Mission San Francisco Solano was the 21st, last, and northernmost mission in Alta California. It was named for Saint Francis Solanus. It was the only mission built in Alta California after Mexico gained independence from Spain. The mission was established in 1823 due to a collaborative effort between California governor Luis Argüello and Franciscan friar José Altimira. It was closed and converted to a parish in 1834, having been smaller in number of converts and having had lower productivity and diversity of industries than the older California missions.