David K - 10-31-2015 at 09:24 AM
While working on the new mission book, I created the following list/census. Not sure if it will be included in the published work, but as it took me a
little effort, I thought I would see if others here get some value or interest from it!
Mission “Score Card”
Baja California* 1697-1834 (137 years = 27 missions)
Jesuits: 17
Franciscans: 1
Dominicans: 9 (7 Spanish, 2 Mexican)
Alta California 1769-1823 (54 years = 21 missions)
Franciscans: 21 (19 Spanish, 2 Mexican)
(*known only as “California” before 1769)
Number of Baja California Missions in selected years:
1697: 1 (Loreto)
1699: 2 (San Javier)
1705: 4 (Ligüí, Mulegé)
1708: 5 (Comondú)
1720: 8 (La Purísima, La Paz, Guadalupe)
1721: 8 (-Ligüí, + Dolores)
1724: 9 (Santiago)
1728: 10 (San Ignacio)
1730: 11 (San José del Cabo)
1733: 12 (Santa Rosa)
1737: 13 (San Luis Gonzaga)
1748: 11 (-San José del Cabo, -Santa Rosa)
1752: 12 (Santa Gertrudis)
1762: 13 (San Borja)
1766: 14 (Calamajué/Santa María)
1768: 13 (+San José del Cabo, -Dolores, -San Luis Gonzaga)
1769: 14 (San Fernando)
1774: 15 (El Rosario)
1775: 15 (-Santa María, +Santo Domingo)
1780: 16 (San Vicente)
1787: 17 (San Miguel)
1791: 18 (Santo Tomás)
1794: 19 (San Pedro Mártir)
1795: 17 (-Guadalupe, -Santiago)
1797: 18 (Santa Catalina)
1811: 17 (-San Pedro Mártir)
1817: 16 (-San Javier)
1818: 15 (-San Borja)
1822: 11 (-S. Gertrudis, -S. Fernando, -Rosario, -S. Domingo)
1826: 10 (-La Purísima)
1827: 9 (-Comondú)
1828: 8 (-Mulegé)
1829: 6 (-Loreto, -San Vicente)
1830: 7 (Descanso)
1834: 6 (-Descanso, -San Miguel, +Guadalupe del Norte)
1840: 1 (-Guadalupe del Norte, -Santa Catalina, -San Ignacio, -San José del Cabo, -Todos Santos)
1849: 0 (-Santo Tomás)
The minus sign in front of a mission name indicates that year a mission was abandoned or closed. If a new mission was founded in the same year as an
abandoned one, a plus sign is added.
Mission San José del Cabo was abandoned in 1748 and reopened in 1768.
1794 was the year with the most missions open (19). Five missions founded before 1794 had been abandoned by that year (Ligüí, Santa Rosa, Dolores, San
Luis Gonzaga, and Santa María)
Descanso is an interesting case; while most writers have used 1817 as a founding date, the location was actually developed in late 1809 or early 1810
as a new location for San Miguel, which had its fields destroyed by floods, it was not a separate mission. In 1830, Padre Caballero built a new church
at Descanso and called it a mission... but closed it 4 years later when he built Guadalupe (del Norte) mission.
Both Descanso and Guadalupe were not Spanish authorized mission projects and were built after Mexico's independence.
Anyway, taking a break from editing, so thought I would share a bit. Have a nice weekend!
4x4abc - 11-1-2015 at 10:58 AM
good stuff, David!
David K - 11-1-2015 at 11:44 AM
Thanks Harald. It is interesting to use the chart to see how many missions were actually open and operating in any year. Failures happened and
missions moved or closed after they were founded... several were established in perfect places, so it was only the loss of the native population that
forced them out of business.
Nearly half of the 27 missions in Baja were moved during their operating years, some moved several times.
Here is another list from the new book on moved missions...
Relocated Baja California Missions
Nearly half of the missions were moved one or more times following their founding. Often a mission would be called by the new location name rather
than the official name. Sometimes the official name was changed with the move, which had naturally caused some confusion. The common mission name
will be used for missions except in lists and headings for each mission.
Listed below are missions that relocated, how often, and the greatest distance moved from the founding location:
San Javier, 1 time, 5 miles south
Comondú, 1-2 times, 24 miles south
La Purísima, possibly 1 time, 10 miles south
La Paz/Todos Santos, 2 times, 50 miles south
Los Dolores/La Pasión, 1-2 times, 16 miles southwest
Santiago (Aiñiní), 1 time, 2 miles south
San José del Cabo, 3 times, 5 miles north
Calamajué/Santa María, 1 time, 23 miles northwest
El Rosario, 1 time, 3 miles west
Santo Domingo, 1 time, 3 miles east
San Miguel, 3 times, 8 miles north
Santo Tomás, 2 times, 4 miles east
San Pedro Mártir, 1 time, 7 miles south
New version...
David K - 11-14-2015 at 10:35 AM
I have a wonderful writing coach helping me with the new book, and I have changed the name from Mission Score Card to How Many Missions. However, now
we may drop this list altogether or put in back as an appendix. In either case, here it a newer version with the Pericú Revolt included...
How Many Missions?
Baja California 1697-1834 (137 years = 27 missions)
Jesuits: 17
Franciscans: 1
Dominicans: 9 (7 Spanish, 2 Mexican)
Alta California 1769-1823 (54 years = 21 missions)
Franciscans: 21 (19 Spanish, 2 Mexican)
Number of Baja California Missions open in selected years:
1697: 1 (Loreto)
1699: 2 (San Javier)
1705: 4 (Ligüí, Mulegé)
1708: 5 (Comondú)
1720: 8 (La Purísima, La Paz, Guadalupe)
1721: 8 (-Ligüí, + Dolores)
1724: 9 (Santiago)
1728: 10 (San Ignacio)
1730: 11 (San José del Cabo)
1733: 12 (Santa Rosa)
1734-36: 8 (Four missions were closed by the Pericú Revolt)
1737: 13 (San Luis Gonzaga)
1748: 11 (-San José del Cabo, -Santa Rosa)
1752: 12 (Santa Gertrudis)
1762: 13 (San Borja)
1766: 14 (Calamajué/Santa María)
1768: 13 (+San José del Cabo, -Dolores, -San Luis Gonzaga)
1769: 14 (San Fernando)
1774: 15 (El Rosario)
1775: 15 (-Santa María, +Santo Domingo)
1780: 16 (San Vicente)
1787: 17 (San Miguel)
1791: 18 (Santo Tomás)
1794: 19 (San Pedro Mártir)
1795: 17 (-Guadalupe, -Santiago)
1797: 18 (Santa Catalina)
1811: 17 (-San Pedro Mártir)
1817: 16 (-San Javier)
1818: 15 (-San Borja)
1822: 11 (-Santa Gertrudis, -San Fernando, -El Rosario,
-Santo Domingo)
1826: 10 (-La Purísima)
1827: 9 (-Comondú)
1828: 8 (-Mulegé)
1829: 6 (-Loreto, -San Vicente)
1830: 7 (Descanso)
1834: 6 (-Descanso, -San Miguel, +Guadalupe del Norte)
1840: 1 (-Guadalupe del Norte, -Santa Catalina,
-San Ignacio, -San José del Cabo, -Todos Santos)
1849: 0 (-Santo Tomás)