Saint Francis Chapel - Warner Springs, CA - Bell Towers on Waymarking.com

Taken from the website, "About the Chapel

The adobe chapel was built by Cupeños under the "supervision" of the Verona Fathers from the Santa Ysabel Mission. The wood and adobe was brought in from the hills nearby. The Cupeños had lived on these grounds for centuries and considered the area to be of great medicinal and spiritual value. There is still a mass conducted weekly at the chapel, and the cemetery next door still conducts burials.

This chapel is said to be the beginning grounds from where the Trail of Tears was lead. There is a plaque commemorating this event. The land dispute in 1897 over the Native American residents unfortunately ordered them to leave.

Theodore Roosevelt intervened, offering to buy the land from the owners, who were at the time heirs of the former CA Governor John Downey.

Cecille Blacktooth, leader of the Cupeños, refused to move. He replied, "You see that graveyard over there? They are our fathers and grandfathers. You see that eagle nest mountain and rabbit hole mountain? When God made them, he gave us this place. We have always been here. We do not care for any other place. It may be good but it is not ours...this is our home...if Harvey Downey says he owns this place, that is wrong..." In 1903 the Cupeños were relocated to the Pala Indian Reservation.

"We do not know what lies beyond where the sun rises in the morning-

We do not know where the sun goes down at night-

We only know our home." -- Chief of Cupeños"

(visit link)

Address of Tower: Warner Springs, CA, USA Still Operational: yes Number of bells in tower?: 1 Relevant website?: [Web Link] Rate tower: Tours or visits allowed in tower?: No

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