About the Mission
Mission San Juan Bautista was founded on June 24, 1797 by Padre Fermin Francisco de Lasuen and named after Saint John the Baptist. The mission was the fifteenth of all twenty-one missions built in California. It was built by the local people, presidio soldiers, and Mexican Indians.
Mission San Juan Bautista was founded on June 24, 1797 by Padre Fermin Francisco de Lasuen and named after Saint John the Baptist. The mission was the fifteenth of all twenty-one missions built in California. It was built by the local people, presidio soldiers, and Mexican Indians.
Location
San Juan Bautista was built exactly on the San Andreas Fault in central California. This caused a problem in October of 1800 when 16 earthquakes shook the land in only 19 days. All the adobe buildings in the mission had some damage to them. Specifically, the original church was damaged so much it had to be rebuilt. The second church was much stronger and is still standing today.
The mission was also was built near the Salinas and Pajaro rivers. The rivers provided a lot of water and a lot of wood from the nearby mountains. The water led to big harvests and helped to take care of the livestock. Also the wood helped the people make lots of goods which they used for themselves and traded for other goods that they needed. It is because of these things from their location that San Juan Bautista was the most productive of all missions.
San Juan Bautista was built exactly on the San Andreas Fault in central California. This caused a problem in October of 1800 when 16 earthquakes shook the land in only 19 days. All the adobe buildings in the mission had some damage to them. Specifically, the original church was damaged so much it had to be rebuilt. The second church was much stronger and is still standing today.
The mission was also was built near the Salinas and Pajaro rivers. The rivers provided a lot of water and a lot of wood from the nearby mountains. The water led to big harvests and helped to take care of the livestock. Also the wood helped the people make lots of goods which they used for themselves and traded for other goods that they needed. It is because of these things from their location that San Juan Bautista was the most productive of all missions.
Building the Mission
Father Jose Manuel Martiarena and Father Pedro Adriano Martinez were the mission's building leaders. Some building leaders were not kind, but they were. They cared for the neophytes that they had brought to the mission. They took six months to build the mission out of local materials such as adobe clay and timbers from nearby trees.
The mission was built in a quadrangle or four sided shape that was off set by 3 degrees. This was done on purpose with a lot of calculations by the Indians who worshiped the sun. By being just a few degrees off set, the church has the perfect design to allow for the light to come in and shine on the alter. When this occurs, the alter and tabernacle are naturally lit up by the sun and called the light show of the mission.
Father Jose Manuel Martiarena and Father Pedro Adriano Martinez were the mission's building leaders. Some building leaders were not kind, but they were. They cared for the neophytes that they had brought to the mission. They took six months to build the mission out of local materials such as adobe clay and timbers from nearby trees.
The mission was built in a quadrangle or four sided shape that was off set by 3 degrees. This was done on purpose with a lot of calculations by the Indians who worshiped the sun. By being just a few degrees off set, the church has the perfect design to allow for the light to come in and shine on the alter. When this occurs, the alter and tabernacle are naturally lit up by the sun and called the light show of the mission.
The Head Priest
In 1808, Father Felipe Arroyo de la Cuesta became the head priest at the mission. He was also kind, gentle, and respectful. The neophytes like him as their head priest. Together, they improved and expanded the church at the mission. The father respected the traditions of the ohlone people. Among them they heard ohlone music. The father reported the music and instruments to the king of Spain. He even taught the neophytes Spanish music. In 1818 Father Esteban Tapis joined Father Jose at mission San Juan Bautista. He was a kind father too. Father Tapis was a good music teacher. He used music to teach neophyte children about the catholic religion. Children learned a lot better this way. Father Tapis helped neophyte children play European instruments such as, the violin. He also taught them how to read and perform European music. Kindness and respect worked well at mission San Juan Bautista. The mission had one of the highest populations in the mission system. About one thousand, three hundred neophytes worked there.
Other Mission People
More than 500 neophytes lived there. Neophytes were the native Mutsune and Yokut Indians that the Catholic priest baptized. After they were baptized, the neophytes were expected to follow the rules of the religion and the priests.
Crops
Different crops were grown at this mission. Specifically, wheat, barley, corn, beans, red peppers, melons, tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, onions, and peas were grown here. In their orchards or trees, they also grew grapes, almonds, pomegranates, plums, walnuts, apricots, apples, peaches, figs, pears, lemons, and oranges.
The padres of this mission also brought seeds for olive trees when they came. When the olive trees were ready to be picked, the people of the mission picked, washed, and put the olives inside a wool bag. This bag went through an olive press which squished the oils out of the olives. The oils were collected and used to make olive oil for cooking, for oils to light their lamps, and for trade.
Food
People at this mission ate a type of food called atole, a type of drink or runny soup. This was made up of wheat, barley, or corn that had been roasted to turn it into flour. The atole was cooked in large pots and was eaten for breakfast and supper. Some times, the people added nuts and berries to their atole.
For lunch, chunks of meat, beans, peas, lentils, and garbanzo beans were added to the atole to make something called pozole, a type of stew. They also made tortillas to eat this with. The tortillas were made out of mixing corn, flour, and water. These ingredients were mixed into a soft dough and patted by hand. When it was ready, the dough was cooked in the oven on a hot iron plate.
Another type of food they made was from dried corn. It was removed from the cob by rubbing the cobs together. Then the kernels were soaked in a large kettle of water with powdered lime in it. When they were done boiling the corn over a charcoal fire, the kernels were dried and then ground on a stone metate , a flat stone used with a stone mano, a stone roller.
What did the people do?
Some jobs of the people living on the mission were to raise cattle, chicken, sheep, and pigs to feed those living at the mission. Other people worked to harvest the crops and cook meals. Still, others learned to tan cattle hides for wearing and trade, weave baskets for use and trade, and make candles in the central gardens.
In 1808, Father Felipe Arroyo de la Cuesta became the head priest at the mission. He was also kind, gentle, and respectful. The neophytes like him as their head priest. Together, they improved and expanded the church at the mission. The father respected the traditions of the ohlone people. Among them they heard ohlone music. The father reported the music and instruments to the king of Spain. He even taught the neophytes Spanish music. In 1818 Father Esteban Tapis joined Father Jose at mission San Juan Bautista. He was a kind father too. Father Tapis was a good music teacher. He used music to teach neophyte children about the catholic religion. Children learned a lot better this way. Father Tapis helped neophyte children play European instruments such as, the violin. He also taught them how to read and perform European music. Kindness and respect worked well at mission San Juan Bautista. The mission had one of the highest populations in the mission system. About one thousand, three hundred neophytes worked there.
Other Mission People
More than 500 neophytes lived there. Neophytes were the native Mutsune and Yokut Indians that the Catholic priest baptized. After they were baptized, the neophytes were expected to follow the rules of the religion and the priests.
Crops
Different crops were grown at this mission. Specifically, wheat, barley, corn, beans, red peppers, melons, tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, onions, and peas were grown here. In their orchards or trees, they also grew grapes, almonds, pomegranates, plums, walnuts, apricots, apples, peaches, figs, pears, lemons, and oranges.
The padres of this mission also brought seeds for olive trees when they came. When the olive trees were ready to be picked, the people of the mission picked, washed, and put the olives inside a wool bag. This bag went through an olive press which squished the oils out of the olives. The oils were collected and used to make olive oil for cooking, for oils to light their lamps, and for trade.
Food
People at this mission ate a type of food called atole, a type of drink or runny soup. This was made up of wheat, barley, or corn that had been roasted to turn it into flour. The atole was cooked in large pots and was eaten for breakfast and supper. Some times, the people added nuts and berries to their atole.
For lunch, chunks of meat, beans, peas, lentils, and garbanzo beans were added to the atole to make something called pozole, a type of stew. They also made tortillas to eat this with. The tortillas were made out of mixing corn, flour, and water. These ingredients were mixed into a soft dough and patted by hand. When it was ready, the dough was cooked in the oven on a hot iron plate.
Another type of food they made was from dried corn. It was removed from the cob by rubbing the cobs together. Then the kernels were soaked in a large kettle of water with powdered lime in it. When they were done boiling the corn over a charcoal fire, the kernels were dried and then ground on a stone metate , a flat stone used with a stone mano, a stone roller.
What did the people do?
Some jobs of the people living on the mission were to raise cattle, chicken, sheep, and pigs to feed those living at the mission. Other people worked to harvest the crops and cook meals. Still, others learned to tan cattle hides for wearing and trade, weave baskets for use and trade, and make candles in the central gardens.
Accomplishments of the Mission
Father Arroy de la Cuesta and the neophytes made a dictionary together. The dictionary had nearly three thousand ohlone words or phrases and was the first of that kind. It showed the respect from the father and all of the languages that they spoke.
San Juan Bautista is also known as the Mission of Music. The priest not only wrote new music in a quatrain format, but they handmade all of the hymnals. The hymnals were made large so a large group of Indians could read or sing from it at the same time. They were also color-coded to teach the Indians how to read them easily. For an extra effect, the hymnals often had beautiful decorations on the page.
Father Arroy de la Cuesta and the neophytes made a dictionary together. The dictionary had nearly three thousand ohlone words or phrases and was the first of that kind. It showed the respect from the father and all of the languages that they spoke.
San Juan Bautista is also known as the Mission of Music. The priest not only wrote new music in a quatrain format, but they handmade all of the hymnals. The hymnals were made large so a large group of Indians could read or sing from it at the same time. They were also color-coded to teach the Indians how to read them easily. For an extra effect, the hymnals often had beautiful decorations on the page.
Problems at the Mission
The padres wanted to have good buildings that also prevented kitchen fires from starting from the open flames the food was cooked with. So, the walls of San Juan Bautista were built with adobe bricks, a mixture of soil, water, and cut straw that were coated with plaster. After the friars taught the Indians how to make the adobe with their bare feet, on December 31, 1797, seven buildings had been built at the mission.
In 1798, the California Indians from the east mountains of San Juan Bautista surrounded the mission at night to prepare for an attack that they thought might happen. Soldiers convinced the Indians to pack up their stuff and leave before the fight. Some neophytes ran away to join other attackers. Soldiers would go out and capture the neophytes and bring them back to the mission. Building was still going on even with problems happening every once in a while.
Another type of problem they had at this mission was that the buildings could easily be destroyed by stormy weather or earthquakes. In October of 1800, earthquakes destroyed many of the buildings and the padres had to rebuild and fix the mission.
The padres wanted to have good buildings that also prevented kitchen fires from starting from the open flames the food was cooked with. So, the walls of San Juan Bautista were built with adobe bricks, a mixture of soil, water, and cut straw that were coated with plaster. After the friars taught the Indians how to make the adobe with their bare feet, on December 31, 1797, seven buildings had been built at the mission.
In 1798, the California Indians from the east mountains of San Juan Bautista surrounded the mission at night to prepare for an attack that they thought might happen. Soldiers convinced the Indians to pack up their stuff and leave before the fight. Some neophytes ran away to join other attackers. Soldiers would go out and capture the neophytes and bring them back to the mission. Building was still going on even with problems happening every once in a while.
Another type of problem they had at this mission was that the buildings could easily be destroyed by stormy weather or earthquakes. In October of 1800, earthquakes destroyed many of the buildings and the padres had to rebuild and fix the mission.