California's Mission Period: 1769

This site contains photos of several of the 21 California Mission sites. Teachers who enroll in SOC 906 are required to visit 2 missions of their choice. Downloading may take a few seconds.

SOC 906, California's Mission Period: 1769 - Secularization, is a Self-Guided (Independent) Study Course designed to help teachers become more knowledgeable about the history of California. (Each of the six courses offered by Bob and Elaine Kirchner through Fresno Pacific University, is unique in its purpose, requirements, assignments, materials and visitation sites.)

Accreditation: Fresno Pacific University is the only fully accredited, Christian liberal arts senior school in the southern part of California's great Central Valley. The School of Professional Studies, through its Center for Professional Development (CPD), offers a variety of independent study courses to help meet the ever-increasing demand for professional growth for K-12 educators. To provide flexibility and to better serve the needs of the school community, these courses are delivered using a combination of modalities: printed materials and texts, audiotapes, videotapes, CD-ROM, and on-line distance learning. These courses are not on-campus courses.

Travel is by the teacher's private car, and teachers may enroll at any time during the year. Teachers have up to one year to complete all course requirements, including traveling to the "visitation sites."

Inasmuch as travel is by the student's private car, the Self-Guided (Independent) study format permits the busy teacher/student to "self-determine" when to complete on-site visitation requirements. It also permits the student an opportunity to have family/friends share in both the "home" and "on-site" learning experiences.

A weekend (or any two days) in the historic site area will allow the teacher/student time to complete On-Site Visitation requirements for each of the six Self-Guided (Independent) Study Courses offered by Bob and Elaine Kirchner. Off-site requirements may be completed at home, and the teacher has up to one year to complete all requirements.

Questions: Email the Instructor.

Elaine Kirchner

Teachers who enroll in SOC 906, California's Mission Period: 1769 - Secularization, are required to visit two of California's 21 missions, EXCLUDING MISSIONS SANTA CLARA, SANTA CRUZ, AND SAN RAPHAEL.

Mission information, images, and mission URL's are shown below.

San Fernando Mission
Date founded: Sept. 8, 1797

San Fernando Mission: Begun in 1810 and completed twelve years later, the "long building" is unlike any of its contemporary structures except the mission-house at La Purisima Concepcion. Measuring 243 feet in length by fifty in width, the apex of the two-story structure is forty-five feet high with exterior walls three feet thick. The sloping tiled roof is supported on the front side by twenty-one Roman arches.

This San Fernando Mission Indian woman is using a pounding stone to crush acorn kernels. She will pound the kernels until they are crushed into a flour-like meal. Pounding day after day has formed a hole in the boulder. The brush, made of soap root husks, is used to sweep broken kernels back into the hole, to be pounded again.

This San Fernando Mission man is fastening an arrowhead to a short shaft. He is winding deer sinew to hold the arrowhead tightly into the shaft. He has chewed the sinew to make it soft. Sinew is the strong cord that holds the muscle to the bone. Sinew was also used as thread to sew the Indian's clothing.

San Fernando Mission Native Americans

San Fernando Mission Garden

San Fernando Mission Director, Msgr. Francis J. Weber

Carmel Mission
Date founded: June 3, 1770

Sir Harry Downie, restorer of the Carmel Mission (San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo) shown seated near the entrance to the mission's Vestments Room.

Garden view of the Carmel Mission.

Sir Harry Downie and the instructor, Bob Kirchner, are shown taping a tour of the Carmel Mission (top photo) and seated in Curator Downie's office discussing the discovery and settlement of Alta California.

San Diego Mission
Date founded: July 16, 1769 Excavation at the San Diego Mission

Mission San Juan Bautista
Date founded: June 24, 1797

Mission San Juan Capistrano
Date founded: Nov. 1, 1776

La Purisima Mission
Date founded: Dec. 8, 1787 La Purisima Mission's corridor

Mission San Luis Obispo
Date founded: Sept. 1, 1772

Mission San Miguel
Date founded: July 25, 1797

San Gabriel Mission
Date founded: Sept. 8, 1771

San Gabriel Mission's sundial and outdoor cooking area

San Gabriel Mission's Campo Santo (cemetery) and song book
Would you like to have photos which you took during your Self-Directed Study Course trip placed on the WWW? If so, please send them to the instructor with your signature and date on the back of each photo. An effort will be made to display one or more of your photos along with other photos. Please write a brief description of the photo details: where taken, when, etc.

Thanks, and have a great visit into California’s Past. Bob K. Instructor

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