Mission Santa Inés Booklet

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View of the valley from Mission grounds. Santa Ynez Valley The Santa Ynez Valley, situated near the center of Santa Barbara County about 45 miles north of Santa Barbara and 150 miles northwest of Los Angeles, remains largely undisturbed by the pressures of urban activity. Solvang—In 1911, 107 years after the founding of the Mission, a Danish-American corporation purchased Rancho San Carlos de Jonata. Their purpose was to found a Danish colony and folk school where Danish-Americans could be trained in the Danish lifestyle. The Danes established Solvang, which means “sunny fields,” on a site that the Chumash Indians called Alajulapu. In the 1940s Solvang began to acquire its now characteristic Danish architectural style. Today Solvang is one of California's most popular tourist attractions. Santa Ynez—Several miles east of the Mission is the town of Santa Ynez, founded as a “western town” in 1882, a character it very much retains to this day. It is home to the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum and is adjacent to the Santa Ynez Indian Reservation. Ballard—Ballard was founded in 1881 and is the oldest community in the Santa Ynez Valley. It has two historical landmarks: the little red school of Ballard built in 1883 and still in use today; and the Santa Ynez Valley Presbyterian Church built for just over $300 in 1898, which presently serves as a private funeral chapel. Los Olivos—Established in 1887, Los Olivos was originally a stagecoach and narrow-gauge railroad stop at Mattei's Tavern, a now-famous restaurant and historical landmark. In recent years it has become well known for its abundance of art galleries. Buellton—Buellton was founded in 1897 on land sold by R. T. Buell that had formerly been part of Rancho San Carlos de Jonata. Buellton was the final link of newly constructed U.S. Highway 101 in 1922 and was the site for its formal dedication and opening; 10,000 people arrived to celebrate this major economic accomplishment for the State of California. Buellton hosts the valley's weekly farmers' market. The Mission Museum The Santa Inés Mission Museum houses a collection of vestments, artwork, documents, and artifacts that were used in and around the Mission throughout its history. The Museum's existence is due in large part to the care given the Mission art and artifacts by Father Buckler's niece, Mamie Goulet. It was through her twenty years of effort (1904 to 1924) that many items were cleaned, repaired, and restored to their original beauty. Repair and restoration work on the Museum building took place during Father Timothy O'Sullivan's term (1950s–60s). Partitions, doors, and window frames were removed to allow the reopening of original doorways that had been sealed. The original tile floor was exposed after wooden flooring was removed. Father Timothy also removed a low concrete bench-wall under the front corridor, which had been built by Father Buckler. The museum rooms were repaired, plastered, and rewired. New exhibition cases were p…