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Packed with facts, legends,
and lore about seven selected missions from San Diego to San Francisco,
Tales and Treasures of California's Missions opens a new
vista on California history. Tragic shipwrecks, lost mines, buried
bandit's loot, fabled Indian gold-all this and much more are part
of the legacy of California's missions and the communities that grew
up around them. So follow the padres' mustard seed trail down through
the centuries, and you'll discover that there's a lot more to California's
missions than the Mission Period!
120 pages, illustrated Be sure to check out the exciting Hands-On History projects and activities book for this title! |
It is only fitting that I begin this book of mission tales by sharing a short story with you . . . . Long ago, the story goes, when the Spanish padres came to Alta California and started the chain of churches that stretch up and down the coast, there were no signposts to mark their path. As time went on, and the chain grew, the missions made convenient stopping-off places for visiting padres and others who passed their way. However, these wayside stops were of little value to travelers if they couldn't be found. Fortunately, the legend states, the enterprising padres had brought mustard seeds from Spain, which they dropped along the route. When the seeds grew into flowering mustard stalks, they marked the trail with a blaze of color. This pathway bordered in brilliant yellow is said to have guided wayfarers from church to church-even at night. In this way the mustard plants helped to make El Camino Real (the Royal Road) one of the most popular and beautiful trails in the territory. Today flowering mustard stalks are seen in much of California. When history buffs view their vivid color, they may think back to another time and ponder the plight of the padres as they plodded along a barely visible path, dropping mustard seeds as they went so others could follow. . . . |
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