Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa

Essay by LL94588College, UndergraduateA+, February 2006

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction............................................................................2

The Mission's Look...................................................................3

Mission Life ...........................................................................4

Secularization..........................................................................5

The Mission Today....................................................................6

My Opinion ............................................................................7

Bibliography ...........................................................................8

INTRODUCTION

California's missions are a rich part of our state's history and culture. They were the first step in the colonization of California after the explorers had found it. The purpose of the missions was to protect Spain's claim for holding this new land.

California's fifth mission, Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, was founded on September 1, 1772. The mission was founded by Father Junipero Serra and it was named after the bishop of Toulouse, the son of a king. Toulouse is a city in the south of France. The mission was founded because the Spanish men wanted to strengthen their claim to Alta California and protect it from English and Russian settlers.

Missions exist today so that people can visit them and think of the days of the priests and the work that was done there.

THE MISSION'S LOOK

The Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa that we see today was built between 1793 and 1794. It was restored in 1933. Wood siding was added to the mission in the late 1870's but it was later removed between 1920 and 1934.

Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa looks pretty. To the right of the entrance into the mission there is a statue of Father Junipero Serra. He founded Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa in 1772. Father Junipero Serra saw a lot of bears in the area, so he named the area "The Valley of the Bears". Because of this, there is a fountain, featuring a sculpture of a California Indian girl sitting beside a gray bear, near the mission.

As you enter the mission you can see the lovely wooden doors. Inside the mission looks graceful, nice,