This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
A monument two miles south of Go-


liad near Presidio La Bahia marks the grave of Col. Fannin and the others who were executed. Presidio La Bahia has been restored to its 1836 appear- ance and, along with two missions, is the only surviving example of a Spanish Colonial mission/presidio complex in Texas. Visitors can tour the site and chapel, as well as see the mu- seum’s artifacts and exhibits. A Goliad Massacre-Fort Defi ance Living His- tory Program in March re-enacts the occupation of the fort, Bat le of Coleto Creek and execution. The Zaragoza Birthplace State His-


Edinburg SCENIC WETLANDS


forces were caught in an open prairie near Coleto Creek. Aſt er fending off repeated at acks, the Texian forces were surrounded. Believing con tinued fi ghting was impossible and that by surrendering they would be released to the United States, Fannin and his offi cers surrendered. The Texian pris- oners were marched to nearby Goliad. Santa Anna ordered the execution of Goliad’s prisoners, which included other bat alions. Though exact number was unknown, more than 300 men, including Fannin, were executed. This pivotal event infl amed the Texas cause. At the decisive bat le at San Ja- cinto, Texian forces cried “Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!” The Fannin Bat leground State


Historic Site, built on the site of the Bat le of Coleto Creek, includes a 28-foot granite monument honor- ing Fannin and his men and the Cot- ton Gin Screw that marked the bat le site for many years. One of the survi- vors of the bat le who escaped the ex- ecution had marked the site with a pile of rocks that was later replaced by the screw. A historic bandstand has interpretive exhibits, and panels throughout the site tell the story and signifi cance of the bat le.


PHOTO: MICHAEL AMADOR/TXDOT


toric Site is next to Presidio La Bahia. Gen. Ignacio Seguin Zaragoza is known for commanding an outnumbered Mexi can army at Puebla against an elite French force on May 5, 1862. This bat le is considered a pivotal event in Mexico’s fi ght to retain its independence and is celebrated today as Cinco de Mayo. Goliad State Park & Historic Site,


just north of Presidio La Bahia, has the restored Mission Espiritu Santo and museum exhibits that explore the his- tory and daily life of the missionaries. The park also off ers camping, fi shing, picnicking, hiking and river access for kayaks and canoes.





Natural Selections Those who prefer to immerse them-


selves in nature rather than history may be drawn to the Rio Grande Val- ley. A number of tropical species of birds enter no further into the United States than the Valley, making it a great place for birders to check a few off their life list. The region is home to six of the nine World Birding Cen- ter sites: Bentsen-Rio Grande Val- ley (Mission), Edinburg Scenic Wet- lands (Edinburg), Estero Llano Grande (Weslaco), Old Hidalgo Pumphouse (Hidalgo), Quinta Mazatlan (McAllen), and Roma Bluff s (Roma). Within easy distance of each other, travelers can in- dulge in hours of natural bliss. At the geographic center of the WBC network, Estero Llano Grande in


missions


The Alamo Built as a mission named San Antonio de


Valero in 1718, the compound was converted into a frontier outpost in the late 1700s. The soldiers called the old mission the Pueblo de la Compañia del Alamo and eventually just the Alamo. Today visitors see the former mission, barracks and chapel that existed under six fl ags of independent nations. www.thealamo.org


San Antonio Missions MISSION SAN JOSÉ Founded in 1720, this mission is known as


“the queen of the missions.” It is the largest of the four missions in the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. It was built several miles to the south of the Alamo. The mission was reconstructed by the WPA in the 1930s, and about 80 percent is original.


MISSION NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LA PURISIMA CONCEPCIÓN DE ACUÑA Dedicated in 1755, this mission appears much


as it did then. It is the oldest unrestored stone church in America. The mission was originally started in East Texas in 1716. Conditions led to it moving to San Antonio in 1731 to the site where the chapel was ultimately built.


MISSION SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO This mission also was originally founded in East


Texas in 1716 as Mission San José de los Nazonis and was moved to its present location in 1731. The church that stands today was built in 1756. There are plans to restore the San Juan Acequia (series of irrigation ditches) to provide water to the Spanish Colonial demonstration garden.


MISSION SAN FRANCISCO DE LA ESPADA Founded as San Francisco de los Tejas in


1690 near what became Weches, it was moved to the San Antonio River in 1731. www.nps.gov/saan/


Goliad Missions


MISSION NUESTRA SEÑORA DEL ESPÍRITU SANTO DE ZUÑIGA In the 1930s, the CCC restored the mission in


what is now Goliad State Park. The original was established in 1722 near Matagorda Bay and moved to its Goliad location in 1749. Visitors also can make an appointment to tour the ruins of the 1750s Mission Rosario State Historic Site, near the park headquarters. www.tpwd.state. tx.us/state-parks/goliad


For more infor ma tion about cities and attractions in the South Texas Plains, visit TravelTex.com. 91


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