1st ½ Corpus Christi de Ysleta (Rio Grande) San Francisco de los Tejas (Neches R.) San Juan Bautista (Rio Grande) San Antonio de Valero (Alamo – San Antonio R.) San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo (San Antonio R.) San Saba de la Santa Cruz (San Saba R.) Missions of Texas (and one in Mexico) At the time, (1689) the only Spanish settlement in Texas was in the Mountains and Basins Region in El Paso. Ft. St. Louis Alonso de Leon SPANISH MISSIONS: Attempt #1 The Spanish sent Fray Damien Massanet to East Texas to start a mission for the Tejas tribe of the Southeastern Culture. So… what did the Spanish government DO in response to de Leon’s news? That’s right!!! They stopped ignoring Texas and started building missions as close to French Louisiana as possible in their attempt to colonize Texas!!! When we last left our story… La Salle had been killed, his settlement called Ft. St. Louis had been destroyed. Alonso de Leon had returned to Mexico City to tell the viceroy about the fate of the French settlement of Ft. St. Louis. It was called Corpus Christi de Ysleta. It was founded in However, that was WEST Texas… it’s time to move EAST! The first mission in East Texas, San Francisco de los Tejas, was started in Difficulties with the Tejas Indians, problems with floods, failed crops and supply shortages doomed the East Texas missions So, in 1693, Massanet and the surviving frairs burned the missions and went back to Mexico. 1st ½ Mexico City E E La Bahia del Espiritu Santo (Guadalupe R.) After the failure of the Tejas Mission, the Spanish started building missions a little farther west. Some of them were known as “Gateway Missions”. Those were mostly along the Rio Grande and served as supply stops for the missions farther east. One of the “Gateway Missions” was San Juan Bautista. Built in 1699, it was known as a halfway stop between Mexico and the missions farther east. Some other missions you should know about are: San Antonio de Valero – known as the “Alamo” it was built in 1718 on the San Antonio River San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo – known as “Mission San Jose” it was built in 1721 on the San Antonio River and was the most successful of all the Spanish missions La Bahia del Espiritu Santo – known as the “Goliad Mission” was built in 1722 on the Guadalupe River. It was first built on top of the site of Fort Saint Louis, but was moved farther up river a little later San Saba de la Santa Cruz – known as the “San Saba Mission” was built in 1757 and was an attempt to Christianize the Plains tribes. Umm… that went well…

Native Americans Served Date Founded and River Official Name Symbol We’re going to call it… Claim to Fame San Saba de la Santa Cruz Mapping the Missions Ysleta 1 st permanent settlement of Europeans in Texas Jumano and Tiguas 1682 Rio Grande 1 st Corpus Christi de Ysleta Tejas Mission 1 st Spanish mission after La Salle (East TX) Caddos (Tejas) 1690 Neches San Francisco de los Tejas San Juan ½ -way supply station between Mexico City and Missions of East Texas – not in TX (a “Gateway Mission”) Coahuiltecans 1699 Rio Grande San Juan Bautista ½ Known as the Alamo – built b/c they needed a midway point b/t Bautista and E. TX Tonkawa Coahuiltecans 1718 San Antonio Valero (Alamo) San Antonio de Valero “Queen of the Missions”, the most successful mission in TX (on the SA Mission Trail) Tonkawa Coahuiltecans 1721 San Antonio San Jose San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo La Bahia (Goliad) First established on Ft. St. Louis site, then moved to Guadalupe River (became Goliad) Karankawa 1722 Guadalupe La Bahia del Espiritu Santo San Saba (The Plains Mission) Apaches asked for the mission to protect them from Comanches – MASSACRE!! Failed b/c Plains Indians were too independent Apache & Comanche 1757 San Saba E