11:eleven Photography

Mission San Juan Bautista was founded in 1797. It is associated with several unsettling historical facts and legends. These range from its precarious geographical location to local ghost lore. Many locals and visitors report paranormal activity. They have seen Native American apparitions near the mission. Others have seen apparitions at the old rodeo grounds. Due to its location, the mission has been repeatedly damaged by seismic activity. A series of powerful quakes in 1800 cracked adobe walls from top to bottom. The 1906 San Francisco earthquake caused the church’s side walls to collapse.

Well. Apparently the history of the California missions I learned in 5th grade was not the whole story. To be fair, I don’t remember much of it, and just wanted to stop for the photography opportunity.

As we strolled the mission at San Juan Bautista, my beautiful wife was delighted to bring me back to reality. She shared the dark history behind the missions. I am sure the architecture was amazing for the period. Still, it pales in comparison to the horrors committed inside its walls.

Like other missions, it subjected local Ohlone and other Indigenous peoples to forced labor. This effectively created a slave system. They built the mission and were forbidden to leave. This destroyed their traditional lives.

The mission network, including San Juan Bautista, caused immense suffering among Native populations. Diseases such as smallpox led to many deaths. Estimates suggest tens of thousands died across the network.

The mission cemetery is the final resting place for over 4,000 Native Americans and European settlers. Local lore describes the bodies as being buried in layers. This arrangement is sometimes referred to as “like a lasagna.” This is due to the high volume of deaths during the mission period.

Fucking dicks.