Spanish missions in California/Gallery
(PD) Photo: Charles C. Pierce
The San Antonio de Pala Asistencia (or "Pala Mission" as it is known today) circa 1900. Pala is architecturally unique among all of the Franciscan missions in that it boasts the only completely freestanding campanile, or "bell tower," in all of Alta California. It is also the only outpost that has ministered without interruption to the Mission Indians for whom it was originally built since its inception, and is the only "sub-mission" still intact.[1](PD) Photo: Charles C. Pierce
Mission San Luis Rey de Francia is home to with the first Peruvian Pepper Tree (Schinus molle) planted in California in 1830, visible at right behind the arches in the above photograph (taken circa 1900).[2](PD) Photo: Joe Radigan MACM / United States Navy
Between 1944 and 1945, twenty-seven Mission Buenaventura-class fleet oilers were built (two additional vessels were converted to distilling ships after their keels had been laid).[3] Many of the ships, such as the USNS Mission Capistrano (T-AO-112) shown above, served with the United States Navy during World War II and on into the Cold War.