ants ▁of ▁mission ▁lands ▁were ▁made ▁directly ▁by ▁the ▁Spanish ▁Crown . ▁But , ▁given ▁the ▁remote ▁locations ▁and ▁the ▁inher ent ▁difficulties ▁in ▁communic ating ▁with ▁the ▁territorial ▁govern ments , ▁power ▁was ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁vic ero ys ▁of ▁New ▁Spain ▁to ▁grant ▁lands ▁and ▁establish ▁miss ions ▁in ▁North ▁America . ▁Pl ans ▁for ▁the ▁Al ta ▁California ▁miss ions ▁were ▁laid ▁out ▁under ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁King ▁Charles ▁III , ▁and ▁came ▁at ▁least ▁in ▁part ▁as ▁a ▁response ▁to ▁recent ▁sight ings ▁of ▁Russian ▁fur ▁trad ers ▁along ▁the ▁California ▁coast ▁in ▁the ▁mid ▁ 1 7 0 0 s . ▁The ▁miss ions ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁inter connected ▁by ▁an ▁over land ▁route ▁which ▁later ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Cam ino ▁Real . ▁The ▁detailed ▁planning ▁and ▁direction ▁of ▁the ▁miss ions ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁carried ▁out ▁by ▁Fri ar ▁Jun í per o ▁Ser ra , ▁O . F . M . ▁( who , ▁in ▁ 1 7 6 7 , ▁along ▁with ▁his ▁fellow ▁pri ests , ▁had ▁taken ▁control ▁over ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁miss ions ▁in ▁B aja ▁California ▁Pen ins ula ▁previously ▁admin ister ed ▁by ▁the ▁Jes uits ). ▁ ▁The ▁Rev . ▁F erm ín ▁Francisco ▁de ▁Las u én ▁took ▁up ▁Ser ra ' s ▁work ▁and ▁established ▁nine ▁more ▁mission ▁sites , ▁from ▁ 1 7 8 6 ▁through ▁ 1 7 9 8 ; ▁others ▁established ▁the ▁last ▁three ▁comp ounds , ▁along ▁with ▁at ▁least ▁five