Mission San Luis Rey de Francia Tour and History 1910 pic and present day pic

General History of CA Missions The California Mission Chain was started in 1769 by Father Junipero Serra at the direction King Charles III of Spain. King Charles wanted to establish permanent settlements in Alta California to keep control of the land as other people and countries were beginning to come to the area. The settled land was to become part of the Spanish territory. The reason for building the missions was to convert the Indians to Christianity. The entire span of missions along the El Camino Real is 650 miles. The missions were similar in appearance with each having a quadrangle where the shops and rooms were, a church and a bell tower. The church was built to be as tall as the highest tree in the area so that it could be easily seen from a great distance.

Mission San Luis Rey de Francia In 1798, this was the last mission that was founded by Father Lasuen and it is the 18th mission. He named it for King Louis IX of Spain A National Historic Landmark located in Oceanside, California. Known as the "King of the Missions", it is the largest of the 21 California Missions.

Mission San Luis Rey de Francia The church is Historic Landmark No. 239. The church is 180 feet long, 28 feet wide, and 30 feet high The church today is used for weddings, funerals, and concerts.

Mission San Luis Rey de Francia An intricate aqueduct system supplied water for the mission and gardens as well as for pools used for bathing and laundry. In the year 1831 an incredible 16,000 cattle, 25,500 sheep and 2,150 horses graced the far-flung ranchos. 395,000 bushels of grain and 2,500 barrels of wine were produced by that same year.

Mission San Luis Rey de Francia Mexico, once free from Spain, began to divide the spoils of the mission system. Governor Pio Pico and his brother alone appropriated 90,000 acres of Mission San Luis Rey land for themselves. By 1846 the last vestige of mission life had disappeared. Finally, the U. S. Government gathered the last of the Indians into a "temporary" home on a reservation at Pala. They are still there, the only original site where Mission Indians are still ministered to.

Mission San Luis Rey de Francia The original decree, signed by President Abraham Lincoln on March 18, 1861, which returned the mission buildings and a few surrounding acres to the Church, is displayed today in the mission museum. Years of vandalism and neglect followed before Franciscans from Mexico returned in 1892, to begin a restoration which has recaptured much of the grandeur of old.

Mission San Luis Rey de Francia California's first pepper tree, planted in 1830 can be seen through the original adobe arch. Sailors brought the seeds from Peru. The trees, schinus molle produced red berries known as peppercorns used in cooking. The trunk of the tree measures 44 feet in diameter. It is the oldest tree on the mission property.

"View from Laundry" Father Jerome Tupa 1997