Mission San Francisco Solano

Questions and Answers

Q - When was the Mission founded?

A - Mission San Francisco Solano was founded in 1823. It was the last of the California missions founded and the only Mission founded under the Mexican government.

Q-Who founded the Mission?

A- It was not Father Serra. Father Serra was the founder of the Mission system in California in 1769. Mission San Francisco Solano was founded many years after Father Serra's death by Father Jose Altimira.

Q-What are the adobe bricks made of?

A- The ingredients are: 1) thick clayish mud, 2) straw, 3)manure. Indian men would use their feet to mix all of the ingredients together. Then they would put the mixture into forms shaped like large thick bricks. The bricks would be left out in the sun and turned occassionally. When thoroughly dried they were ready for use. The indian men doing this work were given a weekly quota of bricks to be made. Frequently, the men would hurry to get the job done more quickly and they would have extra time off to pursue other interests.

Q - How many Native Americans came to live at the Mission?

A - The reasons that Native Americans came to live at the Mission are not understood very well. Some of the possible reasons include: 1)The Missions provided a large and steady food supply. 2) The Spanish brought with them clothing and tools that the Indians wanted to learn how to make and, 3) Since the Spanish were obviously a very powerful people, the Native Americans thought that by learning from the Spanish that they would become more powerful too.