| By 1834 the Mexican government brought the mission system to an end. Jose de Jesus Vallejo, brother of the famous General Mariano, another known Indian fighter, was appointed the civil administrator of the mission lands. Fulgencio Higuera, a loyal soldier, was granted the Agua Caliente (Warm Springs) for his "rancho’ of mission herds (pictured in the upper right). Former mission Indians worked for him. "Vaqueros" were usually mission Indians trained in horsemanship that managed the cattle.
By the 1830’s Mission San Jose was the most prosperous of the northern California missions. They were a self sufficient institution. The Padres supervised a mill for flour and grains on what is now Mill Creek. Padre Duran acquired small sailing vessels, such as the Russian "sloopka" pictured, to export hides and tallow to San Francisco and trade for such things as band uniforms for his famous 30 piece orchestra!
Social activities followed the 6 hour work day that included a two hour siesta. However, the female children over the age of five and all older unmarried females were separated from their families and guarded in their barracks.
Some Indians became disillusioned with the mission system and would escape only to be pursued by Sergeant Amador’s soldiers. The Padres believed that "they" were responsible for the souls of the Indians and felt that the runaways would fail to practice the new religion so wanted the soldiers to return them. Soldiers may not have been as concerned for the spiritual lives of the Indians as they were for the thrill of conquer and defeat. Nevertheless, the Indians were excellent swimmers and archers, able to challenge the extremely poor rifle marksmanship of the soldiers.
One skirmish, in the fall of 1828, began unexpectedly with the shocking defection of a trusted and highly respected Mission San Jose Alcalde, who was an elected Indian mayor. His name was Estanislao of the Northern Yokuts. Disenchanted when Mexican taxation on missions resulted in harder work for Indians, he joined with Santa Clara Mission neophytes, (converted mission Indians), in refusing to return to their respective missions.
The fugitives openly challenged authorities to try and capture them. The defiant Estanislao sent a taunting note to the Padres: "We are rising in revolt. . . We have no fear of the soldiers, for even now, they are very few, mere boys, and not even sharp shooters." The Indians were overcome and Estanislao was returned to the mission. After the revolt Estanislao’s friend, Padre Duran, sought and received a pardon for him from the Mexican authorities. Today a county, river and national forest are named after him (Stanislaus).
The worst enemies for the Indians were diseases brought in by the Europeans, such as measles and influenza. Epidemics wiped out whole families living in adobe barracks attached to the mission. The Indian population was decimated.
The mission population reached a maximum of 1,886 in 1831. However, between 1797 and 1833, 4,683 burials are documented in the mission registers. Beginning in 1811 Christianized Indians were allowed by the Padres to be buried at the Ohlones Cemetery, about one mile west of the mission. |
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