BajaNomad

mystery mission

4x4abc - 10-25-2015 at 05:01 AM

wasn't there an attempt to build a mission between Santa Gertrudis and San Borja? Before one gets to San Pedro.

David K - 10-25-2015 at 09:33 AM

Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc  
wasn't there an attempt to build a mission between Santa Gertrudis and San Borja? Before one gets to San Pedro.


No. Unless you are speaking of the mystery walls at Bahia las Animas believed to be the start of Mission Santa María Magdalena, as shown on the Jesuit map of 1757?

The search for a water source adequate enough for a mission went on for years. Padre Consag made 2 land expeditions north from Santa Gertrudis (called La Piedad before that mission was founded in 1752) seeking future mission sites north of San Ignacio. La Piedad became Santa Gertrudis upon its establishment (was going to be Dolores del Norte, but the name of the wife of the benefactor was used instead, to honor his generosity).

In 1758, the first news of the water source at Adac (warm, sulfur springs) reached Padre Retz of Santa Gertrudis....

You know, I will share with you a couple of the paragraphs from my new book...

Land expeditions by Padre Consag in 1751 and again in 1753 failed to find an acceptable site for the next mission to be established to the north. Padre Georg Retz of Santa Gertrudis began to send his neophytes out in search of possible mission sites. By 1758, Padre Retz learned of some hot springs called Adac by the Cochimí Indians. The water smelled of sulfur, but once it cooled it could be drunk without ill effect. Adac was nearly a 3-day journey from Santa Gertrudis but relatively close to the fine natural harbor of Bahía de los Ángeles. Supplies and personnel could be offloaded at that bay to support the new mission.

In 1758, Fernando Consag was promoted to Padre Visitador of the California Jesuits. In 1758 it was Fernando Consag, who desired to establish a new mission at Adac. However, Consag died in 1759 before seeing the project get under way. New mission funds were provided by an inheritance to the Jesuits from the Duchess of Gandía, Doña María de Borja (of the respected Borgia family in Spain). The inheritance became available in 1747 but was delivered to California in 1756.

David K - 10-25-2015 at 12:24 PM

Harald, there was a site in the Baja Almanac called Santa Agueda, less than 10 miles north of Santa Gertrudis. In the older Baja Topo Atlas (map B-121), it was called an abandoned mission ruin. When we recently looked at it on Google Earth and Bing satellite images, not a thing was there. No road goes to it, just a trail (perhaps a mission trail to Punta San Francisquito?).

dtbushpilot - 10-26-2015 at 09:34 AM

Sounds like a Baja adventure in the making....

David K - 10-26-2015 at 09:58 AM

Quote: Originally posted by dtbushpilot  
Sounds like a Baja adventure in the making....


Neal Johns was the first Nomad who pointed it out and tried to get there years ago... no road, sadly!

4x4abc - 10-26-2015 at 10:18 AM

I had Tinaja Santa Maria in mind

4x4abc - 10-26-2015 at 11:29 AM

now here is some oil on the fire - tire tracks 1.5 miles away from Santa Agueda. Could not find yet how they got there.


David K - 10-26-2015 at 05:23 PM

Been to the Tinaja de Santa María twice... It is in a canyon arroyo a short distance off the GOLFO CAMINO REAL, north of Santa Gertrudis, much the same way Tinaja de Yubay is a short distance off EL CAMINO REAL north of San Borja.

Both times it was a "coyote well", that is the water was below the sand at the base of the boulder/ waterfall. Coyote holes were there.

Arthur North in his 'Camp and Camino in Lower California' c1910 writes about the Tinaja de Santa Maria (he called it Santa Marita).





[Edited on 10-27-2015 by David K]

Baja Bucko - 10-26-2015 at 09:27 PM

Ok-just to throw in a thrill and mystery. I found something foundation-wise but wheels won't get you there and it was very overgrown. Even my old friend who knew the area as a kid working cows had no idea it was there until I showed him the squared rock foundation corners under the dense scrub. Years ago I mentioned it to Harry and he said no, too far from mission X, but it was big and very old....some day I will head back up there and clear out the overgrowth but it will defintely be in the cold of winter because of the snakes....LOTS of rattlesnakes.:O

4x4abc - 10-26-2015 at 10:14 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Baja Bucko  
Ok-just to throw in a thrill and mystery. I found something foundation-wise but wheels won't get you there and it was very overgrown. Even my old friend who knew the area as a kid working cows had no idea it was there until I showed him the squared rock foundation corners under the dense scrub. Years ago I mentioned it to Harry and he said no, too far from mission X, but it was big and very old....some day I will head back up there and clear out the overgrowth but it will definitely be in the cold of winter because of the snakes....LOTS of rattlesnakes.:O


which location are you talking about? Tinaja Santa Maria or (Mision) Santa Agueda?

David K - 10-26-2015 at 10:53 PM

There is no level area for a mission near Tinaja Santa María other than the arroyo floor. Do you need the GPS for it Harald to look around on Google Earth? It is in my missions web page with all the mission location GPS waypoints: http://vivabaja.com/missions4/


(Water hole near Golfo Camino Real) TINAJA DE SANTA MARIA 28°26'05.20" 113°20'01.40"
Located south from the old road to San Francisquito, south of Bahia de los Angeles
and just east of Rancho La Bocana (San Pedro).

TMW - 10-27-2015 at 08:56 AM

Here is an old map showing where a road/trail went to Santa Agueda. Top pix upper left is the El Arco to San Francisquito road. This map shows Purificaion ranch/mine to be abandoned but on Google it shows a ranch. However GE is dated 10-3-05. The map is an old map which I don't have a date for.

David K - 10-27-2015 at 09:10 AM

Nice! Seems to be the 1986 Baja Topo Atlas?

TMW - 10-27-2015 at 05:01 PM

4x4ABC was looking for San Juan de las Parras and I came across this. http://mapcarta.com/20389694

TMW - 10-27-2015 at 05:14 PM

But in The King's Highway in Baja California by Harry Crosby it shows it on or near the King's Highway as shown below. That is further west that the location above.

4x4abc - 10-27-2015 at 05:26 PM

Quote: Originally posted by TMW  
4x4ABC was looking for San Juan de las Parras and I came across this. http://mapcarta.com/20389694


San Juan de las Parras (or de las Palmas) is on my list for visits this winter. Will be an exciting overland expedition in 2012. We ran into a waterfall. I think, I have a way around it. https://carlosnpainter.smugmug.com/Events/La-Fortuna/i-knhBf...

3 trails (Santa Gertrudis, San Ignacio and Juan Bautista) are going in and out.




[Edited on 10-28-2015 by 4x4abc]

David K - 10-27-2015 at 06:05 PM

Great stuff!

Harald, can you fix your satellite image to 800 pixels max (to fit Nomad)? Thanks! Edit the photo link first tab like this: [img=800x600]

4x4abc - 10-27-2015 at 08:56 PM

way too small, David

David K - 10-27-2015 at 09:21 PM

No, that is actually the full width of this page frame. Doug has to fix photos often when members don't follow the guidlines (800 pixels max).