In 1810 New Spain announced its independence and turned into the Republic of Mexico, and in 1834 the missions were secularized. They fell under rapid decay, and with the arrival of Americans from the East during the gold rush and with the population explosion, they were nearly forgotten. A lot of myths and legends have romanticized this brief period in Western history, which was certainly more drudgery than romantic delight, and yet these short-lived mission buildings and their gardens have maintained a heavy influence which goes on to this day. Some of the designs of Western agriculture set by themissions prosper in modern-day California. The first vineyards were planted by the padres to give sacramental wine, and the first citrus plantations were cultivated to supply oranges and lemons to cure’ scurvy-ridden sailors who docked at California harbors after spending months at sea.
When America started to search for indigenous styles of architecture at the end of the 19th century, the East Coast turned to the colonial past for some inspiration. In the West, the collapsing missions seemed to indicate a native style. In 1894, architect Arthur B. Benton, designer of the Mission Inn in Riverside, and historian Charles Fletcher Lummis
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