously toward the establishment of the new one. They sent 12 mules, 12 yoke of oxen, 39 horses, 242 sheep and 60 pigs. The Indians from the adjacent hills proved to be treacherous and cruel. ?Father Cueva after having labored five years among them, was cruelly attacked, wounded and almost killed. He had been called a long distance from the mission about [p. 37] fifteen miles, to attend to some sick neophytes. Upon arriving at the rancheria, the natives attacked him and his guard with arrows, killing the guard, a soldier and three neophytes and wounding Father Cueva. On account of the treachery of the Indians, and their having made several attempts to do injury to the padres and to the buildings, the houses were soon reconstructed and made of brick from the excellent brick-earth near by. There are chalk hills near San José, and everywhere the soil is rich and fertile. The establishment was never extensive nor imposing, yet at one time Mission San José had a greater number of neophytes than any other mission in California, with the single exception of San Luis Rey. The illustration shows the mission as it was years ago, and gives only some idea of the plan of the establishment. San José was never wealthy, but still they could order a bell weighing 1000 pounds, and that was considered a luxury. At the time of the secularization the church property was valued at $155,000 over and above the debts. On May 5th, 1846, San José Mission was sold to Andres Pico and J.B. Alvarado, for $12,000, by Governor Pio Pico.