Collection: Books and Periodicals

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Title: A Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California (1891) Collection Type: Books and Periodicals Publisher: Lewis Publishing Company Published: 1891 Copyright: In the public domain or published before 1925 Source(s): Google Books # of Pages: 713 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

Date Scanned: 2024-07-22 00:25:09 Item Sourced From: PDF First Created: 2025-03-17 03:11:29 Last Updated: 2025-03-17 06:30:36

Original Held At: Searls Historical Library Location: 161 Nevada City Hwy, Nevada City, CA 95959

Page: of 713  

AISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. 23 improve his opportunity to add to the strength of his surroundings. Although somewhat out of chronological order it is in place to follow the mission of San Francisco Solano to its end. Bancroft says: ‘Father Fortuni served at San Francisco Solano until] 1833, when his place was taken by the Zacutecan José de Jesus Maria Gutierrez, who in turn changed places in March, 1834, with Padre Lorenzo Quijas of San Francisco. Quijas remained in charge of ex-mission and pueblo as acting curate throughout the decade, but resided for the most part at San Rafael. Though the neophyte population, as indicated by the reports, decreased from 760 to 650 in 1834, and 550 in 1835, yet there was a gain in live-stock and but a slight falling off in crops; and the establishment must be regarded as having flourished down to the date of secularization, being one of the few missions in California which reached their highest population in the final decade, though this was natural enough in a new and frontier mission. Mariano G. Vallejo was made commissionado in 1834, and in 1835-’36, with Antonio Ortega as major-domo, completed the secularization. Movable property was distributed to the Indians, who were made entirely free, many of them retiring to their old rancherias. <A little later, however, in consequence of troubles with hostile gentiles, the ex-neophytes seem to have restored their live-stock to the care of General Vallejo, who used the property of the ex-mission fur their benetit and protection, and for the general development of the northern settlement. The General claimed that this was a levitimate use of the estate; and he would have established a new mission in the north if the padres would have aided him. Doubtless his pulicy was a wise one, even if his position as guardian of the Indians in charge of their private property put by them in his care was not recognized by the laws. Moreover, there was a gain rather than a loss in live-stock. Thus the mission community had no real existence after 1836, though Pablo Ayula and Salvador Vallejo were nominally made adiministrators. The visitador made no visits in 1839, and apparently none were made in 1840. I suppose there may have been 100 of the ex-neophytes living at Sonoma at the end of the decade, with perhaps 500 more in the region not relapsed into barbarism.” And here ends the career of the mission San Francisco Solano. If its sanguine founder, Padre Altimira, could revisit it, and the old San Francisco mission that he thought was ‘on its last legs,” he would learn how fallible is human judgment. ' Sonoma was now a pueblo and General M. G. Vallejo, ascommandante of the northern district, the most conspicuous personage in this latitude until the end of Mexican rule. As such it is in place to introduce him more fully to the reader. According to Baucroft: He was the son of the “ Sargento distinguido” Ignacio Vallejo and of Maria Antonia Lugo, being, on the paternal side at least, of pure Spanish blood, and being entitled by the old rules to prefix the “Don” to bis name. In childhood he had been the associate of Alvarado and Castro at Monterey, and his educational advantages, of which he made good use, were substantially the same as theirs. Unlike his companions, he chose a military ca reer, entering the Monterey company in 1823 as a cadet, and being promoted to be alferez of the San Francisco company in 1827. He served as habilitado and as commandante of both companies, and took part in several campaigns against Indians, besides acting as fiscal or defensor in various military trials. In 1830 he was elected to the deputacion, and took a prominent part in the opposition of that body to Victoria. In 1832 he married Franci-ca Benicia, daughter of Joaquin Carrillo, and in 14834 was elected deputado suplente to Congress. He was a favorite of Figueroa, who gave him large tracts of Jand north of the bay, choosing him as commissionado to secularize San Francisco Solano, to found the town of Sonoma, and to command the frontier del norte. In his new position Vallejo was doubtless the most independent man in California. His record was a good one, and both in ability and experience he was probably better fitted to take the position as commandante general than any other Californian. This latter position was conferred upon Valleju by Alvarado, who by a turn of the revolutionary wheel had become governor. General Vallejo was unquestionably the right man in the right place when he was placed in control at Sonoma atter the secularization of the mission San Francisco Solano. As a military man he