Surrounded by Mission Santa Inés’s serene grounds yet living in a modern world, Fr. Vincent Kerwick shows a pensive mood around 1928 at the center of California’s earliest history in present-day Solvang. This 19th mission had been established in 1804 in the beautiful Santa Ynez River Valley, 45 miles northeast of Santa Barbara. (Anderson Family Collection.)

On the Cover: Old Mission Santa Inés, Virgen y Mártir, is pictured around 1937 with its pastor, Father Kerwick. The mission, under the Capuchin Franciscan fathers’ management since 1924, has been completely restored and rebuilt along with most of the convento wing. The existing church was built in 1817 by Fr. Estévan Tápis, mission president of California’s Spanish missions. Considered one of the best examples of native Indian artistry, the mission still serves local Chumash and the neighboring community of Solvang. (Anderson Family Collection.)