Mission San Jose de Guadalupe

Mission San Jose de Guadalupe was the 14th mission, founded June 11, 1797, by Father Fermin Lasuen. Named after Saint Joseph.

Built as another rest stop along El Camino Real, the royal road that connected the missions, in an area known for hostile Indian attacks. The hope was to tame the Indians through the missions and reduce the need of military escorts through this region, thus

saving $15,000 a year in military defense. The request to the Viceroy for this mission

was of a joint nature by the padres and the new Governor Borica.
Not surprisingly, early on the mission was involved in numerous Indian attacks and battles, all of which the Spanish soldiers won, often at a deadly cost to the Indians. Thus the mission also served as a military base for the Spanish to attack hostile Indians and to retrieve runaway neophytes. One famous runaway, Estanislao, had been a favorite of Father Duran, the padre in charge. Estanislao, who had become a chieftain and had led many attacks against the mission, was captured, but later released by order of Father Duran. It is believed that the river and the county Stanislau is named in memory of Estanislao. During the first year only 33 converts occurred, but eventually this would become one of the most successful missions in northern California so that after its 39 years of existence it could boast of 6,737 neophytes. Located on fertile grounds, fruit trees, crops and livestock grew in abundance.

The success of this mission was due largely to the talented padres, Father Duran and Fortuni. After 20 years, Father Fortuni was reassigned to Sonoma, leaving Father Duran alone in charge. Father Duran who served 27 years here not only had the necessary versatility and leadership ability to run the mission but was also the president of the missions for three terms. An avid musician, he created an acclaimed Indian orchestra of 30 Indian musicians, using instruments from Mexico, including violins, flutes, trumpets and drums. After Mexican independence, the governor ordered Mexican-born Zacatecan friars to serve in the missions, since there was now an anti-Spanish mood.  In 1833, Zacatecan padres took over the northern missions, and Father Duran retired to the Santa Barbara mission.

The mission was secularized in 1834 and was turned over to the administrator, Jesus Vallejo whose ranch the mission property was determined to be located on. Neverthe

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