2. MissionAnza Expedition In 1775, Juan Bautista de Anza
identified a site for a mission in Santa Clara along the banks
of the river he named the Guadalupe. He returned in 1776 with
240 settlers including families who founded the Pueblo of San
Jose. De Anza's 1400 mile route from Mexico to this area is a
National Historic Trail. This trail includes Mission Santa Clara
and the Berryessa Adobe as interpretative sites. Mission Santa
Clara de Asis Father Tomas de la Pena arrived at Anza's mission
site in 1777 and constructed a temporary mission. Soon after,
Father Murguia arrived with cattle and supplies and named it
Santa Clara de Tamien. In 1779 the Guadalupe River flooded and
the mission was moved to higher ground. The church cornerstone
was laid in 1781, and on May 16, 1784 Father Serra dedicated
Mission Santa Clara de Asis. Mission Life In the late 1700s and
early 1800s, mission lands were cultivated with corn, peas,
beans and wheat. Thousands of acres were used as grazing land
for cattle and sheep. Converte