Heavenly Commission

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Lompoc, California (July 2005) Mission La Purisima - Founded in 1787, the La Purisima Mission land holdings once covered nearly 470 square miles. Bordered by the Santa Maria River in the North and the Gaviota coastline in the South, the land was home to the Chumash people and Spanish settlers. The mission was best known for its hides and blankets, and its inhabitants herded as many as 24,000 cattle and sheep.