SONOMA MISSION

OUR FAMILY HAS VISITED SONOMA MISSION MANY TIMES AND IT IS A RATHER DARK INTERIOR THAT THE STATE PARK AND RECREATION MAINTAIN. FATHER JOSE ALTIMIRA CAME FROM BARCELONA, SPAIN 1819 TO HELP AT MISSION DELORES. HE DEVISED A PLAN TO MOVE IT NORTH TO A WARMER SPOT AND TOLD THE MEXICAN GOVERNOR DON ARGUELLO HIS PLAN TO MOVE IT TO SONOMA TO KEEP THE RUSSIANS OUT OF CALIFORNIA NORTHERN. ON JULY 4TH , 1823, HE FOUNDED SONOMA MISSION. HE BROUGHT SOLDIERS AND SUPPLIES UP FROM SAN FRANCES. HE WANTED TO DISCONTINUE USE OF THE MISSIONS AT SAN RAFAEL AND SAN RAPHAEL AND SAN FRANCISCO. HOWEVER THE CHURCH INSISTED THEY REMAIN OPEN.


BETWEEN 1820-1830 FATHER ALTIMIRA'S SONOMA MISSION HAD A GOOD START. HE HAD ALMOST 700 OHLONES PLANT VINEYARDS, AND OTHER SEEDS FOR HARVESTING. ALTIMER WAS CRUEL AND HE IMPRISONED THE NATIVES TO CIVILIZE THEM. A LARGE GROUP OF OHLONES ATTACKED THE MISSION IN A REVOLT. THEY BURNED SOME OF IT AND ALTIMERA LEFT FOR SAN RAFAEL. THEN HE RETURNED TO SPAIN.


FATHER BUENAVENTURA FORTUNI WHO HAD WORKED AT SAN JOSE, REPLACED ALTIMIRA, AND HE REBUILT THE MISSION AND IT'S BUILDINGS AND BECOME FRIENDS WITH THE OHLONE. IN 1832 THERE WERE ALMOST 1000 OHLONE THERE. THE MISSION ALSO HAD PRODUCED WHEAT, BABY BEANS, PEAS AND CORN. UNFORTUNATELY IN 1833 THE NEXT FATHER IN CHARGE, GUTIERREZ, BEAT THE INDIANS TO CONTROL THEM. THE ZACATECAN FRANCISCANS FROM MEXICO TOOK CONTROL.

IN NOVEMBER, 1834, GENERAL VALLEJO, TOOK CONTROL. HE ALSO CONTROLLED THE PRESIDIO IN SAN FRANCISCO. HE TOOK THE PROPERTY FOR HIMSELF INSTEAD OF GIVING SOME TO THE INDIANS. HE FOUNDED SONOMA AROUND THE MISSION. UNTIL 1880 THE OLD CHAPEL WAS USED AS A CHURCH . IN 1903 THE HISTORIC LANDMARKS LEAGUE BOUGHT THE MISSION AND RESTORED IT IN 1926. THEY THEN GAVE IT TO THE STATE PARKS. IT IS IN THE NORTHERNMOST MISSION OF CALIFORNIA'S 21 FRANCISCANS MISSIONS. IN 1953 ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNCOVERED THE WALKWAYS AND FOUNDATIONS OF ADOBE. THEY FOUND AN INDIAN DORMITORY TO THE NORTH OF THE CHURCH.

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