LA PURÍSIMA CONCEPCIÓN
Although the date of the founding of this Mission is given as December
8, 1787,--for that was the day on which Presidente Lasuen raised the
cross, blessed the site, celebrated mass, and preached a dedicatory
sermon,--there was no work done for several months, owing to the coming
of the rainy season. In the middle of March, 1788, Sergeant Cota of
Santa Barbara, with a band of laborers and an escort, went up to prepare
the necessary buildings; and early in April Lasuen, accompanied by
Padres Vicente Fuster and José Arroita, followed. As _early_ as August
the roll showed an acquisition of seventy-nine neophytes. During the
first decade nearly a thousand baptisms were recorded, and the Mission
flourished in all departments. Large crops of wheat and grain were
raised, and live-stock increased rapidly. In 1804 the population
numbered 1522, the highest on record during its history, and in 1810 the
number of live-stock reported was over 20,000; but the unusual
prosperity that attended this Mission during its earlier years was
interrupted by a series of exceptional misfortunes.
The first church erected was crude and unstable, and fell rapidly into
decay. Scarcely a dozen years had passed, when it became necessary to
build a new one. This was constructed of adobe and roofed with tile. It
was completed in 1802, but although well built, it was totally destroyed
by an earthquake, as we shall see later on.
The Indians of this section were remarkably intelligent as well as
diligent, and during the first years of the Mission there were over
fifty rancherías in the district. According to the report of Padre
Payeras in 1810, they were docile and industrious. This indefatigable
worker, with the assistance of interpreters, prepared a Catechism and
Manual of Confession in the native language, which he found very useful
in imparting religious instruction and in uprooting the prevailing
idolatry. In a little over twenty years the entire population for many
leagues had been baptized, and were numbered among the converts.
This period of peace and prosperity was followed by sudden disaster. The
earthquake of 1812, already noted as the most severe ever known on the
Pacific Coast, brought devastation to Purísima. The morning of December
21 found padres and Indians rejoicing in the possession of the fruits of
their labor of years,--a fine church, many Mission buildings, and a
hundred houses built of adobe and occupied by the natives. A few hours
afterward little was left that was fit for even temporary use. The first
vibration, lasting four minutes, damaged the walls of the church. The
second shock, a half-hour later, caused the total collapse of nearly all
the buildings. Padre Payeras reported that "the earth opened in several
places, emitting water and black sand." This calamity was quickly
followed by torrents of rain, and the ensuing floods added to the
distress of the homeless inhabitants. The remains of this old Mission of
1802 are still to be seen near Lompoc, and on the hillside above is a
deep scar made by the earthquake, this doubtless being the crack
described by Padre Payeras. But nothing could daunt the courage or
quench the zeal of the missionaries. Rude huts were erected for
immediate needs, and, having selected a new and more advantageous
site--five or six miles away--across the river, they obtained the
necessary permission from the presidente, and at once commenced the
construction of a new church, and all the buildings needed for carrying
on the Mission. Water for irrigation and domestic purposes was brought
in cement pipes, made and laid under the direction of the padres, from
Salsperde Creek, three miles away. But other misfortunes were in store
for these unlucky people. During a drought in the winter of 1816-1817,
hundreds of sheep perished for lack of feed, and in 1818 nearly all the
neophytes' houses were destroyed by fire.
In 1823 the Mission lost one of its best friends in the death of Padre
Payeras. Had he lived another year it is quite possible his skill in
adjusting difficulties might have warded off the outbreak that occurred
among the Indians,--the famous revolt of 1824.
This revolt, which also affected Santa Inés and Santa Barbara (see their
respective chapters), had serious consequences at Purísima. After the
attack at Santa Inés the rebels fled to Purísima. In the meantime the
neophytes at this latter Mission, hearing of the uprising, had seized
the buildings. The guard consisted of Corporal Tapia with four or five
men. He bravely defended the padres and the soldiers' families through
the night, but surrendered when his powder gave out. One woman was
wounded. The rebels then sent Padres Ordaz and Tapia to Santa Inés to
warn Sergeant Carrillo not to come or the families would be killed.
Before an answer was received, the soldiers and their families were
permitted to retire to Santa Inés, while Padre Rodriguez remained, the
Indians being kindly disposed towards him. Four white men were killed in
the fight, and seven Indians.
Left now to themselves, and knowing that they were sure to be attacked
ere long, the Indians began to prepare for defense. They erected
palisades, cut loopholes in the walls of the church and other buildings,
and mounted one or two rusty old cannon. For nearly a month they were
not molested. This was the end of February.
In the meantime the governor was getting a force ready at Monterey to
send to unite with one under Guerra from Santa Barbara. On March 16
they were to have met, but owing to some mischance, the northern force
had to make the attack alone. Cavalry skirmishers were sent right and
left to cut off retreat, and the rest of the force began to fire on the
adobe walls from muskets and a four-pounder. The four hundred neophytes
within responded with yells of defiance and cannon, swivel-guns, and
muskets, as well as a cloud of arrows. In their inexperienced hands,
however, little damage was done with the cannon. By and by the Indians
attempted to fly, but were prevented by the cavalry. Now realizing their
defeat, they begged Padre Rodriguez to intercede for them, which he did.
In two hours and a half the conflict was over, three Spaniards being
wounded, one fatally, while there were sixteen Indians killed and a
large number wounded. As the governor had delegated authority to the
officers to summarily dispense justice, they condemned seven of the
Indians to death for the murder of the white men in the first conflict.
They were shot before the end of the month. Four of the revolt
ringleaders were sentenced to ten years of labor at the presidio and
then perpetual exile, while eight others were condemned to the presidio
for eight years.
There was dissatisfaction expressed with the penalties,--on the side of
the padres by Ripoll of Santa Barbara, who claimed that a general pardon
had been promised; and on the part of the governor, who thought his
officers had been too lenient.
An increased guard was left at Purísima after this affair, and it took
some little time before the Indians completely settled down again, as it
was known that the Santa Barbara Indians were still in revolt.
During all the years when contending with the destructive forces of
earthquake, fire, flood, and battle, to say nothing of those foes of
agriculture,--drought, frost, grasshoppers, and squirrels,--the material
results of native labor were notable. In 1819 they produced about
100,000 pounds of tallow. In 1821 the crops of wheat, barley, and corn
amounted to nearly 8000 bushels. Between 1822 and 1827 they furnished
the presidio with supplies valued at $12,921. The population, however,
gradually decreased until about 400 were left at the time of
secularization in 1835. The Purísima estate at this time was estimated
by the appraisers to be worth about $60,000. The inventory included a
library valued at $655 and five bells worth $1000. With the exception of
the church property this estate, or what remained of it, was sold in
1845 for $1110. Under the management of administrators appointed by the
government, the Mission property rapidly disappeared, lands were sold,
live-stock killed and scattered, and only the fragments of wreckage
remained to be turned over to the jurisdiction of the padres according
to the decree of Micheltorena in 1843. The following year an epidemic
of smallpox caused the death of the greater proportion of Indians still
living at Purísima, and the final act in the history of the once
flourishing Mission was reached In 1845, when, by order of Governor
Pico, the ruined estate was sold to John Temple for the paltry amount
stated above.
In regard to its present ownership and condition, a gentleman interested
writes:
"The abandoned Mission is on ground which now belongs to the
Union Oil Company of California. The building itself has been
desecrated and damaged by the public ever since its
abandonment. Its visitors apparently did not scruple to
deface it in every possible way, and what could not be stolen
was ruthlessly destroyed. It apparently was a pleasure to
them to pry the massive roof-beams loose, in order to enjoy
the crash occasioned by the breaking of the valuable tile.
"On top of this the late series of earthquakes in that
section threw down many of the brick pillars, and twisted the
remainder so badly that the front of the building is a
veritable wreck. During these earthquakes, which lasted
several weeks, tile which could not be replaced for a
thousand dollars were displaced and broken. To save the
balance of the tile, as well as to avoid possible accidents
to visitors, the secretary of the Oil Company had the
remaining tile removed from the roof and piled up near the
building for safety."