Wichita Falls in Wichita County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Texan Santa Fe Expedition
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 14, 2016
1. Texan Santa Fe Expedition Marker
Expedition crossed the
Wichita River
near this spot
August 4, 1841
Wichita Falls Junior Historians
sponsored this marker on the
Expedition’s 100th anniversary.
Erected 1941 by Wichita Falls Junior Historians.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Notable Events. A significant historical date for this entry is August 4, 1841.
Location. 33° 54.782′ N, 98° 30.735′ W. Marker is in Wichita Falls, Texas, in Wichita County. Marker can be reached from Sunset Drive, 0.1 miles north of 3rd Street, on the right when traveling north. Marker is located along the Wichita River Trail, just east of Sunset Drive, at the junction with a short access path from Sunset Drive. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Wichita Falls TX 76301, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Spanish War Veterans Statue (approx. ¾ mile away); The Lost Battalion (approx. one mile away); First County Officials (approx. one mile away); Texas Governor James V. Allred (approx. one mile away); Joseph Hudson Barwise (approx. one mile away); Charlye Ola Farris (approx. one mile away);
this page online
More about this marker. Marker is a large metal tablet mounted vertically at knee-level on a waist-high sandstone monument.
Also see . . .
1. Texan Santa Fe Expedition. The Texan Santa Fe Expedition of 1841 was occasioned by President Mirabeau B. Lamar's desire to divert to Texas at least a part of the trade then carried over the Santa Fe Trail and, if possible, to establish Texas jurisdiction over the Santa Fe area. The expedition set out from Kenney's Fort, twenty miles north of Austin, and pursued a northwestern course in the direction of the present site of Wichita Falls, where the Wichita River was mistaken for Red River. The pioneers followed the valley of the Wichita from August 5 until August 17. They finally realized their error and sent a company farther north to search for Red River. On August 20 a guide returned to lead the command to the northwest. Harassed by Indians and suffering because of insufficient provisions and scarcity of water, the expedition slowly made its way. (Submitted on January 17, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 14, 2016
2. Texan Santa Fe Expedition Marker (wide view; Wichita River overlook in background on left)
2. Texan Santa Fe Expedition (1841). Throughout the period of the Republic of Texas and ending with the Compromise of 1850, Texas claimed a large area to the north and west of its current boundaries. This area included a large stretch of the Santa Fe trail, a lucrative trade route that linked Missouri (then the eastern boundary of the United States) with the town of Santa Fe in present day New Mexico. President Lamar appointed commissioners to the region and promised governmental representation and other benefits to its citizens. Then, without the approval of the Congress of the Republic, Lamar launched an expedition to Santa Fe to effect his plan. The expedition ended in failure. It became yet another of a series of encounters between Texas and Mexico that would lead to the annexation of Texas by the United States, and ultimately, the Mexican-American war. (Submitted on January 17, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on January 21, 2019. It was originally submitted on January 17, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 321 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 17, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
