y ▁May org a ▁in ▁ 1 7 7 9 , ▁Cost ans ó ▁began ▁work ▁on ▁a ▁new ▁pow der ▁factory ▁in ▁the ▁pueblo ▁of ▁Santa ▁Fe ▁near ▁Mexico ▁City ▁— ▁a ▁project ▁that ▁last ed ▁over ▁two ▁years . ▁D raft ing ▁plans ▁for ▁road ways , ▁he ▁super vised ▁the ▁p aving ▁of ▁streets ▁and ▁level ing ▁of ▁paths ▁in ▁Mexico . ▁He ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁consult ant ▁on ▁the ▁dra ining ▁of ▁Lake ▁Chal co ▁to ▁supply ▁water ▁for ▁Mexico ▁City . ▁He ▁designed ▁a ▁to b acco ▁factory , ▁co ck - f ight ing ▁ar ena , ▁botan ical ▁gard ens , ▁house ▁of ▁mer cy , ▁f ount ains ▁for ▁Mexico ▁City ' s ▁main ▁pla zas , ▁and ▁the ▁Academy ▁of ▁San ▁Carlos ▁for ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁fine ▁arts , ▁where ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁professor ▁of ▁geometry . ▁ ▁Plan ▁to ▁sett le ▁art is ans ▁in ▁coast al ▁California ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 7 8 0 s , ▁officials ▁in ▁New ▁Spain ▁( M ex ico ) ▁asked ▁Cost ans ó ▁for ▁advice ▁on ▁how ▁to ▁bol ster ▁the ▁small ▁colon ies ▁of ▁people ▁who ▁had ▁migr ated ▁from ▁Mexico ▁to ▁sett le ▁near ▁new ▁Catholic ▁miss ions ▁along ▁the ▁California ▁coast . ▁The ▁California ▁miss ions ▁and ▁pue bl os ▁needed ▁sk illed ▁art is ans ▁in ▁particular . ▁Cost ans ó ▁proposed ▁that ▁each ▁imm igr ant ▁art isan ▁spend ▁at ▁least ▁four ▁years ▁teaching ▁mission ▁Indians , ▁while ▁receiving ▁a