David K - 4-14-2009 at 05:05 PM
Baja Nomad member 'academicanchist' (Dr. Robert Jackson) is a Southwest history professor and author of many history books covering the Spanish
missions. I am fortunate to have his assistance and contributions to improve my web pages so we all may have a richer Baja California experience!
Today, Robert sent me an 1880 photo of the Santo Domingo mission (near San Quintin/ Colonia Guerrero). It shows the mission adobe church with a roof
still above it. Most missions had their roofs removed as valuable building material, by the locals, following a mission's abandonment. Without a roof,
adobe quickly melts back to the earth. Robert also sent a 1975 photo he took...
I will show the 1880 photo and follow it with photos taken over the years until my visit in 2005. This is the kind of coverage you will see at my
revised Baja Missions pages: http://community-2.webtv.net/baja4me/bajamissions
ENJOY!
1880:
1926:
1949:
1954:
1975:
1995:
2003:
2005:
David K - 4-14-2009 at 05:13 PM
Before 2003, the adobe walls were coated to preserve them at that stage... Gravel walks have been added to several mission sites, as you can see...
making them a nice and important looking place to visit and learn about California's history! Information signs are in Spanish and English.
This has been carried out at San Miguel, San Vicente, El Rosario's 2 sites... San Fernando hasn't much left to save, but some effort has been made
there. Guadalupe, Santa Catalina, San Pedro Martir have no or vertually no adobe left to preserve and Santo Tomas has had NO preservation done, and
there is a little still left to save!
Thanks to INAH for doing something, for sure!
Photo from Baja Amy 2009
David K - 4-14-2009 at 08:21 PM
Santo Domingo wall...
