San Elizario in El Paso County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Juan de Onate Expedition - 1598
After many delays, Onate and his party of 400 men and members of their families left Santa Barbara, Mexico in January 1598. Instead of following the earlier routes, they crossed the Chihuahua desert to reach the El Paso area. In a ceremony at this site on April 30, 1598, Onate issued a proclamation known as La Toma, taking possession of the region for Spain. Included was all land drained by the Rio del Norte, the Rio Grande.
Proceeding north, Onate established headquarters near present Santa Fe and founded the province of New Mexico. As Governor, he directed exploration of the area until he resigned in 1607. Onate's expedition and La Toma brought Spanish rule to the American Southwest and preceded colonization efforts of other European nations on the North American continent.
Erected 1981 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 2877.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Exploration. A significant historical month for this entry is January 1598.
Location. 31° 35.117′ N, 106° 16.381′ W. Marker is in San Elizario, Texas, in El Paso County. Marker can be reached from the intersection of San Elizario Road and Church Street. Marker is located at the San Elizario Memorial Plaza. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1521 San Elizario Road, San Elizario TX 79849, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. San Elizario (here, next to this marker); Espejo Beltran Expedition - 1582-1583 (here, next to this marker); San Elizario Memorial Plaza (here, next to this marker); Rodriguez-Chamuscado Expedition - 1581 (here, next to this marker); Salt War (here, next to this marker); The Camino Real (here, next to this marker); The First Thanksgiving (here, next to this marker); Los Portales (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Elizario.
Also see . . . Don Juan de Oñate - Explorations. Oñate explored more than just New Mexico, taking a party north to the interior of the continent. (Submitted on November 22, 2010.)
Credits. This page was last revised on June 11, 2018. It was originally submitted on November 16, 2010, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. This page has been viewed 1,852 times since then and 47 times this year. Last updated on June 5, 2018, by Brian Anderson of Humble, Texas. Photos: 1. submitted on November 16, 2010, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. 2. submitted on June 5, 2018, by Brian Anderson of Humble, Texas. 3. submitted on November 16, 2010, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.