Mission Puerto de Purísima Concepción was founded near what is now

Yuma, Arizona Yuma is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The city's population was 95,548 at the 2020 census, up from the 2010 census population of 93,064. Yuma is the principal city of the Yuma, Arizona, Metropolitan ...

, United States, on the California side of the

Colorado River The Colorado River () is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The river, the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), 5th longest in the United St ...

, in October 1780, by the Franciscan missionary

Francisco Garcés Francisco Hermenegildo Tomás Garcés (April 12, 1738 – July 18, 1781) was a Spanish Franciscan friar who served as a missionary and explorer in the colonial Viceroyalty of New Spain. He explored much of the southwestern region of North Amer ...

. The settlement was not part of the

California mission The Spanish missions in California () formed a series of 21 religious outposts or missions established between 1769 and 1833 in what is now the U.S. state of California. The missions were established by Catholic priests of the Franciscan ord ...

chain but was administered as a part of the

Spanish missions in Arizona Beginning in the 16th century Spain established missions throughout New Spain (consisting of Mexico and portions of what today are the Southwestern United States) in order to facilitate colonization of these lands. History Early Franciscan mis ...

. The Mission site and nearby ''pueblo'' were inadequately supported, and

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

colonists seized the best lands, destroyed the Indians' crops, and generally ignored the rights of the local natives. In retaliation the

Quechan The Quechan ( Quechan: ''Kwatsáan'' 'those who descended'), or Yuma, are a Native American tribe who live on the Fort Yuma Indian Reservation on the lower Colorado River in Arizona and California just north of the Mexican border. Despite ...

(''Yuma'') Indians and their allies attacked and destroyed the installation and the neighboring

Mission San Pedro y San Pablo de Bicuñer Mission San Pedro y San Pablo de Bicuñer was founded on January 7, 1781, by the Spanish Franciscan friar Francisco Garcés, to protect the Anza Trail where it forded the Colorado River, between the Mexican provinces of Alta California and New ...

over the three days from July 17 to 19, 1781.mojavedesert.net: Garcés
accessed 1.1.2012Garcés 1900, p. xxiv. Today, only a historical marker on Picacho Road in

Fort Yuma Fort Yuma was a fort in California located in Imperial County, across the Colorado River from Yuma, Arizona. It was established in 1848. It served as a stop on the Butterfield Overland Mail route from 1858 until 1861. The fort was retired from ...

, California, one mile south of Winterhaven Road identifies the site. California Historical Landmarks read: :''NO. 350 MISSION LA PURÍSIMA CONCEPCIÓN (SITE OF) – In October 1780, Father Francisco Garcés and companions began Mission La Purísima Concepción. The mission/pueblo site was inadequately supported. Colonists ignored Indian rights, usurped the best lands, and destroyed Indian crops. Completely frustrated and disappointed, the Quechans (Yumas) and their allies destroyed Concepción on July 17–19, 1781.''

References

External links

Missions of the Colorado River

Discovery of California

Virtual Tour of California Missions

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mission Puerto de Purisima Concepcion 1780 establishments in the Spanish Empire Spanish missions in Arizona Spanish missions in California Catholic Church in Arizona National Register of Historic Places in Imperial County, California California Historical Landmarks

See also

References

External links