Remembering Carey McWilliams

A n t o n R efr e gie r . P R E A C H I N G A N D F A R M I N G A T M I S S I O N D O L O R E S . R in c o n C e n t e r , 1 9 4 1 - 4 8 . A n t o n R efr e gie r (1 9 0 5 —1 9 7 9 ) w o n th e go v e r n m e n t - sp o n so r e d c o m ­ p e t it io n fo r th e d e c o r a t io n o f th e R in c o n A n n e x P o st O ffice in 1941C h a r g e d w ith th e su b je c t o f N o r t h e r n C a lifo r n ia h istor y , R efr e gie r b e gan th e m u r als th at y e ar b u t c e ase d w o r k d u r in g W o r ld W ar II an d d id n o t co m p le t e th e p r o je c t u n t il se v e n y ear s later . D u r in g th e in t e r v e n in g tim e, th e a r tist agr e ed t o m ak e sev er al c h a n ge s r e q u este d by sp e c ial in ter est gr o u p s. T h e r esu lts, h ow ev er , r e m ain e d co n tr o v e r sia l. In 195 3, m em b er s o f th e U n it e d St a t e s H o u se o f R e p r e se n t a t iv e s ar gu ed t h a t th e m u r als c o n t a in e d su b v er siv e C o m m u n ist p r o p a gan d a a n d sh o u ld b e d e str o y ed . H o w e v er , R efr e gie r an d h is su p p o r te r s p r ev aile d . T h e m u r als m ay b e see n to d ay a t th e r est o r e d R in c o n C e n t e r o n M issio n St r e e t in d o w n to w n Sa n Fr an cisco . T h is tw e n ty - se v e n p a n e l ser ies b e gin s w it h C a lifo r n ia In d ian s an d th e ar r iv al o f th e Sp a n ish , t h e n p r o c e e d s t o P re ac h in g an d Farm in g at M issio n D o lo re s. In th is p an el, R efr e gie r agr e ed to r ed u ce th e b u lk o f th e p r ie st in o r d er to a v o id o ffe n d in g t h e C a t h o lic ch u r c h . H e p la c e d th e I n d ian lab o r er s in th e fo r egr o u n d t o...