I loved these bronze re-creations of the mission/forts. Each of the missions had this representation done. However, only Mission San Jose had this top recreation.

Founded in 1720, the mission had a beautiful large church with a convent to house the monks and 84 two-room apartments with communal cooking ovens for the locals. At its peak, there were 350 First Americans living there.

Strict discipline was the order of the day. Everyone in the mission had daily religious instruction and attended church three times a day. The men and boys worked in fields or at various trades. Some tended livestock. The women and girls prepared food, did housework, carded wool and fished. Everyone helped at harvest time.

In the evening, they could relax and entertain themselves until dark before retiring to raised buffalo-hide beds.