Join host Damian Bacich and guest Eric Plunkett as they dive into the fascinating early maritime history of California.

Plunkett reveals surprising details about Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo's 1542 expedition, including his connection to Cortez and the fall of Tenochtitlan. Learn how Cabrillo documented Chumash village names that remained unchanged for centuries and how Native American trade networks helped Spanish explorers communicate across vast distances.

Discover lesser-known stories of the Manila Galleons, shipwrecks, and a possible "California Cabeza de Vaca" - a Spanish pilot who may have walked from Northern California back to Mexico City in the 1580s.

This episode challenges common assumptions about early California history and reveals the complex web of exploration, trade, and cultural exchange that shaped the region long before the mission era.

Eric Plunkett is a historian based in San Juan Capistrano specializing in early California exploration and indigenous history.

Send a Comment.

Support the show

Give a one-time donation

Learn more about the California Frontier Project:

• Website
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Facebook

Contact:
damian@californiafrontier.net

In Part 2 of my interview with Helena Hazleton, Museum Director at Mission San Luis Rey de Francia, we discuss its later history and some features that make it stand out among missions.

Main topics of Part 2:

• The mission's unique architecture, including its distinctive dome and lavandería
• Rare Spanish colonial artworks, some with surprising origins
• Jean Baptiste Charbonneau, son of Sacagawea, and his role at the mission
• How Mexican and Irish Franciscans worked to restore the mission
• Connections to Aztec and Maya art and the mission's adaptation to frontier life
• The historic mission cemetery

After listening to this episode, I'm sure you will want to visit the King of the Missions.

For more information:
Mission San Luis Rey de Francia

Send a Comment.

Support the show

Give a one-time donation

Learn more about the California Frontier Project:

• Website
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Facebook

Contact:
damian@californiafrontier.net

In this episode, I interview art historian Helena Hazleton, Director of the Museum at Mission San Luis Rey de Francia in Oceanside, California. In this captivating conversation, Helena shares her expertise on one of the largest and most productive California missions.

Main topics of Part 1:
- The unique history and founding of Mission San Luis Rey in 1798
- How the mission survived the devastating 1812 earthquake
- The story of Father Antonio Peyri and his influence on the mission's success
- The remarkable tale of Pablo Tac, a young Luiseño who wrote a grammar of his native language
- The mission's decline during Mexican rule and its abandonment
- Abraham Lincoln's role in returning the mission lands to the Catholic Church

Helena provides fascinating insights into the mission's architecture, its relationship with local indigenous peoples, and its place in California history. This interview offers a wealth of knowledge about one of the state's most important historical sites.

For more information:

Mission San Luis Rey de Francia

Send a Comment.

Support the show

Give a one-time donation

Learn more about the California Frontier Project:

• Website
• YouTube
• Instagram
• Facebook

Contact:
damian@californiafrontier.net