Spanish missions in Texas

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The Spanish Missions in Texas comprise a series of religious outposts established by Spanish Catholic Dominicans, Jesuits, and Franciscans to spread the Christian doctrine among the local Native Americans, but with the added benefit of giving Spain a toehold in the frontier land. The missions introduced European livestock, fruits, vegetables, and industry into the Texas region. In addition to the presidio (fort) and pueblo (town), the misión was one of the three major agencies employed by the Spanish crown to extend its borders and consolidate its colonial territories.

Since 1493, Spain had maintained a number of missions throughout New Spain (Mexico and portions of what today are the Southwestern United States) in order to facilitate colonization of these lands. The East Texas missions were a direct response to fear of French encroachment when the remains of La Salle's Fort Saint Louis were discovered near Matagorda Bay in 1689.

Following government policy, Franciscan missionaries sought to make life within mission communities closely resemble that of Spanish villages and Spanish culture. In order to become Spanish citizens and productive inhabitants, native americans learned vocational skills. As plows, farm implements, and gear for horses, oxen, and mules fell into disrepair, blacksmithing skills soon became indispensable. Weaving skills were needed to help clothe the inhabitants. As buildings became more elaborate, mission occupants learned masonry and carpentry under the direction of craftsmen contracted by the missionaries.

Contents

[edit] Mission Corpus Christi de la Isleta del Sur

  • Flooding destroyed the mission twice: once around 1742 and again around 1829.
  • Present church was constructed in 1851 on higher ground
  • In 1881, the Jesuits took control and renamed it Mission de Nuestra Señora del Monte Carmelo
  • In 1980, the name was changed to Mission San Antonio de los Tiguas
  • Still in use as a church

[edit] Mission San Antonio de Senecú

[edit] Mission Nuestra Señora de la Limpia Concepción de Los Piros de Socorro del Sur

  • Established 1682 near Socorro among the Piros people
  • First permanent mission, built in 1691, was swept away by flood in 1744
  • Second church was washed away in 1829
  • Present mission was completed in 1843
  • Socorro became part of Texas in 1848

[edit] Mission San Francisco de la Espada

Main article: Mission San Francisco de la Espada

[edit] Mission Santísimo Nombre de María

[edit] Mission San Juan Bautista

  • Established in 1700-1702 Site now in Mexico.

[edit] Mission San Bernardo

  • Established in 1700-1702 Site now in Mexico.

[edit] Mission San Juan Capistrano

Main article: San Antonio Missions National Historical Park: Mission San Juan

[edit] Mission Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de Acuña

The front of Mission Concepción
The front of Mission Concepción
Main article: San Antonio Missions National Historical Park: Mission Concepcion
  • Established in 1716 as Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de los Hainais in East Texas
  • Moved in 1731 to San Antonio
  • Currently a National Historical Park operated by the National Park Service
  • suffered a small pox epidemic that left 197 indian population instead of the previous population of 298.
  • is one of the oldest stone churches WITHOUT repairs to the building.
  • founded by franciscan friars.
  • later closed in the 1800s due to damage in the Battle of the Alamo.

[edit] Mission San José de los Nazonis

  • Established in 1716-1717 in East Texas
  • Abandoned in 1729

[edit] Mission Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de los Nacogdoches

[edit] Mission Nuestra Señora de los Dolores de los Ais

  • Established in 1716-1717 Site now in the state of Louisiana
  • Closed in 1773

[edit] Mission San Miguel de Linares de los Adaes

  • Established in 1716-1718

[edit] Mission San Antonio de Valero

Main article: Alamo Mission in San Antonio

[edit] Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo

Main article: San Antonio Missions National Historical Park: Mission San Jose

[edit] Mission Nuestro Señora del Espíritu Santo de Zúñiga

[edit] Mission San Franscico Xavier de Najera

  • Established in 1722 in San Antonio
  • Abandoned by 1726
  • The site was used for Mission Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de Acuña when that mission moved to San Antonio in 1730.

[edit] Mission Santa María de las Caldas

  • Established in 1730 at Socorro among the Suma people
  • Closed in 1749

[edit] Mission San Francisco Xavier de Horcasitas

  • Established in 1746
  • Abandoned in 1755

[edit] Mission San Ildefonso

  • Established in 1746
  • Abandoned in 1755

[edit] Mission Santa Cruz de San Sabá

  • Established circa 1750
  • Destroyed by Indian attack in March, 1758

[edit] Mission Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria del Cañón

  • Established circa 1750

[edit] Mission San Lorenzo de la Santa Cruz

  • Established circa 1750
  • Located in current Real County
  • Active until 1799

[edit] Mission Nuestra Señora del Rosario

  • Established 1754 4 miles west of La Bahia.
  • Closed in 1805
  • Currently the ruins are an archeological site designated as a state historical park and controlled by the State of Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

[edit] Mission San Francisco Xavier de los Dolores

  • Established in 1755 at San Marcos among the Apache people
  • Assets transferred to Mission Santa Cruz de San Sabá in 1756

[edit] Mission Nuestra Señora de la Luz

  • Established 1756 near the mouth of the Trinity River
  • Destroyed by Karankawa Indians
  • It was the 27th mission in Texas

[edit] Mission Nuestra Señora del Refugio

  • Established February 4, 1793 in East Texas
  • Moved in June, 1794 Mosquitos Creek
  • Moved in January, 1795 to Refugio
  • Materials from ruins probably used to build new structures in the early 1800s. The site is presently owned by Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Church.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links


Spanish Missions:
  Arizona | Baja California | California | Carolinas | Florida | Georgia | New Mexico   
   Mexico | Sonoran Desert | South America | Texas | Trinidad | Virginia  		 Santa Barbara Mission


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