[p. 39] San Miguel Arcangel, p. 39
The Mission of San Miguel (St, Michael, the Arcangel), "the most glorious prince of the heavenly militia," was founded on July 25, 1797, by Father Lasuen, assisted by Father Buenaventura Sitjar. The site chosen was a beautiful spot on the Salinas River called by the Indians Vahiá or Vaticá, and by the Spaniards Las Pozas. Father Lasuen says that a great multitude of Indians gathered about with pleased expression, while he held the first service that founded the Mission of San Miguel. The chapel consisted of the wide-spreading branches of an old oak tree. A wooden church with mud roof, was soon erected, and it was not replaced with the present structure until 1800. In 1801, three Indians attempted to poison Fathers Martin and Carnicer. Father Pujol, who came from San Carlos to attend the sick missionaries, was also poisoned, and died, while the two whom he came to minister unto recovered. In 1806, a fire occurred, which destroyed all the implements belonging to the mission, all of the raw material, large quantities of wool, hides, cloth, and 6000 bushels of wheat; besides doing great damage to the building. The other missions contributed [p. 40] to the relief of the burned San Miguel. The largest enrollement of this mission was in 1814, when there were 1076. Total number of baptisms was 2588, and the largest number of cattle owned at one time was 10,558, in 1822. All this bespeaks the prosperity of the establishment. In 1819 Father Cabor made a safe journey into the valley of the Tulares, a thing quite unusual, and a proof of the safety of the country at that period. When the Indians of San Miguel were consulted regarding the scheme of secularization, they expressed themselves as decidely in favor of the missionary fathers and their system. Their preference was of no avail, and the mission was confiscated in 1836, with a valuation of $82,000. By 1845, all property had disappeared, except the buildings, valued at $5800, which were ordered sold by Governor Pico. The sale was made July 4th, 1846, P. Rios and William Reed being the purchasers. Later the title was declared invalid, and the buildings restored to the church.
[p. 40, San Miguuel Arcangel, 1908d]
The mission buildings consist of a chapel and a long row of low adobe buildings. The corridor is a feature of the main edifice, the interior of which is to many most interesting, since it remains in its original condition, showing its ancient decorations and fixtures. The altar, very effective in color and design, is a valuable piece of decorative art. It is crowned with a statue of St. Michael, the patron saint. The floors are of burnt brick laid in alternating rows of oblongs and squares. The chapel is in use and there is a resident priest.
[p. 40] San Fernando Rey de Espana, p. 40
The mission of San Fernando was the second to be established within the present limits of Los Angeles county, and was founded September 8, 1797. by President Lasuen, assisted by Francisco Dumetz, at a site called by the natives Achois Comihavit, on the lands claimed by Francisco Reyes, who quarreled with the friars respecting the ownership of the land. The priests appropriated Reyes' ranch home for their dwelling. The mission was established with the usual religious ceremonies, in the presence of the troops and a great crowd of natives, and dedicated as required by instructions from Mexico to San Fernando, King of Spain. St. Ferdinand was Fernando III, who reigned in 1217-'51, and under whose rule the crowns of Castile and Leon were united. He was the founder of the Spanish Inquisition, and was canonized in 1671 by Pope Clement X.
[p. 41, San Fernando Rey de Espana, p. 41, 1908a, 1908d ]
[p. 41] Fracisco Javier Uria was associate priest with Dumetz. The children were baptized the first day, and thirteen adults had been added to the list early in October. In 1797, there were fifty-five neophytes on the baptismal register; in 1800 there were 310, there having been to that date 352 baptisms and seventy deaths. The number of cattle (including mules and horses) in 1800 was 526 and of sheep 600. In 1799 there were 1,200 bushels of wheat, corn and barley raised, and the total yield for the three years 1798-1800 was 4,700 bushels.
The adobe church with a tile roof, the ruins of which yet remain, were completed and consecreted in December, 1806. An earthquake occurred December 21, 1812, that did some slight damage to the church building, necessitating the introduction of thirty new beams to support the wall. In 1813 a neophyte was killed by the Indian alcalde, who threw a club at him from a distance of some sicty feet with a view to hasten his work. The killing was deemed accidental, and the penalty imposed was two month's imprisonment in the presidio, During 1816-'18 a large number of neophytes deserted; before 1818 a new chapel was completed. The greatest population of this mission was 1,080, in 1819, and then began its decline.
Captain de la Guerra, in 1821, applied for a grant of the Piru Rancho, which Father Ybarra was already using to some extent for the mission herds. The controversy resulted in de la Guerra failing to obtain the rancho; but it was not secured for the mission. About this time complaint was made that the soldiers behaved badly, selling liquor to the Indians. The mission was no longer prosperous in any respect, showing a decline in live stock and agriculture. The amount of supplies furnished by this mission to the soldiers in 1822-27 was $21,203.
In 1834, with others, the Mission San Fernando was secularized, with Lieutenant Del Valle as the commissioner in charge. Ybarre [sic] continued his ministry until the middle of the year 1835, when he temporarily retired to Mexico.
Del Valle became major-dome the next year, which position he held until the year 1837, when he was succeeded by Anastasio Carrillo. Captain José M. Villavicencio served as administrator from the middle of the year 1838. In 1840 there were still about 400 Indians in the ex-mission community.
At one period of its history, there were nearly one and a half miles of buildings connected with this mission, these including residences, workshops, schools and storehouses, all of which are now in ruins. The edifice erected especially as the abode for the padres and reputed to be the finest of its kind in Alta California, [p. 42] is, however, still standing in a fair state of preservation. It is principally interesting as having been the abode of the Mexican General, Andrés Pico, and was his headquarters during the war of occupation. It is a two-story, nearly 300 feet in length by eighty feet in width, inside measurements; and the walls-of brick and adobe-are four feet thick. The rafters, after being cut in the mountain forests many miles away, were dragged here by Indians and oxen, each log being occasionally turned upon the way, "that all sides might be planed alike," They are as smooth as though really planed. The long corridor of this building is paved with brick, and the heavy tile roof is supported by arches and columns of masonry. Many of the windows are protected by iron bars, giving it a somewhat prison-like appearance.
The church is 40 x 60 varas, tile roofed, board ceiling, brick floor, adobe walls, three doors, seven windows with wooden bars; sacristy, eight varas square, with one door and window.
The general statistics of the San Fernando Mission from the date of its foundation till its secularization in 1834, are as follows: Total number of baptisms 2,839, of which 1,415 were Indian adults, 1,367 Indian children, 57 children de razon. Total marriages, 849, of which 15 were gente de razon. Deaths, 2,028; 1,036 were Indian adults, 965 Indian children, 12 white adults and 15 white children. The largest population was 1,080 in 1819. The sexes were nearly equal; children from one-fourth to one-third. Largest number of cattle, 12,800 in 1819; horses, 1,320 in 1820; mules, 340 in 1812; sheep, 7,800 in 1819; goats, 600 in 1816; swine, 250 in 1814; all kinds, 21,745 animals in 1819. Total product of wheat, 119,000 bushels, yield nineteen fold; barley, (only raised six years) 3,070 bushels, fourteen fold; maize, 27,750 bushels, eighty-three fold; beans, 3,624 bushels, fourteen fold.
It has been in part restored by the Landmarks Club.