After Junipero's death the supervision of the missions devolved for a
time upon Palou, under whose management, owing to difficulties with the
civil powers, no new foundations were undertaken, though satisfactory
progress was made in those already existing. In 1786, Palou was
appointed head of the College of San Fernando, and his place as mission
president was filled by Father Firmin Francisco de Lasuen, by whom the
mission of Santa Barbara was dedicated, on the festival day of that
virgin-martyr, before the close of the year [6]. Just twelve months
later, the third channel settlement was started, with the performance
of the usual rites, on the spot fixed for the Mission of La Purisima
Concepcion, at the western extremity of the bay; though some months
passed before real work there was begun. Thus the proposed scheme,
elaborated before Junipero's death, for the occupation of that portion
of the coast, was at length successfully carried out.
Hardly had this been accomplished before the viceroy and governor,
having resolved upon a further extension of the mission system, sent
orders to Father Lasuen to proceed with two fresh settlements, one of
which was to be dedicated to the Holy Cross, the other to Our Lady
of Solitude. Time was, as usual, consumed in making the necessary
preparations, and the two missions were finally founded within a few
weeks of each other--on the 28th of August and the 9th of October, 1791,
respectively. The site selected for the Mission of Santa Cruz was in the
neighborhood already known by that name, and near the San Lorenzo River;
that of Nuestra Senora de la Soledad, on the west side of the Salinas
River, in the vicinity of the present town of Soledad, and about thirty
miles from Monterey.
A glance at the map of California will help us to understand the policy
which had dictated the creation of the four missions founded since
Junipero's death. The enormous stretch of country between San Francisco
and San Diego, the northern and southern extremes of evangelical
enterprise, was as yet quite insufficiently occupied, and these new
settlements had been started with the object of to some extent filling
up the vast vacant spaces still left among those already existing. For
the efficient performance of missionary work something more was needed
than a number of separate establishments, no matter how well managed
and successful these in themselves might be. Systematic organization was
essential; for this it was requisite that the various missions should
be brought, by proximity, into vital relations with one another, that
communication might be kept up, companionship enjoyed, and, in case of
need, advice given and assistance rendered. The foundations of Santa
Barbara, La Purisima, Santa Cruz and Soledad, had done something, as
will be seen, towards the ultimate drawing together of the scattered
outposts of church and civilization. But with them a beginning had only
been made. Further developments of the same general plan which aimed, it
will be understood, not alone at the spiritual conquest, but also at the
proper control of the new kingdom--were now taken under consideration.
And, as a result, five fresh missions were presently resolved upon. One
of these was to be situated between San Francisco and Santa Clara; the
second, between Santa Clara and Monterey; the third, between San Antonio
and San Luis Obispo; the fourth, between San Buenaventura and San
Gabriel; and the fifth, between San Juan Capistrano and San Diego. The
importance of these proposed settlements as connecting links will be at
once apparent, if we observe that by reason of their carefully chosen
locations they served, as it were, to put the older missions into actual
touch. When at length the preliminary arrangements had been made, no
time was wasted in the carrying out of the programme, and in a little
over a year, all five missions were in operation. The mission San
Jose (a rather tardy recognition to the patron-saint of the whole
undertaking), was founded on the 11th June, 1797; San Juan Bautista
thirteen days later; San Miguel Arcangel on the 25th July, and San
Fernando Rey de Espana on the 8th September of the same year; and San
Luis Rey de Francia (commonly called San Luis Rey to distinguish it from
San Luis Obispo), on the 13th of the July following. The delay which
had not at all been anticipated in the establishment of this last-named
mission, was due to some difficulties in regard to site. With this
ended--so far as fresh foundations were concerned--the pious labours
of Lasuen as padre-presidente. He now returned to San Carlos to devote
himself during the remainder of his life to the arduous duties
of supervision and administration. There he died, in 1803, aged
eighty-three years.
His successor, Father Estevan Tapis, fourth president of the Upper
California missions, signalized his elevation to office by adding a
nineteenth to the establishments under his charge. Founded on the
17th September, 1804, on a spot, eighteen miles from La Purisima and
twenty-two from Santa Barbara, to which Lasuen had already directed
attention, this was dedicated to the virgin-martyr, Santa Inez. It was
felt that a settlement somewhere in this region was still needed for the
completion of the mission system, since without it, a gap was left in
the line between the two missions first-named, which were some forty
miles apart. With the planting of Santa Inez thorough spiritual
occupation may be said to have been accomplished over the entire area
between San Francisco and San Diego, and from the Coast Range to the
ocean. The nineteen missions had been so distributed over the vast
country, that the Indians scattered through it could everywhere be
reached; while the distance from mission to mission had, at the same
time, been so reduced that it was in no case too great to be easily
covered in a single day's journey. The fathers of each establishment
could thus hold frequent intercourse with their next neighbors, and
occasional travelers moving to and fro on business could from day to day
be certain of finding a place for refreshment and repose [7].