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sounded so similar to the Spanish word "soledad" meaning solitude. It was no surprise than that the Franciscans chose to name it in honor of Our Lady of Solitude or the Virgin.
It was built as a resting-place between Mission San Antonio and San Carlos Mission off the Camino Real or the Royal Road that linked the missions. This was during the time period when walking or horse riding was the only means of transportation.
No longer receiving royal gifts, the mission relied on neighboring missions for supplies. Buildings were slow to be erected, as there were few Indians nearby. The Salinas River was used to irrigate the fields and for a while, crops were good and the neophyte population reached a peak of over 2000 by 1820. But soon epidemics, floods and bad weather would make this one of the most inhospitable missions. The epidemic especially drove off the faithful who could see little good in a place that brought death. Thirty padres served over a 44-year period. Two people are buried there, Father Ibanez who stayed 15 years because he could not find a replacement and his friend Jose Joaquin de Arrillaga. The last padre was Father Vicente Sarria who died in 1835 of hunger at the altar while giving mass. His loyal Indian subjects carried his body 25 miles to Mission San Antonio. After his death, all the Indians dispersed and the mission fell to decay. Secularization occurred in 1835. The tile roof was sold to pay off debts to th Mexican government, which led to the walls being unprotected. In 1846, Governor Pio Pico sold the building and 42 acres for $800. In 1859, the United States government returned the mission to the Catholic Church, but by then it was in complete ruin.
In 1952, the Native Daughters of the Golden West restored the building and handed it to local citizens. Inside the chapel is a statue of Our Lady of Sorrows, draped in black cloak.
Present day location: West of Soledad and south of Salinas in Monterey County.
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