The Missons of Sonora

The MISSIONS of SONORA

OWN IN SONORA, Mexico, there is a region of quiet charm, lingering peacefully amid the legends of the past. It is one of those much sought places which are found by only a few who wander off the beaten path of normal tourist traffic flow. This main road from Nogales southward just skirts the eastern edge of a fascinating country rich in treasures of early day achievement by the padres who filtered into this region from advance bases in Sinaloa during the middle of the seventeenth century. From Nogales, Arizona, a comfortable two hour drive brings you to Magdalena, the logical starting place for a tour of the land along the trail of Father Kino.

In his book, Pioneer Padre, Rufus K. Wyllys says, "Padre Eusebio Francisco Kino has been called the greatest missionary in Spanish North America. Some there may be who will question this statement, but to the people of the Southwest his fame is enduring. The fact that his name has lingered so long and so prom-inently in the annals of their pioneers, both Latin and Anglo-Saxon, is proof sufficient of the legend that has grown up about him, and of the place he holds in history."

Just as this desert region of the Southwest is indebted to the vision and perseverance of Father Kino for laying the foundation of ad vanced agricultural development and the live stock industry, so the historian, artist, photog rapher and tourist can justly thank him for the monuments which are today a source of profitable study and enjoyment.

For those who have the urge to tour this region where Father Kino spent twenty-four years of his life in service to God and the Spanish Crown, it is a good plan to first visit the Museum of the Tumacacori National Monument, forty-nine miles south of Tucson on the main highway to Nogales.

A tour through the museum, which is built in the style of Sonora missions, leaves the visitor with a strong feeling of reverence for the daring and energies of the early day padres who played such an important part in the Spanish Conquest of northern Mexico. Paintings, maps and dioramas of the early history stimulate a desire to see the colossal monuments which Kino's work made possible and you are prepared with an authentic back ground of information which will serve as a guide along the way.

The lack of suitable roads today makes it impracticable to follow the exact trail of Father Kino as he penetrated and established missions throughout Sonora. Then, too, there are only dim outlines of crumbled walls where some of his most important missions stood. So the modern pioneer, seeking historical treasures in this land, can spend his time best by using the roads which are used by the natives of the region. You will have to retrace your steps at times but this suggested route was one which I used to good advantage while making a travelogue film. "On The Trail of Father Kino."

Starting at Magdalena, it is well worth while to see the present day mission there. Although records and historians disagree as to the final resting place of Father Kino, it seems that Magdalena, where he died in 1711, can most rightfully claim that honor.

Magdalena is a typical small town built of adobe with a central plaza flanked by the Mission, government buildings, stores and dignified old homes. The mission is the best preserved on the Kino chain as it has been in constant use and is continually being repaired by labor and contributions of its large congregation. The interior is elaborately decorated and there are always outdoor booths nearby which specialize in the sale of religious mementos, pottery and novelties. Here the fiesta of San Francisco is held each October. Six miles north of Magdalena is a dirt road which turns off to the west and winds for two miles through richly cultivated small farms to the Mission of San Ignacio. The mission faces an unkept plaza, forming a striking contrast to its own neat, well preserved appearance. It is best to see San Ignacio in the afternoon when the sun lights up its face. The first impression as you come into the plaza is that of a toy building, crudely fashioned by a child's hands. As you go nearer and appreciate its sturdy structure, the outline

MAP BY GEORGE AVEY

pattern seems more of a definite construction plan. The present day inhabitants of San Ignacio are devoutly attentive to their mission. It always looks as if it just had a fresh coat of white paint. Reinforcement and repairs have been made where they were needed most. The interior is pathetically plain with only the crudest adornments and benches, but the stillness inside these thick old walls, built to stand for centuries, grips you as your imagination takes a flight backward. After a parting look at the mission striped with lengthening shadows, we left San Ignacio with admiration and envy in our hearts for the simple formula of existence which seemed to be a heritage of its people. Returning to Magdalena you go south on The site of the Mission of Oquitoa was selected by Father Kino in 1689 and stands today an eloquent reminder of the days of the Spanish Conquest.

Hermosillo Highway to Santa Ana where you turn westward again, to make Altar your destination for the night. From Santa Ana it is nearly fifty miles over a well worn, dirt and gravel road. If you plan to arrive before dark, there are no hazards or uncertainties on the way.

Altar has a more recently built church than some of the famous missions on the Kino chain but it is still impressive. Father Kino passed through Altar many, many times on his way to and from Caborca and often used it as a stopover in his various expeditions. This little town became the commercial center of the rich Altar valley and after the Pima outbreak in 1751, a military outpost was established here.

Most interesting will be your overnight stop in the hospitable old boarding house. The hostess will make you comfortable, feed you well, inquire solicitously of your health, and bid you God speed when you take your reluctant leave. It is good old family style. Actually it is a colossal old Spanish type home built around a large patio. Its walls are thick and massive; the ceilings high and it is cool inside both in summer and winter. The construction is unique with innovations of an ancient time which serve their purpose well today.

Pitiquito and Caborca lie to the southwest of Altar. You can enjoy a full night's sleep before starting out from Altar as these two missions can easily be seen in a day. The road leads through an ideal farming country with many houses lining the way. As the terrain becomes rolling, you are approaching Pitiquito. Here a very plain but impressive church stands on the highest ground. The village spreads out irregularly all around. There is no plaza with green trees around Pitiquito.

There is little of interest to be found in the village so it is best to go on to Caborca. After leaving behind some scattered farms, the road seems to lead to a region which you can sense as the end of the trail. Long before you arrive in the town, the twin towers of Caborca dominate the landscape. When you drive down the barren streets of the town you will be surprised to discover that the mission still is a mile distant.

There is a narrow, uncertain road that winds its way across some washed out arroyas which bespeak the fury of cloudbursts common in this region. Then you pass down a wide, unkept stretch of road that is somehow reminiscent of the glory that was Caborca at its height. As you get out of your car and stand in front of Caborca, the magnificent, you can sense how proudly it rears its head heavenward. You can also realize, too, how Caborca has emerged defiantly from a stormy existence. This is by far the most elaborate and imposing mission on the entire Kino chain. Behind its neglected, yet impressive front, there's a story of sweat, strife, martyrdom, rebellion and destruction.

Caborca is one of the few missions whose first construction was supervised by Father Kino. The building of most of the others was left entirely to his assistants. He recognized the importance of this site as a base of operations from which additional explorations and missionary work could be pushed westward. It was for this reason that Kino concentrated on its early construction, the completion of which was left to Father Francisco Xavier Saeta who took over this post on October 21, 1694.

Soon afterward, in 1695, a band of Pimas in rebellion swept down upon the mission, murdered Father Saeta and burned the buildings. Father Saeta was the first padre serving in Pimeria Alta to give his life in martyrdom for the cause of Christianity. The year 1751 saw the murder of Father Tomas Tello who was then serving at Caborca. Although its prosperity had declined, it was still the largest of the Pima missions when the Franciscans took it over in 1767.

Revolutions and strife have swept by Caborca leaving their scars. The settlement gradually moved a mile away to grounds more protected from floods which swept down the Altar valley periodically. In 1857 Henry Crabbe, an American filibuster with a band of ruffians bent on seizing control of Sonora, came to grief at Caborca. Harassed and caught up with by Mexican Federal Troops, Crabbe and his followers barricaded themselves inside the mission. Today, scars of siege and vandalism mar the face but not the soul of Caborca.

A few years ago, an unusually disastrous cloudburst undermined the back wall of the mission, causing the cave-in of a large section of the rear of the building.You can return to Altar in time for after-noon siesta and tea. Around the living room of the Inn that evening you will enjoy a more intimate acquaintance with the family and some of the villagers who are certain to drop in. Go to bed early for the morrow will be a hard day, down some little used roads that carry you through one of the most fascinating parts of Kino land. You should also make plans to take a lunch with you.

Rise early so that you can make your destination by nightfall with ample time to see and reflect along the way. About ten miles northeast of Altar there is Oquitoa. It is on a hill, away from and overlooking the village. The unusually large cemetery close by bears witness to the importance of Oquitoa during the years past. Oquitoa was on the route which Padre Kino used when making "entradas" to the west and consequently it was visited frequently by him. He selectedthe site in 1689 and left it to Father Antonio Arias to carry on.

Oquitoa Mission today is in a pitiful state of deterioration. On the exterior, most of the plaster covering it has fallen away, exposing the adobe bricks to the elements which have already caused bad erosion. The natives of Oquitoa seem to be direct descendants of the early Spaniards who settled the fertile fields here. They are fair in complexion, soft mannered and have a dignified bearing despite their meager existence.

The villagers are happy and proud of the appearance of their little town. They have diverted a flow of water from the irrigation ditches to nourish shade trees planted along the road. A primitive water wheel turns an ancient power plant to produce electric lights for the village. Water is abundant through the valley of the Altar a striking contrast to the neighboring regions in this desert land. But without the foresight and skill of the early inhabitants in controlling and using this water through expertly laid out irrigation ditches, the valley would still be barren except along the banks of the river. Life along the Altar is carried on today much the same as it was in Father Kino's time. You could tarry a day here but the road is long and you should be on your way.

Another few miles up the valley, is the little village of Atil, almost a carbon copy of Oquitoa. There is a modern chapel built The mission at Caborca, in Sonora, is one of the few missions whose first construction was supervised by Father Kino. The building of most of the others was left entirely to his assistants. Revolutions and strife have swept by Coborca leaving their scars, but the mission holds its proud place as it has since the seventeenth century.

Close to the ruins of the mission. Out in front, two huge bells from the ruined mission are suspended on a rack made of mesquite poles. You will enjoy a stop in the village for soft drinks, cigarettes or candy at one of the stores. The villagers are kindly and friendly. If you speak Spanish they will gladly tell you stories of the past and ask you many questions about the outside world.

Midway to Tubutama, your next objective, there are some dim ruins which are supposed to be of a mission on the Kino chain. They merit only a passing glance unless your passion be the study of ruins.

Just before Tubutama comes into view you enter another agricultural basin. Regardless of the season of the year, you will always find the farmers busy. The land is irrigated but the farms look far from prosperous. They could easily produce a surplus of food to sell but Tubutama is far in the back country, isolated by the lack of good roads to any market. Around a bend in the tree-lined lane, there it is like all missions, standing high on high ground, reigning above the village with a commanding view of the valley from its bell tower.

Tubutama is a larger settlement than the ones you have passed on the way from Altar, and is an important center of that region of the Altar valley. The mission faces a plaza (Continued on Page Thirty-eight)