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Francia, founded in 1798, had a church
designed to hold scores of
worshippers and an
intricate water works system that was worthy of
its title, King of the Missions.
The mission diverted water from the San Luis
Rey River system to a storage reservoir. Pipes
from the reservoir led to a fountain where the
inhabitants could draw their drinking water.
A charcoal filter cleaned the water. From the
fountain, the water ran to a bathhouse and then
to a pool for laundry. From there, the water ran
into gardens and was lifted by waterwheels to
higher-ground orchards. Before it was released
into fields, it powered five granaries and a
sawmill. As an ulti
mate sign of power, wealth,
and technical sophistication, there was even a
faucet in the church.
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This system not only shared the water wealth,
but also showcased the abundance derived
from careful
management and recycling of a
li
mited precious resource.
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Chapter 2: Spanish Missions
it entered the flume. A four-inch sluice
(a gate to control the flow of
water) off the
flume powered a gristmill for grinding grain.
Irrigation ditches led to fields of i
mported olive
and pepper trees. As agriculture flourished,
the mission became a thriving enterprise.
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By that ti
me,
Mission San Diego de Alcalá
was no longer alone. Eighteen other missions
were connected by El
Camino Real (the Royal
Road), each with walled gardens, pal
m trees,
fountains, olive groves, vineyards and
orchards.
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In addition to the missions, the Spaniards
established ranchos (communally operated
farms) and pueblos (communally operated
towns). In 1784, the first ranchos were set up
at today’s National
City and Chula Vista near
Otay Mesa. They served to assert physical
control over the greater region and supply
agricultural goods for the mission.
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In 1791,
soldiers started farming at the foot of Presidio
Hill, at the site where the pueblo of San Diego
was established in 1823, which is now called
“Old Town.”
SAN LUIS REY: KING OF THE MISSI
ONS
The largest and most elaborate mission was
north of San Diego de Alcalá near today’s
Highway 101 in Oceanside, built by the
Luiseño Indians. Mission San Luis Rey de
The water works at San Luis Rey Mission
reflected the value the Spaniards placed
on water in an arid land. Life in Spain
had stressed the i
mportance of
water for
the survival of a community. In fact,
water was too i
mportant to be left to the
control of individuals. It was controlled
by a royal authority and distributed
according to the good of the community.
Everyone in the community was entitled
to water, and no one was entitled to
waste it. In San Diego County, these
principles applied directly to the missions.
The missions typically built a water
supply and an irrigation system before
building a church or housing. Everyone
who was to receive their benefits was to
work on them.
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WATER FOR THE COMMON GOOD