Native American photographer, artist and writer Osjetea Briggs was born on December 14, 1917, to Simeon Singleton Briggs (1877-1974) and Docia Augusta (Gant) Briggs (1894-1969) in Groesbeck, Limestone County, Texas. Following her high school . . . — — Map (db m186131) HM
In 1690, when Spain's Franciscan Fathers founded Mission San Francisco de los Tejas in East Texas, they found a young Indian girl living with her people beside a stream. The priests found her a willing ally for carrying the Catholic Faith to the . . . — — Map (db m27249) HM
In the mid-1700s, Indians of this region met at a trading ground near this site with Frenchmen who brought them manufactured goods, sometimes including guns and ammunition - products denied them by the Spanish who held sovereignty, but could not . . . — — Map (db m187195) HM
After living 1854-58 on the reservation set aside by State of Texas near Camp Cooper (30 mi. SW), the Comanche Indians with their goods were removed to Oklahoma. Near this spot on a head branch of Kickapoo Creek (so named, 1830) the . . . — — Map (db m187150) HM
Led by Francisco Vazquez de Coronado, this trail-blazing expedition set out from Mexico City in 1541 in search of Cibola, fabled 7 Cities of Gold. Finding only Indian pueblos, Coronado changed his course for Quivira, a supposedly wealthy Indian . . . — — Map (db m96835) HM
Although most Indians had left the Texas Panhandle by the 1880s, fear of Indian attacks was still prevalent among settlers who arrived in the next decade. On Jan. 29, 1891, rumors of approaching Indians spread throughout the entire region. For three . . . — — Map (db m96838) HM
The legacy of Quanah Parker and
Charles Goodnight is that former
enemies can become good friends
Arrow Sculptor: Charles A. Smith
— — Map (db m151421) HM
1874 the Comanche, Kiowa & Cheyenne fought Col Mackenzie & 4th Cavalry Palo Duro Canyon 6 mi NW of Wayside
Arrow sculptor: Charles A. Smith — — Map (db m154185) HM
In the opening battle of the U.S. Army's 1874 Indian campaign against the Southern Plains Indian Tribes, a force of 744 soldiers under Col. Nerlson A. Miles fought a 5-hour running battle with the Cheyenne, Comanche and Kiowa 10 mi. E. of this . . . — — Map (db m100514) HM
In Jan. 1831 Charles Fordtran, a German of Huguenot descent, joined the colony of Stephen F. Austin. His first work was to survey land for Austin's partner, Samuel May Williams. He was given a league (4,428.4 acres) as his fee. Soon he brought in . . . — — Map (db m146168) HM
One of numerous natural salt lakes in the Texas Panhandle. Its waters, although brackish, have been welcome enough at various times to Indians, buffalo hunters, and thirsty cattle on hot, dry days. The lake, having a shoreline of over six and a . . . — — Map (db m153245) HM
Quanah and the Comanche followed Blackwater Draw an ancient trail the wind erased through time
Arrow sculptor: Charles A. Smith — — Map (db m151416) HM
Celebrated Indian pass known from the earliest days of Spanish settlement · Identified with many a frontier fight and many a hostile inroad · Old ranger trail from the Medina to the Guadalupe River and the United States Army route between frontier . . . — — Map (db m24384) HM
The town of Bandera was named by Indians. In 1870, a young boy, Herman Lehman, was captured by the Apaches and later lived with the Comanches. At the age of 65 he told this story to Bandera historian J. Marvin Hunter: Lehman said the Comanches . . . — — Map (db m175888) HM
A Bandera County Deputy Sheriff, Capt. Jack Phillips, set out alone on Dec. 29, 1876, on an official visit to Sabinal Canyon. Indians attacked him at Seco Canyon Pass, 22 miles southwest of Bandera. Phillips raced for the nearest settlement. When . . . — — Map (db m117712) HM
This winding, 100-mile trail from San Antonio to Kerrville was, during the 19th century, a strategic patrol road traveled by Texas Rangers to protect the surrounding area from hostile Indian attacks.
During uneasy pioneer days roads such as . . . — — Map (db m117711) HM
During the mid-1800s the Texas Hill Country was the site of many hostile encounters, some deadly, between pioneer immigrants whose permanent settlements ran counter to area Native Americans accustomed to unrestrained hunting and gathering. One . . . — — Map (db m155608) HM
Long before white men arrived, this region was inhabited by Tonkawa and Comanche Indians. In 1691 the first Spanish explorers crossed this territory en route to east Texas. From their route, parts of “El Camino Real” (the King's . . . — — Map (db m126751) HM
Originated in 1820s. Crossed the present counties of Austin, Washington, Fayette, Lee, Bastrop; joined San Felipe, capital of Stephen F. Austin's colony, with Bastrop. Marked by James Gotier, a settler who (with several in his family) died in an . . . — — Map (db m126807) HM
The bluff stands 80 feet above the Colorado River at Wilbarger Bend. Josiah Wilbarger was an early settler whose family owned the land on the opposite side of the river during the 1800s. Josiah was one of a few Texans who were scalped and lived to . . . — — Map (db m79096) HM
Signer of the Texas
Declaration of Independence
Aide-de-camp to Gen. Houston at
San Jacinto
Commander of a regiment of Rangers
1836-37
Here his widow
Mrs. Elizabeth Coleman
and son, Albert V. Coleman
were killed by Indians
and . . . — — Map (db m82688) HM
From pack trails and wagon roads that marked this area at least 300 years, have developed such modern roads as U.S. Highway 181. The old trails of Indians, wild cattle and mustang horses formed highways for 17th, 18th and 19th century . . . — — Map (db m206886) HM
Oil capital of Bee County, Pettus was settled in the 1850's when John Freeman Pettus set up his sprawling ranch about 4 miles south of here.
The son of one of Stephen F. Austin's first 300 colonists, Pettus was an extensive cattle and horse . . . — — Map (db m211746) HM
Break in mountain chain from Lampasas River to Nolan Creek. Route to one of oldest Indian trails in Southwest, and escape point for Comanches after last raid in Bell County. On March 14-16, 1859, the Indians killed four settlers, including John . . . — — Map (db m174960) HM
Salado was officially establish in 1859 when Col. E.S.C Robertson donated land for a townsite and for a college. Col. Hermon Aiken drew a plat for the town, which developed along its main street. However, there had been activity here long before . . . — — Map (db m79922) HM
According to archeologists, human occupation of the Helotes area dates to about 7000 years before present, when small bands of Nomadic Indians who migrated seasonally in search of food and game camped in this vicinity.
Early Texas Pioneer John . . . — — Map (db m46922) HM
Native Americans camped near the headwaters of the San Antonio River for thousands of years before Spaniards established a permanent settlement here. The area's abundant water sustained a rich array of vegetation and wildlife and provided a cool . . . — — Map (db m239136) HM
The San Antonio de Padua Mission was founded in San Antonio in 1716 by the Franciscan Father, Antonio Olivares, and after merging with the San Francisco Solano Mission in 1718, it was officially founded as the San Antonio de Valero Mission. The . . . — — Map (db m9228) HM
Mills were used to grind grain such as corn or wheat into meal or flour for use as food. The grain was poured into the hopper which funneled it through the eye in the top millstone. Water drove the waterwheel which turned the top millstone. The top . . . — — Map (db m30749) HM
First founded 1718 c 1 mile to west, moved to a new site c 600 ft. to south of present site in 1719, a 1724 tornado destroyed the mission. Moved to present site 1724, for 20 years it was a cluster of thatched houses of wood posts. A small pox . . . — — Map (db m164427) HM
Apache attacks caused a new stone wall to be built to enclose the Mission. A new unfinished stone church was started to replace the collapsed church of 1744.
Mission population: 149 Indians.
George Nelson Artist Phil Collins Sponsor
1. . . . — — Map (db m164428) HM
After 72 years of being Mission San Antonio de Valero the site was secularized (closed as a Mission to train nomadic local Indians to become Christian Spanish citizens with farming and craft skills) in 1793. A town called Pueblo de Valero was . . . — — Map (db m164429) HM
This wall foundation of adobe bricks formed part of the Indian quarters built during the construction of the west wall of Mission San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo) in about 1750. During the Siege of the Alamo, February 23 to March 6, 1836, some of . . . — — Map (db m164441) HM
This is the ruins of the habitations of the friars and Indians; refrectory, kitchen and other regular offices. In the second patio there was a gallery with weaving rooms and rooms for storing materials and utensils.
The habitations of the . . . — — Map (db m30742) HM
On this site are the springs used by the inhabitants of the ancient Indian village and later by Mission San Antonio de Valero and its adjoining pueblo. — — Map (db m30555) HM
When these buildings were built, Texas was part of the Spanish colony of New Spain. The buildings were part of the Mission San Antonio de Valero, established by Franciscan missionaries in order to convert the Native Americans living in the vicinity . . . — — Map (db m30774) HM
This is the Long Barrack, the oldest building in San Antonio. It was built in 1724 as a convento or residence for priests and was originally part of the Mission San Antonio de Valero, now known as the Alamo. Since then it has been used as a . . . — — Map (db m30743) HM
In Oct. 1835, 4 local Mexican troopers of the Parras de Alamo Co. were sent to Gonzales to retrieve a loaned cannon. They were seized and killed, then c 90 of the Alamo Co. were sent to retrieve the cannon and were fired on. This started the Texas . . . — — Map (db m164431) HM
Following the Battle of The Alamo on March 6, 1836, the Mexican Army left 1,001 troops (some wounded) to clean up battle damage and refortify the Alamo. On May 19, 1836 orders arrived to demolish the fortifications and leave. 19 soldiers of the . . . — — Map (db m164433) HM
Alamo City Subdivision
Samuel Maverick was a S. Carolina land speculator who had arrived in San Antonio in 1835 just at the start of the revolution. Sent as a delegate to form a new government, he barely missed being in the Battle of the . . . — — Map (db m164434) HM
Former Mission San Antonio de Valero has seen many uses, the most famous of which was as a Texan fort during the Texas Revolution in 1835-36. The point where you are standing marks the southwest corner of "Fortress Alamo.” From this location . . . — — Map (db m164442) HM
This region was inhabited by native peoples from early times. Among them were the Payayas, who lived along a river they called Yanaguana. On June 13, 1691, Franciscan Father Damián Massanet arrived and christened the river San Antonio de Padua in . . . — — Map (db m31015) HM
The Waters of San Pedro Creek nourished Native Americans for thousands of years before a permanent Spanish settlement was established here in the early 1700s. Canary Islanders who arrived in 1731 and Adaesans who came from East Texas in 1772 . . . — — Map (db m214598) HM
Quanah was the son of Peta Nocona, a Quahadi chief, and Cynthia Ann Parker, a white woman who had been captured as a child by the Indians. In the Comanches' fierce campaigns to save the plains for the buffalo and the Indian, young Quanah soon became . . . — — Map (db m227495) HM
In 1709 Franciscan Fathers Antonio Olivares and Isidro Espinosa came upon an Indian campsite at the natural springs (1.4 miles north) which form the headwaters of this creek. They named the creek San Pedro and noted the area as a superior site for a . . . — — Map (db m213476) HM
How did a humble creek at the edge of Nueva España become a crossroads of many nations?
The Epic Story Of San Antonio de Béxar begins with these waters. They were a source of sustenance and refreshment for the first peoples here, many . . . — — Map (db m213480) HM
From its earliest encounters between people of all nations, Béxar became a mestizo community, a place where our humanity was transformed.
Geological Time Dwarfs human time but, the two are closely intertwined. For millennia San Pedro . . . — — Map (db m213492) HM
Constructed early in the 18th century by the Pajalache Indians as a part of their irrigation system, began here in La Villita and ended at Mission Concepción. The Padres and the Indians travelled in canoes between these places, as the acequia was . . . — — Map (db m237181) HM
The San Antonio River begins four miles north of here, fed by springs that rise from the Edwards Aquifer deep below the Texas Hill Country. The river is also fed by tributaries along its winding, southeasterly course to join the Guadalupe River . . . — — Map (db m119617) HM
The exceptional and historic rural atmosphere, vistas, waterways, wildlife, and natural features which are area treasures prompted the 82nd Texas legislature in 2011 to pass House Bill 1499, bestowing historic designation to the Scenic Loop, . . . — — Map (db m163359) HM
In the early years, mission Indians lived in small detached houses called jacales. In 1755, eighty-four of these jacales lined "streets" in what is today the plaza. But after 1768, as conflicts with Apaches and Comanches increased, the . . . — — Map (db m32738) HM
"It is truthfully the best of the Americas, and not in the like of the others; nor in all the frontier does the King have an outpost better constructed and easier to defend..."
Fr. Juan Agustín de Morfi, 1777-78
Mission San José and its . . . — — Map (db m33997) HM
No one knows why this intricate carving is now called "the Rose Window." Possibly dedicated to Saint Rose, its baroque beauty is entangled in many San Antonio legends that whisper of its mystery.
The artistry lavished on the church wall . . . — — Map (db m34069) HM
The missions of San Antonio were far more than just churches, they were communities. Each was a fortified village, with its own church, farm, and ranch. Here, Franciscan friars gathered native peoples, converted them to Catholicism, taught them to . . . — — Map (db m33990) HM
"The church...is a large, beautiful gallery of three vaults with a very pretty cupola...for its size and good taste, it could be the parish church of a great town."
Fr. Juan Agustín de Morfi, 1777-78
The church was central to the . . . — — Map (db m34077) HM
"From this roof one can hunt without risk, in comfort and with good success. I saw so many ducks, geese, and cranes in a nearby field that, as I said, they covered the ground, and so close to the house that it would be impossible to miss the . . . — — Map (db m34065) HM
There is something in the nature of man that will not tolerate the unexplored. Always he finds his perimeter of ground too small, and restless stirrings prod his feet until he has gazed from every peak.
Following this elusive music hundreds of . . . — — Map (db m30215) HM
A Veteran of San Jacinto, and three of his companions were killed by Indians, as were seven members of a rescue party on the following day — — Map (db m201633) HM
Here stood the early Court House, City Council Room, etc., and where occurred the Indian Massacre in 1840, and where the Court was captured in 1842. De Zavala Daughters of the Heroes of Texas. 1924. — — Map (db m142413) HM
Captain Toribio de Urrutia and Fray Santa Ana now determined to do their best to establish a permanent and lasting peace with the Apache nation. ...This was a great day for San Antonio. After thirty years of depredations, the harassed settlement was . . . — — Map (db m188838) HM
This Land Near the San Antonio River, known today as Brackenridge Park, has been a gathering place since prehistoric times. Because of this rich history, numerous archaeological projects have been conducted within the park. These investigations . . . — — Map (db m214785) HM
Native Americans Camped for thousands of years along the meandering river formed by springs near this site. They found shelter in the wooded landscape and were nourished by abundant vegetation and wildlife. Spanish colonists who arrived in the . . . — — Map (db m214754) HM
Jefferson (Jeff) Davis Smith, son of Henry M. and Fanny (Short) Smith, was born in Kendall County, Texas. Jeff, age 9, and his brother Clint, age 11, were kidnapped by Lipan and Comanche Indians while herding sheep near their home in 1871. Jeff . . . — — Map (db m177107) HM
Holy Ground
This is the site of a burial ground. Beginning about 1780, the remains of indigenous people and other local inhabitants were interred in this church that was never completed. They were removed during an archeological . . . — — Map (db m213536) HM
To assure a constant flow of water to Mission Espada's fields, Franciscans and Indians dug ditches curving along the contours of the river valley. Only here, where Sixmile Creek slashes the hillside, did the natural lay of the land impose a blockade . . . — — Map (db m213544) HM
Mission Espada has always had a spiritual heart, but it has not always beat in exactly the same location. Catastrophic epidemics struck Espada from time to time, and church construction efforts mirrored the population's rise and fall-as well as the . . . — — Map (db m215166) HM
Members Of Hunting And Gathering Tribes known collectively as Coahuiltecans found food and protection at Mission Espada in the 1700s. Daily life for those who chose to live here included instruction in language, religion, agriculture, building . . . — — Map (db m213718) HM
The last link in the mission chain and far from quick reinforcements, Espada was especially vulnerable to attack by roving enemies such as the Apache or Comanche.
Just one squad of eight privates led by a corporal and an officer were on duty . . . — — Map (db m215160) HM
has been designated a
Registered National
Historic Landmark
under the provisions of the
Historic Sites Act of August 21, 1955
This site possesses exceptional value
in commemorating and illustrating
the history of the United States . . . — — Map (db m195503) HM
For more than sixty years, this mission plaza was a busy place of learning - of faith and works, language and traditions. Along with practicing hymns, prayers, and doctrines, mission Indians learned the skills needed to grow crops, to raise cattle, . . . — — Map (db m217679) HM
Imagine a vast country without highways, walls, or buildings. This was Texas before the arrival of the Franciscans - a great open landscape crisscrossed by nomadic hunters searching for food. Yet, in the span of a single lifetime, Coahuiltecan . . . — — Map (db m215180) HM
More than a church, Mission Concepción was also a village, fort, school, farm, and ranch.
At the missions the Franciscans gathered the native peoples together, converted them to Catholicism, taught them Spanish culture, and sought to . . . — — Map (db m164052) HM
Mission Espada, The Southernmost of San Antonio's five Spanish missions, was established here on the west bank of the San Antonio River in 1731. The small missionary-led community first built crude huts (jacales) that were later replaced by . . . — — Map (db m213719) HM
Since water was vital to the permanency of San Francisco de la Espada Mission, the Franciscan missionaries and their Indian followers built a dam, irrigation ditch, and aqueduct. The 270-foot dam, an engineering feat which "curved the wrong way", . . . — — Map (db m195502) HM
Mission San Juan Capistrano, originally founded in East Texas in 1716, was reestablished here on the east bank of the San Antonio River in 1731. The mission community prospered in spite of its remote location, far from the Presidio of San . . . — — Map (db m213540) HM
Exploratory Expeditions Traveled North from New Spain (today's Mexico) beginning in the 1500s seeking to expand Spain's influence in America. In the following two centuries soldiers and priests accompanying these groups established presidios to . . . — — Map (db m213727) HM
The missions of San Antonio were far more than just churches, they were communities. Each was a fortified village, with its own church, farm, and ranch. Here, Franciscan friars gathered native peoples, converted them to Catholicism, taught them to . . . — — Map (db m217683) HM
The Texas A&M University-San Antonio Campus was built on land that once was conveyed by Spanish and Mexican land grants and traversed by several branches of El Camino Real de Tierra Afuera del Oriente (also known as El Camino Real de los Tejas . . . — — Map (db m98241) HM
The doorway where you now stand was once for a few years - the entrance to a church. For those who lived in Mission Espada more than two centuries ago, it was the portal to a new way of life.
The sacraments and feast days of the Catholic faith . . . — — Map (db m215170) HM
This quarry was the source of stone for building Mission Concepción and portions of Mission San José. Indian and Mestizo laborers used picks and axes to cut grooves in the limestone rock, and bars and wedges to pry up the rough blocks. . . . — — Map (db m164050) HM
The World Heritage Site Program was established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1972 to identify and honor cultural, natural, or mixed sites of worldwide importance. Participating countries . . . — — Map (db m213396) HM
Paisaje Ribereño
Estas tierras cerca del Rio San Antonio han sido un lugar de reunión desde que las primeras personas nativas acamparan aquí hace 11.500 años atrás. El río, alimentado por manantiales, provela agua y pescados y los . . . — — Map (db m216345) HM
Established in 1722 • Its Indian neophytes, few in number, passed into the care of the missionaries at San Antonio de Valero in 1726 • The land was later granted to the Mission Nuestra Señora de La Purísima Concepción de Acuña • Reestablished in . . . — — Map (db m163845) HM
Distribution in Texas
Live oak (Quercus virginiana) is among the most distinctive and longest-lived trees in the Texas landscape, living for hundreds of years in some cases. Live oaks thrive in varied environmental conditions across . . . — — Map (db m216429) HM
This Land Near The San Antonio River has been a human gathering place ever since native people first camped here 11,500 years ago. The spring-fed river provided water and fish, and nearby trees and shrubs were a source of fruit, nuts, and seeds. . . . — — Map (db m216282) HM
At an elevation of 1340 feet, Comanche Hill is the fourth highest point in Bexar County. The hill lies on the southeastern edge of the Edwards Plateau and makes up the western edge of the Blackland Prairie. Throughout history this site has provided . . . — — Map (db m157297) HM
Born in Tennessee in 1836, Thomas C. Felps came to Texas in 1850 and to this area in 1856. He earned a living by freighting and joined the Blanco County Rangers during the Civil War. In 1863 he married Eliza V. White (b. 1846), a native of Ohio. . . . — — Map (db m131395) HM
Shown on maps as Mucha Que, Mucha Kowa, Muchakooga, de Cordova, or Signal Hill, this peak rises to an elevation of 2862 feet. Its name is of Native American origin. About 1872, it was the site of a village where Apaches and Comanches traded with . . . — — Map (db m127256) HM
Indian fighter, lawman and rancher. Settled on the Palo Pinto County frontier, 1854. Led neighbors in defending homes during Indian raids.
In 1860 helped rescue Cynthia Ann Parker, who had been taken 24 years before by Comanches.
Captain . . . — — Map (db m194301) HM
Fought by Texan army of 23 men under Capt. Randal Jones (1786-1873), sent out 1824 by Stephen F. Austin to the Lower Brazos to fight cannibal Karankawa Indians. Scouts found the camp here. Attack at dawn found Indians ready with spears. Jones’ . . . — — Map (db m90241) HM
The newly formed Republic of Texas faced many problems. With
no credit and no resources other than land, the republic had a
debt of 1.25 million dollars. Hostile Indians plagued the population. The new government appropriated $20,000 to . . . — — Map (db m164574) HM
Called San Lorenzo by Juan Domínguez de Mendoza, 1684. Later Charco de Alzate in honor of an Apache chieftain. After Civil War given name of Burgess' water hole honoring John W. Burgess, pioneer freighter, who here outwitted the Apaches. The . . . — — Map (db m26390) HM
Early Human History in the Big Bend Region
Historic Period - AD 1535 - The first Spaniards entered the Big Bend beginning with Cabeza de Vaca in AD 1535. Spanish entradas in the late 1500s and 1600s led to the establishment . . . — — Map (db m220415) HM
1475 CE* 1492 - Columbus lands on San Salvador Island in the Caribbean West Indies 1497 - John Cabot, first known English party to land in North America, northeast Canada 1521 - Hernán Cortés conquers the Aztec Empire 1528 - Panfilo de Narváez . . . — — Map (db m160836) HM
1680 CE*
1683 – Juan Domínguez de Mendoza leads first expedition to La Junta de los Rios in 95 years
1693 – Juan Fernández de Retana leads expedition to protect native Jumano Indians from Apache Indian raids at La Junta . . . — — Map (db m160837) HM
You are now traveling the Comanche Trail blazed by Comanche Indians, en route from
the western plains to Mexico, and traveled later by emigrants and soldiers. It
extended south from the Horse Head Crossing of the Pecos by Comanche Springs . . . — — Map (db m53931) HM
The confluence of a creek, a river, and the hot springs drew people to this area thousands of years before Langford arrived. Living in the shadow of the cliffs, ancient people left rock art, midden areas, and bedrock mortars. These serve as . . . — — Map (db m218865) HM
When J.O. Langford homesteaded this section in 1909, he was moving into an area that had long been inhabited by native Americans. Walk this trail to view pictograph and petroglyphs created by prehistoric people hundreds or even thousands of years . . . — — Map (db m53936) HM
The Drive from Castolon to Santa Elena Canyon
Between Castolon and Santa Elena Canyon, the road passes along the broad floodplain of the Rio Grande. From the late 1880s until 1961, Mexican and American families lived, farmed, and ranched . . . — — Map (db m219279) HM
A natural watering place in prehistoric time, as evidenced by artifacts found here. Used later by Indians and Spaniards on roads from northern Mexico. As Maravillas Creek developed from a draw into water channel, old water hole vanished. About . . . — — Map (db m53933) HM
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