The California missions produced leather goods for commerce.
Leather is made from cow and other animal hides. This is carried out in a tannery, and many of the early California Missions had one. In fact, the San Gabriel Mission's most valuable product was leather. The tannery was an important part of the economy of the mission because it provided goods that could be sold for profit, helping the mission to survive.
Brief History of California Missions
In 1769, King Charles III of Spain directed Father Junipero Serra to create the California Missions, which were churches and community buildings that started out as Spanish settlements in California. The original reason for their foundation was to establish permanent settlements that would become a part of Spanish territory there. All of the missions were close to the ocean so that they could trade with ships, and they were situated just a day's walk from each other, spanning 650 miles down the California coast. They utilized similar architecture, with an imposing front that featured a Mission Bell, which could be seen and heard a long way away. There were 21 missions built in California and these became the centers of early industry with the making of leather products.
Which Missions Had Tanneries?
Although every mission had a tannery, the first missions to really exploit the use of a tannery and produce a significant output were the San Gabriel Arcángel Mission and the San Fernando, Rey de España Mission. When they started out, the monks carried on a brisk trade in tallow and hides. At one point, the San Fernando Mission monks had over 21 thousand head of cattle there. Shoes, garments and saddles were produced both for use by the monks and to trade. This mission made a good living from selling not only finished goods such as shoes and leather ware, but also rawhide strips for use in construction. In those early days, they used fragments of hide to connect structures. In the early years, much of the leather produced in California would have been produced in a mission.
What Did a Tannery Look Like?
The actual tanneries would be situated away from the living quarters and other areas because the tanning was smelly and the fumes from the heated oils would linger. Apart from leather products, there was soap and oil for lamps produced there. Because of this, many of the old tanneries are either in ruins or no longer visible today. But in their day, they were a source of industry and economic well-being for these communities.
A tannery building in a California mission would have been like an outhouse, with sturdy exterior walls and a tall chimney to lead the smoke and other pollutants away. Inside would be some large curing baths and shelves containing fluids for use in curing the leather from the raw hides. There were also areas set aside for drying and finishing the products, and cutting the pieces into shapes, either for shoes or saddles. Clothing would also be made from this.
What Is Left of the Tanneries?
The California Missions Official Web site refers to tanneries in only two of the 21 locations: the San Gabriel Arcángel Mission, which was the fourth one to be established, and the San Fernando Rey de España Mission, which was the seventh.
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