Mission San Juan

The fourth mission of our tour was San Juan. Originally built in 1716 in eastern Texas, San Juan was moved to its current location in 1731. By 1756, a church, a friary, and a granary had been added. This mission became the biggest, busiest, and most successful of all the missions.

Eventually, San Juan became a totally self-contained, self-sustaining, community, producing iron tools and cloth, and preparing hides. Just outside the walled-in courtyard, they had gardens and orchards, providing melons, pumpkins, grapes, and peppers. Beyond the complex, native american farmers cultivated corn, beans, squash, sweet potatoes, and sugar cane. A ranch several miles away reportedly had sheep and cattle.

This produce not only supported the San Antonio missions, but also helped the local settlements. By the mid-1700s, San Juan had such an abundance of farm and pasture lands, they became a regional supplier of agricultural produce and established a trade network reaching east into Louisiana and south into Mexico