Mission Puerto de Purísima Concepción was founded near what is now

Yuma, Arizona Yuma ( coc, Yuum) is a city in and the county seat of Yuma County, Arizona, United States. The city's population was 93,064 at the 2010 census, up from the 2000 census population of 77,515. Yuma is the principal city of the Yuma, Arizona, M ...

, United States, on the California side of the

Colorado River The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid drainage basin, watershed that encompasses parts of ...

, in October 1780, by Father Francisco Garcés. The settlement was not part of the

California mission The Spanish missions in California ( es, Misiones españolas en California) comprise a series of 21 religious outposts or missions established between 1769 and 1833 in what is now the U.S. state of California. Founded by Catholic priests o ...

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 Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

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

Quechan The Quechan (or Yuma) (Quechan: ''Kwatsáan'' 'those who descended') 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 the ...

(''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 Spanish Padre Francisco Garcés, to protect the Anza Trail where it forded the Colorado River, between the Mexican provinces of Alta California and New Navarre. The ...

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 on the Butterfield Overland Mail route from 1858 until 1861 and was abandoned May 16, 1883, and transferred to the Department of ...

, 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