Much has been said about the Spanish Colonial Mission system in California. Carlsbad is located in the middle of two of the most significant missions. Many of the state's fourth graders still prepare reports and models on and about these missions. Some question the accuracy of our California history in regards to the motivation and administration of these working ranches that were, at one time, throughout the state. Many say that the European presence in California was Spain's long, intrusive arm just moving up the Pacific coast from Baja Mexico to the Alta (Upper) regions of what we now call California.
The first mission in Baja was San Bruno, founded by the Spanish Jesuits in 1683, near the gulf town of Loreto. Over time, the Jesuits built a system of fifteen missions in Baja. After King Charles III heard that the Jesuits had been stockpiling wealth they were replaced by the Franciscans headed by Junipero Serra. The San Diego area was the site of two notable missions in this chain. First, in 1769, Mission San Diego became the start of the Alta California mission system that would stretch 650 miles to the north. Years later Mission San Luis Rey was founded in 1798 by Father Fermin Lausen. This mission would be called the "King of the Missions" due the fact that it was the named after King Louis IX and it was the largest of the missions with a population of 2,700. It also had the most livestock with 50,000 head of cattle and 2,000 horses among others. Mission San Luis had an extensive agricultural operations. Good, bad or indifferent, the California Missions are a formative element of our state's history. The story of these missions and our state history are forever inextricably linked. Carlsbad was right there in the middle!
http://gocalifornia.about.com/cs/photos1/l/bl_caslrm_int.htm
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