Misión San Miguel (California)

The San Miguel California Mission was founded in 1797 by a Franciscan friar who was operating on orders from the Spanish Crown. Its namesake originates from the dedication of the complex to the Archangel Saint Michael. The goal of this church, and the dozens of other missions throughout the region, was to not only convert the native peoples to Catholicism, but also to teach them Spanish ways of living and working. This complex aimed to oversee the communities that the nearby San Antonio and San Luis Obispo missions were unable to incorporate. The structure has been expanded and restored over time. This source is part of the Historic Churches in the Southwestern US Source Collection.