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Show OldMissiorvs of NewlMJMexico - Hill BEFORE Jamestown was founded, found-ed, bef-.'e Puritans began their conquest of New England for the sake of their religious freedom, free-dom, a century and a half earlier than thvir wonderful story was begun In California, the Franciscans had entered en-tered upon their work for the conversion conver-sion of the finest race of aborigines In the United States, the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico. The Pueblos were already far on the road to civilization and were a peace-loving, peace-loving, town-building people, so that It is not strange that progress among them was rapid, even though martyrdom martyr-dom was the lot of many of the earliest earli-est missionaries. As monuments to this first Christian work on this continent conti-nent there are standing today nearly thirty old churches, which are unquestionably unques-tionably the most interesting group of buildings tn America, from an antiquarian antiqua-rian and tourist standpoint. Yet they are practically unknown to the mass of travelers, even of the more Intelligent Intelli-gent class, writes Jessie McMillan Strong In the Los Angeles Times. The chain of missions established by the Franciscans, under the leadership of Padre Junlpero Serra, along the mission mis-sion highway from San Diego to San Francisco, are justly revered and visited visit-ed annually by many thousands of tourists. tour-ists. These little-known missions of New Mexico surpass their famous sisters on at least three counts tlte New Mexico missions are from 150 to 200 years older than those of California; their history Is more varied and most of them are still in actual use by the descendants de-scendants of the very folk for whom they were originally founded, whereas the environment of those of California has changed until many of the missions mis-sions have become merely Interesting historical landmarks. The missions of New Mexico are easily eas-ily accessible. The Ocean-to-Ocean highway, over which motorists pass In constantly Increasing numbers, goes The Church of Acoma. directly through many of the towns and villages where the missions are located, lo-cated, while no less than four of them may be seen from the windows of transcontinental trains over the Santa Fe. In Old Santa Fe. The tourist to the western coast will be well repaid for the short side trip from the main line of the Santa Fe railway required to visit the quaint old city of Santa Fe. No other town In the United States can look back upon a history so varied. No other town Is so quaint in its composite of medieval ancestry an-cestry and modern utility. It was primarily as missionaries to the Indians tht the Franciscans accompanied ac-companied the Spanish conquerors. Arid it is the little church built in the Indian quarter of Santa Fe, as a mission mis-sion to them, that today claims the distinction dis-tinction of being the oldest place of worship in the Uulted States. Old San Miguel was built in 1006. In the Pueblo rebellion of 10S0 the church was burned, but, so solidly were the nius-f.ive nius-f.ive walls of stone and adobe brick constructed, that only the, woodwork was destroyed. Small repair was necessary nec-essary to make it again fit for use when the reconquest of New Mexico was accomplished by De Vargas In 10!).'!. These repairs were only temporary. Under the next governor the rebuilding rebuild-ing was completed -in 1710, as an Inscription In-scription carved on u massive timber, which supports the gallery, bears witness. wit-ness. From that time the church has been In constant use, since 1859 serving serv-ing as the chapel for the Christian Brothers' college. Twelve miles distant from Sunto Domingo, Do-mingo, plainly visible from the train, is the pretty Indian village of San Felipe, Fe-lipe, with its trim, well-cared-for mission mis-sion church, erected early in the eighteenth eigh-teenth centry, exact date unknown. It has always been served by clergy stationed sta-tioned at the more populous Santo Domingo. Do-mingo. It Is interesting to know Hint the followers of St. Francis, who founded and served all these missions uUl expelled In 1823 by the Mexlcun government, have recently resumed charge of all the missions in this part of New Mexico. Albuquerque was the third town established es-tablished by the Spanish in New Mexico. Mex-ico. Its church, beautiful San Felipe de Neri, was from the first a parish church for the Spanish settlers themselves, them-selves, never a mission. But It was built at the same perldd as the restoration restora-tion of the mission churches after the Pueblo rebellion, having been erected In 1706. Mission of Isleta. From Albuquerque the Indian- village of Isleta Is only 12 miles distant and easily reached by either automobile or train. It is the largest of the central New Mexican Indian villages, the center cen-ter of a rich agricultural country. The people are progressive, successful farmers, but have mingled freely with their Mexican neighbors to the detriment detri-ment of the picturesqueness of their village. Isleta was one of the most important im-portant of the early missions. In 1029 there was already built at Isleta a handsome church and convent, ministered minis-tered to by a resident priest. When the country was reconquered by the Spanish after the rebellion, It was found that all which could be burned of the old church had been destroyed de-stroyed and the massive walls used for a corral for goats. The church was rebuilt re-built in 1693 and since that time has been In constant use. It Is 27 by 110 feet in size and Is adjoined- by extensive exten-sive buildings originally a convent, now used as a home for the priest, any quaint customs and legends center around this mission. City of the Sky. Acoma, the famous "City of. the Sky," the most wonderful town In the United States, Is built upon the top of a wind-swept Island of rock, rising precipitously pre-cipitously 350 feet above the surrounding surround-ing sandy plain. Its location gave It wonderful defense against the savage tribes that In pre-Spanish times preyed upon the peaceful village Indians. Un- til very recently its top was reached only by one trail so steep that at places it cousisted merely of baud and foot holes in the face of the cliff, where a misstep or a stone rolled from above would hurl a foe to almost certain destruction. de-struction. Here the inhabitants made a stout resistance to the Spanish, but were conquered, and the greot church, in many ways the most wonderful building build-ing In America, was built in 1629. It was partially destroyed in 16S0, and rebuilt in 1693. The church is of great proportion, 150 feet long, 40 feet high and very massive. Not only was every particle of adobe used for the walls carried up the ladder-like trail, for there Is absolutely no soil on the rock of Acoma, but the great timbers for the roof beams were brought from the 20-mlle-dlstant mountains by men alone, for the horse had not been Introduced to New Mexico at that time. Nor If this all, for adjoining the church Is a considerable convent, and in front of the church the burying ground, held by a retaining wall along the cliff's rim at places 45 feet high, all made ground, carried up that hazardous trail on the backs of men. Was ever such a monument monu-ment raised to the zeal of the converts to a new, faith? |