An Inside Look at the California Missions Conference

In this episode, I give my take on the California Missions Foundation conference that took place on April 12-14.  It was the first in-person conference since 2020, making it an important occasion to reconnect with California history in a special way.

The California Missions Foundation does a huge amount to preserve the physical reminders of California's early past, particularly the missions, ranchos, and presidios. It also supports scholarship into California's native, mission, and rancho history. Each year, the conference is hosted by one of California's 21 missions. This year's conference events took place at two missions: La Purísima in Lompoc for the paper presentations and Mission Santa Inés for the banquet and social gatherings.

In addition to the conference and banquet, private tours were offered of nearby historical sites, such as the mission mills and the mission laundry area at Santa Inés. These tours are often led by experts, like the archaeologists who excavated these sites, providing a behind-the-scenes look into places that regular visitors might not be able to access.

For those interested in early California history, the conference presentations are fascinating. They delve into little-known but intriguing aspects of California's missions, ranchos, presidios, and native peoples. If you want to stay up-to-date on next year's event, make sure and subscribe to the podcast or join our email list at www.californiafrontier.net.