The Founding of Mission La Purisima Concepcion

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THE TWO PURISIMAS — AN INTRODUCTION

By Kristina Wilkinson This issue of Nolicias is devoted to the first Mission La Purisima Con cepcion, today commonly called Mission Vieja, located in Lompoc roughly between E and G Streets running along the Southern Pacific right-of-way (see map). Most Santa Barbara County residents are more familiar with the present restored Mission La Purisima State Historic Park outside the town of Lompoc on the Lompoc Casmalia Road at Los Berros Canyon (see Nolicias, Vol. XIX, No. 2). This site dates from the earthquake of 1812.

Why two Purisimas? The earthquake of 1812 provided the stimulus for relocation. La Purisima had been an active and prosperous mission for twentyfive years when disaster struck on December 21, 1812. The first shock of four minutes in duration damaged the church, but a half hour later a second shock destroyed the mission quadrangle. A fissure opened in the nearby hills, causing sand and water to spill over the site, and the heavy winter rains which followed caused the Santa Ynez River to overflow, finishing the job of destruction.

Unlike other quake-damaged missions, which were repaired or rebuilt on their original sites, La Purisima was moved four miles across the valley to the east side of the river at Los Berros Canyon. It is interesting to note the differences in construction at the old and new sites. After the high, thinwalled mission quadrangle collapsed at the old site, there was a dramatic change in construction method: at Los Berros Canyon a mission lacking a quadrangle was built, and instead the second La Purisima featured lower walls with thicker buttressing and structures which were spread some distance from one another. Doors on both sides of buildings provided easy escape.

It has been suggested that the construction differences between the two Purisimas were due, at least in part, to the earthquake experience at Mission Vieja and to the fact that a fortress-like quadrangle was no longer needed for defense. It is also reported {History of Santa Barbara & Ventura Coun ties, California, Thompson & West, 1883) that the local Indian population caused the change in location by refusing to remain at the old site.

Today the original La Purisima site, already partially covered by tract houses, is threatened by further subdivision. It is an often ignored and un remembered place despite its prosperous twenty-five year contribution to the colonial history of Santa Barbara County.

The map opposite shows the site of Mission Vieja La Purisima ruins in Lom poc, situated at the base of a hill between Miguelito and Salsipuedes Canyons.

Water ivas obtained from streams of these canyons for mission use. The lo cation of the mission on the west side of the Santa Ynez River served to iso late it from both San Luis Obispo and Santa Ines Missions, and during wet years the river tvas often unfordable by mission residents.

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LA PURISIMA CONCEPCION, 1787-1812

By Russell A. Ruiz Although Spanish authorities had formulated plans to found a mission among the Quabajai-Chumash Indians in the Lompoc area as early as 1779, the project was delayed by the military disaster of 1781, and the small number of soldiers in the midst of the large Indian population demanded that a protective fort be built first.

The intention of the Spanish Governor, Felipe de Neve, was to carry out the Royal orders for the Indian mission program in a manner that would least disrupt Indian village life. Dramatic population decline among the Indians had followed the introduction of traditional missionary methods: it was the custom to break up the native villages and move their populations to the convenience of the mission compounds, and veteran missionaries felt that integration into Hispanic-European civilization could be most success fully achieved by this means. However, despite the good intentions of the missionary program, Indians were unfortunately not immune to lethal dis eases that followed European intrusions into Indian lands. With the advent of the Europeans, the greatest demographic disaster of all time struck down millions of people of the native population in the New World, and the in adequate medical knowledge of the time could not cope with these diseases.

On a smaller scale, the same sorry trail of death followed the mission pro gram in California.

On March 24, 1786, Comandante General Jose Antonio Rengel ordered Governor Fages to found the new mission at Gaviota on the coast at a site that would be suitable in every way, and in June of 1785 Sergeant Pablo de Cola, detached from the escolta guard of San Buenaventura Mission, was sent from the Royal Presidio of Santa Barbara to survey the Lompoc area for a site for the new mission. At the place called Alsacupi by the QuabajaiChumash Indians on the south bank of the Rio Santa Rosa (Santa Ynez River) he found a suitable site, a beautiful spot with good agricultural lands.

Building materials and timber were plentiful, water was abundant from the nearby river, and irrigation would be easy. Pasture lands were extensive. A large population of natives lived on the surrounding plain and in the nearby mountains. Though subject to fog and drying winds, the site was favorable to human habitation, as indicated by later settlements. The Anglo-European temperance community, founded in the same vicinity in the nineteenth cen tury, continues to thrive. The area has become the world-famous land of com mercial flower and seed production, and more recently has become the door way to the nearby space center, a main portal to the conquest of outer space.

In August, 1786, Governor Fages rejected the Gaviota site and ordered the Presidio to carry out a second survey of the Cota site. This was delayed until December of 1787 at which time, during the rainy season, a sizable group consisting of Governor Fages, Father Presidente Fermin Francisco de —2

Lasuen, led by Sergeant Cota and the escolta guard of leather jacket soldiers, arrived at Alsacupi-Lompoc on December 8, 1787, the feast day dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. A large wooden cross was erected, water was blessed, and the sacred Christian symbols were venerated.

Immediately, the first Christian service was held in Lompoc with Holy Mass celebrated by Father Presidente Lasuen, and at its conclusion the entire company recited the Litany of All Saints. Because of the lateness of the sea son, it was never the intention of the Governor to found the mission at this time, and in the driving rain the survey party returned to the safety of the Presidio of Santa Barbara.

The following year in April, 1788, Father Lasuen gave the date De cember 8, 1787, as the founding date of the mission and his pious fiction is now accepted as the founding day, although it is highly unlikely that Ser geant Cota’s second survey party had any intention of founding a mis sion during the rainy season.

While Sergeant Cota was at San Gabriel Mission he received his En sign’s commission from Mexico, dated January 13, 1788, and under his new rank he was ordered to the Santa Barbara Presidio to serve again under Comandante Felipe de Goycoechea. At the Presidio he received instructions dated April 7, 1788. These detailed his new command of the escolta guard of the mission he would help found. He was ordered to act with great caution, to treat the Lompoc Indians kindly, and to maintain good relations with the missionaries. He was to keep in mind that the conversion of the natives to the Catholic faith was the chief aim of the Spanish conquest. The explora tion of the best road between the new mission site and the Canada Larga was also ordered.

In mid March Ensign Cota set out from the Presidio with a band of leather-jacket soldiers and Presidio servants to start work on the new es tablishment. At the site picked by Ensign Cota they built a palisade stockade and crude shelters for the missionaries and the soldiers and their families.

A small grass-roofed chapel was also built, though the records are silent concerning the details of the building.

Father Fermin Lasuen left the Presidio with Father Vicente Fuster and Father Jose Arroita and arrived at the newly founded mission of La Purisima on April 1, 1788, bringing supplies and church furnishings. He designated the two missionaries as the founders of the new mission, but since they were not present on December 8, 1787, the earlier dale could not have been the actual founding dale. Ensign Cota, through his two exploratory surveys and his act of choosing the mission site and constructing the first buildings, can claim the right to be called founder, or at least co-founder with Father Las uen, of La Purisima Mission.

In a crude chapel, the original church of Lompoc, the first baptisms of Lompoc people took place, as six Quabajai-Chumash adults, three females —3—

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TAe above photograph of Mission Vieja dates from about 1880 and looks south. Holes in walls were for timbers. To the right of the quadrangle a barn-like structure has been made out of the ruins. Just behind the roof of this structure is the fissure which is attributed to the earthquake of 1812.

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and three males, joined the new Christian community. Two of these new Christians were joined in the first Christian marriage in Lompoc history, which was blessed by Father Fuster. This Indian couple, Mariano and Con cepcion, became residents of the new mission.

Work was continued on the mission quadrangle, and by August 24, 1788, Ensign Cota reported to Governor Fages that he had completed the enclos ure of the mission square. The new mission was built on a plan similar to that of the Royal Presidio, this form giving protection and security from sudden attack. A ditch and defensive outworks were also built which pro tected the outer perimeter of the mission quadrangle. It must always be kept in mind that the tiny garrison of European and Mexican missionaries and soldiers were surrounded by a large warlike group of Indians who could have wiped out the Spaniards with ease at any time.

A new road through the Santa Ynez Valley to the Santa Barbara Pre sidio was opened in 1798 via the historic San Marcos Pass. This significant work was carried out by a large band of Christian Chumash from the Santa Barbara Mission, under the direction of Corporal Pedro Cayuelas, who re ported to Ensign Cota that the new road was not passable during the rainy season because of the numerous running streams that made passage difficult.

When the Governor complained about the slow progress on the construction of the road, Ensign Cota reminded him of numerous canyons that made the work hard. When it was completed it was considered an admirable work.

During revolutionary threats from the Argentine privateer Bouchard in 1819, the entire population of Santa Barbara fled over the road to the safety of the San Marcos Ranch.

With the completion of these initial works, Ensign Cota was transferred back to the Royal Presidio of Santa Barbara. His wife. Dona Rosa de Lugo, had helped instruct the Indian women in European household arts at La Purisima Mission, and her name appears as godmother and witness to many Indian baptisms and marriages there. She had carried out the same duties at San Buenaventura and Santa Barbara Missions.

At the end of 1788 Corporal Jose Maria Ortega, son of the famous veteran of the Portola expedition. Captain Jose Francisco de Ortega, replac ed Ensign Cota in command of the escolta guard of La Purisima, carrying on in this position until his return transfer to the Presidio in 1791. The work of the mission continued with success, and by the end of the year ninetyfive baptisms and twenty-five marriages had taken place. The Lompoc Indians continued to be friendly and assisted willingly in the mission work of the foreign intruders on their lands.

The mission construction continued into the next decade (see article by Michael R. Hardwick in this issue for details of building progress). All the new buildings were of adobe with roofs of tile, but for a long time the Christ ian Indians continued to live in their traditional tule rush covered huts, since —6

work was carried out only on the community buildings necessary for the work of the mission.

In spite of the constant surveillance of the Fathers and soldiers, many of the Chumash carried on the rites of their old religion, offering prayers, seeds, and feathers to their chief divinity of the earth, Achup. The mission for many of them became a place of fear. Pregnant women produced still born babies. Poor diet, crowded conditions, disease, and alienation from their traditional environment contributed to the unhappy condition of the Chu mash women. The priests deplored this state of affairs but were unable to check the decline in population. The revival of traditional Indian beliefs spread through the Santa Barbara military district. The earth goddess Chupu (or Achup) was filled with sorrow for her children, and there were rumors of an imminent uprising. Fortunately the Christian God prevailed and the threats to the safety of the mission abated. Chupu promised her native priests to give the word to expel the intruders, but she remained silent and the danger passed.

In December, 1795, Governor Borica sent orders to La Purisima to send four or five Indians to the Santa Barbara Presidio to be supported and taught religion by the soldiers, but we have never found what the Fathers thought of this or what success the strange plan had.

The year 1797 was a very active time. The Indian population continued to grow through recruitment if not births, but in spite of increasing deaths the mission had the lowest death rate in California. The mission guard con sisted of six married soldiers and three bachelors. The government sent the Mexican weaver Antonio Enriquez to teach his trade at the mission. New church ornaments and furnishings arrived. Work was started on the new church, but it was not completed until 1802. It was seventy-five feet long, twenty-seven and a half feet wide and thirty feet high. This is the church whose ruins can still be seen in Lompoc today.

The early nineteenth century was the golden age of La Purisima, a period brought to a close by the horrible earthquake of 1812 which devastat ed the mission, violent rain storms completing the work of destruction. Amid the ruins of the mission it was decided to move the establishment across the river to Los Berros, where a safer start could be made. The old mission, how ever, with its pioneering and historic associations, will always hold prime place. In spite of past neglect, the growing interest of the people of Lompoc in their historical origins should encourage everyone to preserve and restore this notable landmark. Lompoc, the city of the space age, has a great histor).

BIBLIOGRAPHY Bancroft, H. H.

History of California. 4 vols. San Francisco, 1886-1890.

Register of Pioneer Inhabitants of California, 1542-1848.

Los Angeles, 1964.

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f^ieif of the new church of 1802 and front of quadrangle. The church faced an easterly direction.

Soldier to teach religion; Provincial Records, Manu script, Vol. V, p. 235-236.

Bancroft Library.

Antonio Enriquez: 1796 Provincial State Papers, Be nicia Military Records, Manuscript Vol. XXV, p. 14.

Provincial Record Manuscript, Vol. VI, p. 185-186.

Mission Guard: 1797 Provincial State Papers, Manu script Vol. XII and Vol. XV, p. 93.

Cota, Pablo Antonio de, Varias Cartas: MS. Mission La Conception. Santa Barbara, 1929.

Engelhardt, Zephyrin, OFM

Santa Barbara Mission. San Francisco, 1923.

The Missions and Missionaries of California. 4 vols. and index. San Francisco, 1840-1908.

Geiger, Maynard, OFM

Franciscan Missionaries in Hispanic California, 17691848. San Marino, Calif., The Huntington Library, 1969.

Hittell. Theodore H.

History of California. 4 vols. San Francisco, 1897.

Lasuen, Fermin Francisco de

IFritings of Lasuen. Translated by Finbar Kenneally, OFM. Washington, D.C., 1965.

STRUCTURAL CHRONOLOGY AND OBSERVATIONS OF MISSION VIEJA LA PURISIMA

by Michael R. Hardwick Very little information has been collected concerning the ruins of Mis sion Vieja La Purisima in Lompoc. Included in this issue of Noticias is a collection of photographs taken about the turn of the century, several of which show the quadrangle of the first Purisima Mission. The ruins at this time were suggestive of original structures after some one hundred years of exposure to the elements.

An historical chronology of the construction of the mission buildings is included below to further clarify construction dates and use of structure.

Following the chronology, observations regarding the Mission Vieja site are listed by year as they were observed in post mission times.

CHRONOLOGY OF CONSTRUCTION 1787

La Purisima Concepcion founded December 8 (see article by Russell Ruiz this issue) by Padre Fermin Francisco Lasuen and Sergeant Pablo Cota. Building activities postponed until spring of 1788 because of excessive rains.

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1788

1792 1794

1795

By end of the year a chapel and cluster of buildings of wood poles and adobe built. Workmen sent from Santa Barbara Presidio to assist in construction.

Mission badly damaged by floods.

Quarters for soldier guards constructed, 14 varas* by 6 varas.

Warehouse for goods and implements built and brick corridor added to main building. A room for officials erected, 8 varas long. and a room for outfits of pack animals built, 6 varas long.

Vaulted granary constructed, 7 varas long, as well as a room contiguous to the granary which was also 7 varas long. Some refer ence made to beginning construction of a new church.

1796 1797

Capacious apartments for implements, 3 each, constructed. Various structures repaired and renovated.

Habitations for missionaries built.

1798

Guardhouse erected for soldiers and 9 houses for Indian converts.

References also made to laying of foundations for new church.

1799 1800 1802 1804

Additions made to main building, each 10 varas long.

Wing erected and divided into 8 rooms, 70 varas by 7 varas.

Indications are that a church was completed and a garden 200 yards square was surrounded by an adobe wall.

Guardhouse and 5 dwellings with kitchens and a good patio constructed, the whole structure 40 yards long.

1805-09

Aqueduct or zanja completed. At Salsipuedes Canyon water was collected and dammed from the arroyo (See map for location of Salsipuedes Canyon).

1811

Two roads opened through mountains of Santa Ynez River to shorten route from Purisima to Mission Santa Ines and Mission San Luis Obispo. The roads were 1 league (roughly 2.5 miles) apart, each 40 paces wide.

1812

On December 8 the first of a series of earthquake shocks struck Purisima. On December 21 a tremendous shock lasting four min utes damaged the walls of the church. A half hour later a second quake felled most of the buildings. A fissure opened in the hill behind the mission, exuding black sand and water. Devastation completed by flooding of the Santa Ynez River and heavy rains.

1813

Purisima Mission relocated to present site of restored mission, now a State Historic Park.

Undated

At the original site of La Purisima before the earthquake a pozolera (cook house) existed, the walls of which were an adobe and a half thick. Some 100 neophyte adobe houses were also built there which became unusable after the earthquake of 1812. * A vara is about 3 feet.

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POST MISSION PERIOD OBSERVATIONS 1874

Press observations: Main

ruins were noted extending

north

and south at tlie base of a large hill about a half mile south of the Santa Ynez River. The ruins covered an enclosure 200 feet square with a northward extension of connected enclosures, total length being close to 1000 feet. To the south and run* ning east about 300 feet an “L of ruins was also noted (Refer to following photographs and map for orientations).

1883

Thompson, and West description-. The main quadrangle of Mission Vieja ruins was noted to be about 400 feet each way. Church ruins were said to be 200 feet long and 60 feet wide with walls being some 30 feet high. Comment was made that walls were not 6 to 7 feet thick as in other mission churches, but were on the order of 3 feet thick. Extra walls were noted which were not bound to the first walls. The extra walls were sometimes laid up against a wall

1907

that had previously been plastered and painted.

Erninet O’Niell observations: O’Niell stated that the mission quad rangle was 400 feet square and the chapel was 60 feet wide and 100 feet long. He also mentioned an aqueduct which brought water from Miguelito Canyon which was in use until 1883.

CONCLUSION From the above information it is obvious that specific information concerning the original Mission Purisima is sketchy. Post Mission Period ob servations disagree as to exact measurements. It remains for archaeologists to unravel the actual dimensions of Mission Vieja ruins, if indeed such a thing is possible at this late date. Nevertheless, photographs of the ruins exist, and these are included here.

References Baxter. Don J.

Beginnings ot California. San Francisco, PG&E Pro gress, Vol. XLV, No. 5—Vol. XLVI, No. 5, 1968-1969.

Engelhardi. Zephyrin. OFM

I.a Purisima Conception. Santa Barbara. 1932.

Johnson. Paul C.

Pictorial History. Menlo The Calilorn ia Missions, Park, Calif.. Lane Book Co., 1971, p. 195-196.

O'Niell. Pbnmct

Statements made by him in the 1930s. O'Niell resided about one-half mile southwest of Mission Vieja until 1907.

Rouse, Stella H.

“Olden Days: 2 missions of La Purisima in the valley.”

Santa Barbara News-Press, July 21, 1974, C-10.

Thompson and West

History of Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties, Calif.

Berkeley, Calif., Howell-North Books, 1970, p. 30-31.

(Reprint).

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Thin 1880 photograph of the Mission Vieja quadrangle was taken looking north toward the town of Lompoc. Ruins in center of quadrangle are most likely those of the church. A ranch house has been made of part of the ruins in right upper portion of quadrangle. V-shaped discoloration in field just above quadrangle toward the city could well be plowed-over foundations of more mission ruins.

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This photof'raph of the Mission Vieja ruins, taken about 1898, shows masonry walls of the church as they appeared at that time. The view looks south away from the town of Lompoc.

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Ruins of what was probably the mission church before 1904. Note the high walls of the church and post holes in the walls indicating perhaps two levels to the church.

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» Ruins of the church around 1904. Note vertical scorings in the adobe wall used to hold pieces of broken tile that served as attachments for plaster. Holes in wall were for timbers.

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Ruins of the church in 1906. Weathering of the adobe walls has ivorn them down in just two short years. This is evident if the photo is compared with that of the same ruins before 1904.

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Ruins of mission church around 1904. This photo is particularly important since it relates current existing masonry ruins (front of church) to taller ruins in center of photo.

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NEW MEMBERS ACTIVE Ms Linda Gaede

Mr. Russell J. Ruskauff

Mr. and Mrs. LeRoy L. Hunt

Mrs. David Sullivan

Mrs. R. C. LeMay

Mrs. Beverly Thielicke

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SUSTAINING Mr. Frederick Caire Chiles

Mr. Robert J. Marvin

Mrs. William Glassford

Mrs. Phyllis Moore

CONTRIBUTING O' Mr. Wallace KinO

Mr. and Mrs. G. H. Griffiths Mr. and Mrs. John McAulay

IN MEMORIAM Mr. Deraid J. Crawford

Mrs. J. Van Eman Titus Mrs. Pier Gherini

Mr. James Forsyth Mrs. Ralph Harris

HISTORICAL SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS Classes of membership: Benefactor, $5000.00 or more; Life, $1000.00; Patron, $500.00; Fellow, $100.00; Associate, $50.00; Contributing, $25.00; Sustaining. 815.00; Active, $10.00; Student, $5.00.

Contributions to the Society are tax exempt.

Mailing Address: 136 East De la Guerra Street

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SANTA BARBARA fflSTORICAL SOCIETY OFFICERS President

Mr. Francis Price

First Vice-President

Mr. Patrick Lloyd-Butler

Second Vice-President ....

Col. Henry deB. Forbes, Jr. Miss Lillian Fish

Secretary Treasurer

Mr. John D. Gill

Museum Director

Mrs. Henry Griffiths Mr. Robert Gates

Acting Editor of Noticias

DIRECTORS Mrs. William Azbell

Mr. J. V. Crawford

.Mrs. Elizabeth Hay Bechtel

Mrs. Albert de L’Arbre

Mrs. Roger Brewster

Mrs. Edwin Deuter

Mrs. Charles Cannon

Mr. Gene Harris

Mrs. E. G. Chambers

Mr. William W. Murfey

Mrs. M. Cameron Conkey

Miss Frederica D. Poett

Rev. Virgil Cordano, O.F.M.

Mr. Russell Ruiz

HONORARY DIRECTORS Mr. Thomas More Storke*

Dr. Hilmar 0. Koefod* Mr. E. Selden Spaulding

Mrs. W. Edwin Gledhill

Mr. Hugh J. Weldon Mr. Paul G. Sweetser

Mr. Edwin Gledhill Director Emeritus

Sir John Galvin

LIFE MEMBERS Mrs. Charles Deere Wiman Mrs. Elizabeth Bechtel

Mr. Spencer Murfey Mrs. Alfred Millard

Mr. J. V. Crawford

Mr. Don Kilbourne*

Mr. and Mrs. William W. Murfey

Dr. and Mrs. Melville Sahyun

Mr. M. Cameron Conkey *Deceased

4

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