The Ciurca Eurypterid Collection Sam Ciurca (at left) and Erik Tetlie hold important specimens of Eurypterus remipes lacustris (YPM.207290) from the Late Silurian Williamsville Formation at Bennett Quarry, Buffalo, New York, USA.
San Diego Historic Landmark. Mission Basilica San Diego de AlcalÃ¡ was the first Franciscan mission in The Californias, a province of New Spain. Located in present-day San Diego, California, it was founded on July 16, 1769 by Spanish friar JunÃ­pero Serra in an area long inhabited by the Kumeyaay.
As they did in other parts of Spanish America, missionaries played an important role in establishing settlements, spreading Spanish culture and Catholicism, and overseeing Spanish interests in Texas. Fray Antonio de Olivares led the Franciscan missionaries who founded the San Antonio de Valero Mission in 1718. The Spanish began construction of the current stone mission complex in 1744. The complex included a chapel, a convento (priestâs residence), small dwellings, storehouses, and workshops.