| Mission La Purisima Concepcion |
Article Index for Mission |
Shopping Concepcion |
Website Links For Mission |
Information AboutMission La Purisima Concepcion |
|
Mission La Purísima Concepción de Maria Santísima (typically referred to as '''Mission La Purísima Concepción''' for short) was founded on st of that year. Mission La Purísima Concepción was originally established in what today is the town of Winterhaven in October, 1780 by Father Francisco Garcés. The Mission/pueblo site was inadequately supported, and Spanish colonists seized the best lands, destroyed the Indians ' crops, and generally igonored the rights of the local natives. In retaliation the Quechan ( Yuma ) Indians and their allies attacked and destroyed the installation on between July 17 and July 19 , 1781 . In 1824, there was a major revolt at the Mission. Spain had stopped funding the missions after Mexico won its independence. There were many soldiers at the Mission, who were no longer being paid and took out their frustrations on the local '' Chumash '' Indians. A soldier had beat an Indian at Mission Santa Inés and a revolt spread to Mission La Purísima Concepción. The Indians took over the mission for one month until more soldiers arrived from Monterey . After a three hour battle the Indians lost. Many of the Indians left the Mission after that battle. The Indians who did not fight and were hiding in the mountains during the revolt came back to the Mission, but there were not enough of them to keep the mission going as it once had. Following secularization in 1843 the grounds were abandoned. In 1934 only nine of the buildings remained. The Civilian Conservation Corps pledged to restore the Mission if enough land could given back to make the Mission into a historical monument. The Church and the Union Oil Company donated enough land for the restoration. The buildings were all reinforced and reconstructed (including many small structures and the original water system) to such an extent that La Purísima is considered to be the only example in California of a "complete" mission complex. The Dedication Day for the newly-restored Mission La Purísima Concepción was December 7 , 1941 , ironically the same day the United States entered World War II . The grounds are part of a historic park and are well cared for by the State of California Department of Parks. The Mission is no longer used as a parish church. It has a visitors center and a museum on the grounds in the old infirmary buildings. HISTORIC DESIGNATIONS
SEE ALSO
EXTERNAL LINKS |