-
Mission San Diego de Alcala
It's the 1st founded out of 21 missions. It was founded on July 16, 1769. Junipero Serra was the person that founded it. This mission was named after Saint Didacus. The Franciscans built a sub mission 60 miles east of the main mission, but it was later made into a church. -
Mission San Carols Borromeo de Carmelo
It's the second mission, named for Charles Borromeo from Italy in 1538. It was founded by Junipero Serra. An expert builder from Mexico City named Manual Ruiz designed the church. The church is 167 feet long, 39 feet wide, and 26 feet high. -
Mission Antonio de Padua
Father Junipero Serra founded Mission San Antonio de Padua, 3rd of 21 missions, on July 14, 1771. It was named for St. Anthony who was born in 1195. The walls of the mission were 6 feet thick on the bottom and 5 feet thick on top. There was a church the Native Americans built that was 133 feet tall. The bell tower that held the three bells was made of burnt brick. -
Mission San Gabriel
The 4th mission made in California is Mission San Gabriel Arcangel.It was founded on September 8, 1771. This mission was named after Archangel Gabriel who was a messenger to Mary, the mother of Jesus. This was one of the three California missions to be named for angels. Father Junipero Serra founded this mission. -
Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
It was founded on September 1st 1772, by Father Junipero Serra. San Luis Obispo de Tolosa was destroyed by a mob of angry Indians, who burned it down. Then after that the other missions had better roofing tiles so it would be harder to burn down. -
Mission San Francisco de Asis
It was named for St. Francis of Assisi from Italy. San Francisco de Asis was founded by Father Junipero Serra. It was the 6th mission out of 21 missions. It was a very hard time for the Indians because of the missions.Some Indians just leave with out any apparent reasons. The Indians were not happy to be forced to stay at the missions. Many were killed from diseases. -
Mission San Juan Capistrano
It was the 7th of 21 missions established. It was also the only mission founded twice. It was founded first by Father Junipero Serra on November 1, 1776, and then by Father Fermin Lasuen. The mission was built in honor of St. John of Capistrano, Italy. -
Mission San Buenaventura
It was founded on March 31, 1782 by Father Junipero Serra. Mission San Buenaventura was a good place to grow crops because it had fields of grains and vineyards. It was a great place to build the Mission there because it was good to grow crops like pears, bananas, figs, coconuts, and sugarcane.was founded on March 31, 1782 by Father Junipero Serra. Mission San Buenaventura was a good place to grow crops because it had fields of grains and vineyards. -
Mission Santa Barbara
It was founded by Father Fermin Lasuen. Don Gasper de Portola thought Santa Barbara would be a great place for a mission because it has many natural resources. Outside of the Santa Barbara Mission there was water, livestock, orchards, fields, a cemetery, and large workshops. The water at the mission was constructed the best and the most complete of any mission along the El Camino Real. Some of the water went through a filter and was used for drinking. -
La Purisima Concepcion
was founded by Father Fermin Lasuen, mission 11out of 21. The first disaster was in 1812. The giant earthquake leveled the whole mission to the ground! Only the sturdiest equipment survived. After the earthquake the nearby Chumash and Franciscans rebuilt the mission at a different location. -
Mission Santa Cruz
It's the 12th of the 21 missions. Mission Santa Cruz was founded by Father Fermin Lasuen on September 25, 1791.The walls were told to be 5 feet thick. WOW! The church was 112 feet long, 26 feet high, 30 feet wide, and had a tile roof. There was not much known about what the regular church looked like. There were ten bells, but none today. They built the mission there for the great fresh water, vegetation, and large trees for timber. Sadly, the mission fell after an earthquake in 1840.