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Soledad are reflections of this desire. Hostile Indians were to be dealt with either by military force or through spiritual conversion.
Despite being built atop the San Andreas Fault, this mission has survived intact and stands well preserved to this day. Conditions were so amenable at this mission from the start, that within the first six months, the mission had sprouted up an adobe church, a granary, barracks, a monastery, and some adobe homes. But demands of its fast growing neophyte population led to the construction of the bigger church, considered the tallest and biggest of the mission churches. It is unusual for having three naves or corridors versus the typical single narrow nave, which was the idea of Father Felipe del Arroyo de la Cuesta. But by 1812, when the new church was finishing construction, the neophyte population had dwindled from its 1805 number of 1,100 to little more than half and fear of earthquakes led to the walling off of the two naves. In 1976-1977, the two naves would be opened up again. An American deserter, Thomas Doak, painted the colorful reredos and altar and is known as the first American citizen in California. Perhaps by its unusual location, it survived the 1812 earthquake that damaged numerous other missions, but it was damaged in 1906. It was reinforced with steel and concrete and heavy cross bracing and is now quite safe.
Father Felipe del Arroyo was a renowned linguistic scholar, who could give sermons in 7 different Indian dialects. In 1815, he published a collection of Indian phrases and vocabularies. He wrote an exhaustive study of the Mutsumi language which received scientific recognition in 1860. Parts of his work can be seen in the Smithsonian Institute. He also delighted in naming newborns with literary names such as Plato and Alexander. When Zacatecan priests took over the mission, he retired to San Miguel where he stayed until his death in 1840. Also serving at this mission was Father Estevan Tapis who had served 9 years as Father President. He was a talented musician who created an acclaimed Indian choir and taught the Indians to read colored notes. He died at age 71 and is buried in the sanctuary.
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