Page 18 - autobluebook1920vol8_local

Los Angeles Section Page 437 Points of Interest
necessary in crossing ravines, but elsewhere located across the river and about 5 or 6
in cement pipes laid underground. The whole miles from the former one. Not only a church
waterworks formed a noteworthy engineering and houses, but buildings of all kinds needed
feat. for carrying on the mission were built, and
waterworks were constructed. From Salsperde
Among the objects in the museum of relics
are obsolete firearms, branding irons, huge lake, 3 miles distant, water for both irriga-
tion and for domestic use was brought in
locks and cumbrous keys, parchment scores
of music with the ancient square notes, old cement pipes which the Indians made and laid
books with wonderful rubrics, curious re- under the direction of the padres. But mis-
ligious figures carved by the Indians, and fortune had not turned its back upon La
the vast yellow silk umbrella used by the Purisima. In 1816-1817 a drought caused hun-
dreds of its sheep to perish and in 1818 nearly
padres in their long tramps in the California
sun, for the strict Franciscan rule forbade all the neophytes’ houses were destroyed by
their traveling in any manner except on foot. fire. In 1823 Padre Peyeras, who since 1803
At Santa Ynez there were several workers had conducted the affairs of the mission, died.
in leather and silver who were artists of so After him there was no one who could hold
great skill in carved work inlaid with silver in check the turbulent Indians, and in 1824 the
that today remaining specimens of their work Indian revolt which broke out at Santa Ines
are not only of great value, but take high spread to La Purisima. In 1835 the mission
was secularized, the estates being at this
rank in collections.
time appraised at $60,000. In the inventory
The Mission of La Purisima Conception, sit-
was included the library valued at $655. Under
uated southwest of the Mission Santa Ynez, the management of the government admin-
near Lompoc, consists of two missions. The
istrators the mission property rapidly disap-
older, known as Mission Vieja or old mission
peared, and when by the decree of Michel-
to distinguish it from its successor, is near
torena in 1843 it was returned to the padres
the town. The later mission is located some there remained from the wreckage practically
three miles northwest of the town. Both are only the church property. The following year
in ruins. La Purisima was officially founded an epidemic of smallpox carried off most of
December 8, 1787, when Presidente Lasuen
the mission population and the closing event
raised the cross, blessed the site and con-
in the pathetic history of La Purisima was
ducted the usual dedicatory ceremonies, but
reached in 1845, when Pio Pico sold the re-
as the rainy season was coming on nothing maining fragments of the estate to John
further was done until spring, 1788. Then
Temple for $1,110. In 1856 the United States
laborers and soldiers from Santa Barbara be-
restored the mission buildings to the Catholic
gan work upon the buildings and soon after
church.
Padres Vicente Fuster and Jose Arroita took
charge. By the end of the summer 79 neo- In style, decorations and dimensions La
phytes had been received. From the first Purisima was the least pretentious of the
California missions. Its construction was
the mission prospered. Over a thousand bap-
peculiar in that parts of the building were in
tisms are recorded for the first decade. The a
chapel soon became too small and a new two stories and that the church formed
church was completed in 1802. In 1804 the room merely in the great building which had
many rooms and two connecting wings.
mission attained its highest population, 1,582,
Across the front of the building ran a cor-
and in 1810 its greatest worldly wealth, at
ridor 10 feet wide whose roof was supported
which time the stock amounted to 20,000 head.
by square pillars built some of stone, some
This prosperity was brought to a sudden of burnt brick and others of adobe. Probably
end by the earthquake of 1812, which wrecked
they were made of whatever materials were
La Purisima, causing the complete collapse nearest to hand at the moment. The length
of all the buildings and leaving almost noth-
ing fit for even temporary use. The earth- of the whole building was 300 feet; the width
quake was followed by torrents of rain, and without the corridor 50 feet. The church was
floods added to the calamity. But the padres, at the southwest end on the southeast side.
undaunted as always, erected rude huts for It was 80 feet long and had low arched win-
immediate use, and then selected a new site dows. Nothing now remains of the wings,
and began the erection of another mission. even the foundations having disappeared in
The remains of the mission of 1802, now little the plowing of the ground. Some of the
more than a heap of adobes, may still be walls have fallen and others are crumbling.
seen near the town. The new mission was All the pillars of the corridors have fallen.
WEST