Editing Mission San José (California) (section)

===Rancho period (1836–1853)===

During the transition to full secularization, Father José González Rubio remained at the Mission as chief administrator for the church, while José de Jesús Vallejo (brother of General [[Mariano G. Vallejo]]) was appointed a civil administrator.  The Mission lands were gradually parceled out to private landowners.  In 1842, Father González Rubio was transferred to [[Mission Santa Barbara]].  The native people fled but found themselves unable to readjust to their former way of life; many subsequently died of disease and starvation.  The Mission buildings, granaries, orchards, and gardens were allowed to decay, and the great herds scattered. [[Mexico|Mexican]] Governor [[Pío Pico]] sold the Mission property to private interests in 1845 for $12,000. During the 1848 [[California Gold Rush]], H. C. Smith converted the Mission to a general store, saloon, and hotel. The town of Mission San José became a thriving provision center at the gateway to the [[Southern Mines]]. The names of many pioneer families prominent in early California history, including [[Robert Livermore|Livermore]], [[Luís María Peralta|Peralta]], and [[Ignacio Alviso|Alviso]], were closely linked to the Mission.