Mission
San Miguel Arcangel Founded
on July 25, 1797 by Father Fermin Lasuen The 16th
Mission in the California Mission Chain
Naming of Mission:
Named for Saint Michael,
the Arcangel. He was known as "Most Glorious Prince of the
Celestial Militia." sometimes referred to as the Mission on
the Highway. It is located along the El Camino Real (U.S. 101)
Location:
The mission is near the
juncture of the Salinas and Nacimiento Rivers It is located in the
town of San Miguel just 7 miles north of Paso Robles and is
approximately halfway between the San Luis Obispo Mission and the
San Antonio de Padua Mission.
History:
During 1795, several
searches were made from Mission San Antonio for a site for a new
mission between San Luis Obispo and San Antonio to aid travelers
between the two missions. Finally, on July 25, 1797, two years
later, President Fermin Francisco de Lasuen took possession of the
land for Viceroy Branciforte and founded the San Miguel Arcangel
Mission. 1797 was a prolific year for the mission chain which had
three other missions dedicated in the year - San Jose, June 11, San
Juan Bautista, June 24, and San Fernando, September 8. There was a
good relationship between the Mission and the Salinan Indians. As
many as 15 Indian children were baptized at the founding of the
mission.
The original church was
typical of a brand new mission church. It was built with just a
thatched roof which, later, in 1806, burned causing great
destruction to the mission, particularly to the storage of crops and
grains. Over 6,000 bushels of wheat were lost in the fire. Other
nearby mission were quick to respond with supplies and the mission
began to function once again rather quickly. At the time of the
fire, there were over 1,000 neophytes at the Mission. Father Juan
Martin was in charge at this time and was credited with the great
success of the mission. The mission lands went out from the mission
18 miles to the north and the south. The property was as far as 66
miles east and 35 miles west, to the Pacific Ocean. The mission
sustained itself well with a combination of agriculture, farming,
ranching and particularly with the making of the tiles for the
mission churches and other buildings. Between 1808 and 1809, they
made 36,000 tiles.
The rebuilt church was big
enough to hold 1,000 Indians and was completed in 1820. The roof was
made of tile. The building is 27 feet wide, 144 feet long, 40 feet
tall at the highest. The walls are six feet thick. The church, when
built, was simple and plain and did not have a bell tower. The beams
for the building had to be brought from 40 miles away. Estevan
Munras, an artist, came to the mission and taught the Indians the
art of fresco painting. The walls of the plain church were decorated
beautifully and are still seen today, with clear colors and designs.
Father Juan Cabot is known
for utilizing the hot sulfur springs almost ten miles to the south
of the mission. He served twice at the mission first from 1807 to
1819 and then again from 1824 to 1834. He had a shelter built at the
nearby hot springs where natives and others would go to ease their
pain and suffering. Many of them suffered from Rheumatoid Arthritis
and the hot springs seemed to help them.
In 1831, the Indians were
told they could leave, but none did. Finally, the mission was
secularized in 1834; by 1841, there were only 30 Indians at the
mission. The property was sold, by the last Mexican governor, in
1846 to Petronillo Rios and William Reed. Reed and his family lived
at the mission and operated a store there. Mr. Reed was enthralled
with the California Gold Rush in 1848 and went to seek more fortune.
Unfortunately for him, he talked a little too much about his
"strikes," which had not really happened. When he
returned, some undesireables followed, wanting to steal his gold.
They killed Reed, his family and everyone else at the mission. They
were all either captured and executed or died. Other uses for the
mission before restoration to the Church were as a dance hall,
storeroom and housing. The church, itself, was not returned to the
Catholic Church until 1859. Father Phililp Farrelly came to the
mission in 1878 after the site had been without a father for 38
years. The church was kept in good condition even though it has
aged. The mission is an active Parish church today.
Contact the Mission:
Mission San Miguel
Arcangel 775 Mission Street P.O. Box 69 San Miguel, CA
93451 Phone: (805) 467-2131 or 467-3256 Fax: (805) 467-2141
Gift Shop: (805) 467-3256 Museum: (805) 467-3256
Mission Trivia:
San Miguel is the only
mission where the arches are different heights and widths.
The inside of the mission
has never been repainted. The beautiful pictures and frescos in the
interior were the ones painted by Indian artists. Esteban Munras, an
artist from Spain, but more recently from Monterey, oversaw the
painting.
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last updated on 27 June 2012 at 6:05 pm
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