Historic California Posts, Camps,
Stations and Airfields
Mission San Juan Bautista
Mission San Juan Bautista
circa 1847. The former barracks and armory building is the single
story building with an attached tower at the center of the picture.
This building was expanded and became the Plaza Hotel. (California
State Parks)
The Mission San Juan Bautista (St. John
the Baptist) was founded on 24 Jun 1797, by Father Fermin Lasuen,
as the 15th of 21 Spanish missions founded in the Spanish colony
and later Mexican province of Alta California. As with most of
these remote Catholic missions, is also served as outpost of
one of the four Presidios, in this case El Presidio
Real de San Carlos de Monterrey (the Royal Presidio of Saint
Charles of Monterey), now the US Army's Presidio of Monterey
As with most of the mission garrisons,
it was manned by mounted soldiers known as Soldados de Cuera
(Leather Jacketed Soldiers, so named for their locally produced
long leather vest that protected their uniforms. Normally the
garrison numbered six to ten soldiers under the command of a
cabo (corporal). Their task was to protect the mission from
Native Americans not incorparated into the mission system as
well as assisting the church in keeping mission indians under
control. After 1822, Alta California became a province of the
newly formed Mexican Empire (after 1824, the Republic of Mexico).
In 1831 all of the missions were secularized and all their lands
were sold to private interests.
In the summer of 1844, Governor Manuel
Micheltorena had all serviceable cannon, powder, and munitions
moved inland from the Presidio de San Carlos de Monterey and
El Castillo de Monterey for the long expected war between the
United States and Mexico. Those armaments may have been abandoned
there, for several cannon were later recovered by American troops
at that site.
Today, the mission is an active Catholic
parish church. The former barracks and armory, and later Plaza
Hotel, is now a museum for the San Juan Bautista State Park.
The Plaza Hotel circa 6 November
2015. Portions of this building were originally the barracks
and armory that date to the Spanish colonial period. Today it
is a museum operated by California State Parks (Photo by SGM
(CA) Dan Sebby, California Military Department)
Search
our Site!
Questions and comments concerning
this site should be directed to the Webmaster
