Page 306 - autobluebook1920vol8

Points of Interest Page 288 Redding Section
was adopted as the state flag of California. The pueblo of Sonoma was organized as a
At Sonoma was established the last of the part of the secularization of Solano and soon
missions. (See Mission San Francisco So- afterwards the soldiers of the presidio of S'an
lano.) Sonoma is an Indian word signifying Francisco were transferred to Sonoma to act
"Valley of the Moon,” by which the natives as a check on Russian aggression from the
designated the valley of that name. north and on the influx of Americans from the
The Mission of San Francisco de Solano United States. Secularization was so thor-
is located in the town of Sonoma. This, the oughly carried out at Solano that in 1845 when
last of the California missions, was founded Pio Pico issued his decree for the sale of
July 4, 1823, just 54 years after the first mis- mission property, Solano was declared with-
sion. It was not comprehended in the origi- out value. In 1880 the mission and its grounds
nal scheme and was not, in fact, intended were sold by Bishop Alemany to a German
as a new mission. Father Jose Altimira, a named Schocken for $3,000. With the pro-
young priest who had been newly stationed parish church,
a modern
erected
at the Mission of S'an Francisco de Asis, be- ceeds he is still in use. For six months after
which
coming greatly concerned over the high the sale divine services continued to be held
mortality at his station, desired that the lo- in the old mission, then Schocken used it for
cality of the mission be changed. Encour- storing wine and hay. In September, 1903,
aged by Governor Arguello and other politi- the mission was purchased for $5,000 by Wil-
cal personages, he sent out exploring parties
and Sonoma was selected as a suitable site liam R. Hearst, who deeded it to the state of
The deeds have been accepted by
and the mission was formally dedicated in California.
April, 1824. Within a year adobe buildings the legislature and an appropriation has been
roofed with tiles had been constructed and made for the preservation of the mission as a
many neophytes received, a large number of historical landmark. The buildings were ex-
them having come from the missions of San tremely plain and have not been improved by
Jose, San Rafael, and San Francisco. Th«? age. Their interest is chiefly historical. The
is 36 feet long by
16 feet wide.
The
church
Indians at this mission represented 35 differ-
In the twelve years of the mis- tower is said to have been built by General
ent tribes. in 1835. Adjoining the church is a
sion’s existence before secularization, 1,300 Vallejo
baptisms were recorded. Ten years after sec- long, low building with a corridor on one side
ularization not 200 Indians remained. covered with the overhanging roof.

The Vulcan Face
This picture depicts the eruption of Mt. Lassen, on May IS, 1914, and
shows unmistakably outlined the face of Vulcan as portrayed by the ancient
Greeks on all statues of that god, who was their deity of fire and was supposed
to live in the largest volcano of the then known world.