The Spanish Borderlands: The Mission Trail
View of the main square of Mexico City, 1700’s.
Though it’s dominance of the Borderlands ended long ago, Spain’s influence remains throughout the region. Things as diverse as architecture, clothing, place names, and national parks are testaments to the culture that once held sway from Florida to California. Before there was an Interstate 10 or US 90 connecting the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, there was Old Spanish Trail, an auto route spanning the continent from St. Augustine, Florida to San Diego, California. Begun in 1915, the builders and promoters for OST claimed it followed the route used by the Spanish Conquistadors 400 years earlier. Whether truth or hype, it made for a good story and demonstrates colonial Spain’s reach into the 20th century and beyond. Old Spanish Trail is still a major thoroughfare in the Rice University-University of Houston-Texas Southern University section of Houston.
Juan de Onate y Salazar
From its foundational stronghold in present-day Mexico, Spain set her sights north in hopes of finding similar riches to those discovered among the Aztecs, but when the Coronado and Onate expeditions reported only disappointment, another, perhaps more important, purpose was devised for the areas now encompassing Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and southern California – providing a protective buffer against incursion into Mexico by Spain’s rivals. Spain built presidios (military forts) in strategic locations that secured their borders and advanced her regional control. The most important contributor to the spread of Spain’s influence in the Borderlands, however, was the system of missions established through the close symbiotic collaboration between church and crown.
Franciscan preaching to the native people.
Evangelizing priests hoping to spread Christianity and European culture accompanied the explorers of New Mexico, most notably traveling with Juan Onate in 1598. Over the ensuing 100 years, about 40 Franciscan missions were built near or along the Rio Grande, and by 1680, missions had been established among most of the New Mexican native peoples. It took the French explorer La Salle’s expedition to spur mission building in present-day Texas, first along the coast, and later in the interior. The best preserved of these Texas missions can be found in San Antonio. The most famous, of course, being the mission of San Antonio de Valero, better known as the Alamo. The Alamo, featured in beloved movies, novels, and books of Texas history, so overshadows her sister missions that people may not be aware of the existence of the other four.
Some of the missions began life in other parts of Texas, but were eventually moved so that they form a trail following the San Antonio River south from Alamo Plaza to the outskirts of the modern city.
Since 1978, the National Park Service in conjunction with the Catholic Church, Archdiocese of San Antonio has preserved and administered the Missions San Jose (“The Queen of Missions”), San Juan Capistrano, Concepcion, and Espada as the San Antonio National Historical Park. The Alamo is owned, operated, and maintained by the State of Texas. On July 5, 2015, all five missions were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Espada Aqueduct is listed as a National Historic Landmark. Of the missions, Concepcion is still a functioning neighborhood church holding Sunday Mass and celebrating feast days with the surrounding community as it has since its founding in 1716 in East Texas and 1731 in its present location.
Mission Timeline:
1690 – Missions Espada established in Augusta.
1716 – Mission San Juan Capistrano established in East Texas.
1718 – The Alamo and the future city of San Antonio established near the headwaters of the San Antonio River.
1720 – Mission San Jose established in its present location.
1731 – Missions San Juan, Concepcion, and Espada all relocated to San Antonio present locations.
A visit to all five missions can be accomplished as a day trip and is well worth the time. If you find yourself in San Antonio, don’t spend all of your time shopping and dining on the Riverwalk and at the Alamo. Take a tour bus or travel by car south beyond Interstate 10 and follow Mission Parkway to step back into the early days of Texas history.
Mission San Jose
Mission San Juan Capistrano after 2013 restoration
Mission Espada
Mission Concepcion
The Alamo
Novels set in Texas
Finding novels set in the time of the missions is difficult. Novels set in Texas abound.
Many books by Larry McMurtry and James Lee Burke.
Additional Reading and Reference
https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/spanish-missions-us-history/
http://texasalmanac.com/topics/history/spanish-missions-texas
https://www.nps.gov/saan/index.htm
http://www.texasmissionguide.com/about-the-missions/
http://www.drbronsontours.com/sanantoniosanantoniotimeline.html
I had no idea there were other missions in San Antonio. Would have liked to have seen them. I’ve visited a few in California, but even when I lived in Texas, I only heard about the Alamo.
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Hi, Becky. I know what you mean. The Alamo so overshadows the others that its not surprising people don’t know about the ones in the national park. I am so glad that they have been preserved!
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Reblogged this on Sharon E. Cathcart and commented:
This is an interesting look at the missions in Texas, along with a list of books set there. As someone who lives in an area surrounded by Spanish missions, this was a treat to see. As an author of historical fiction, I loved the connection to books.
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Thank you for dropping by, Sharon! We try to connect our posts to historical fiction whenever possible. So glad you enjoyed the post, especially since you are an author and live in San Antonio!!
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Bravo, Linda. Thanks for highlighting one of my favorite cities in North America.
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Thank you, Caroline! I didn’t know you had been to SA. Were you there for RWA Nationals a few years back?
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Nice Article!
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Thank you, Randi!
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Wow, that architecture is stunning!
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So true, Jennifer! Thanks for stopping by!
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What a great read, Linda! And like Becky mentioned, earlier, I had no idea there were so many other missions available for us to investigate and enjoy 🙂 I loved the pictures and the opening scene of the main square in Mexico. Thanks for sharing 🙂
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Thank you for dropping by, Lo!!
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Fascinating… I haven’t seen the missions in Texas but have visited several in California Thanks for posting this with all the pictures and references.
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My pleasure, Laurel!
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Linda, love this post! I’ve got several historical romances and a contemporary series, called “On The Border,” set in these borderlands. I have a standalone story, contemp romance, “The Best Game,” set in San Antonio but the background is based on a real-life story about how a Mexican-American woman’s plaque was taken down by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, for saving the Alamo from being turned into a hotel at the turn of the 20th century, and the kudos were given to an Anglo woman who helped her because she had the money and contacts. The Cisneros brothers have since “righted” that wrong, as well as done some heavy editing to the original “documentary” film shown at the Alamo by the DRT, which portrayed ALL Mexicans as blood-thirsty villains, despite many dying at the Alamo, trying to save Texas from Santa Anna. If you read Juan Seguin’s biography, the Tejano father of Tejas, you will want to cry, the way he was treated. And the bestselling novel and AMC series, “The Son,” pretty much tells it like it was, as the Anglos displaced the native Spanish culture, mostly by force fueled by greed. It’s a sad, sad tale, considering how much the Spanish contributed to this area. I will now descend from my soapbox.
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Thank you for climbing on that soapbox, Hebby! I know our other readers will appreciate hearing what most people outside the state do not realize. At the risk of stirring the pot, I would point out, however, that the native peoples of the New World would tell a very similar story about the Spanish, Portuguese, British, and other Europeans who invaded and took their lands. There is no end to man’s inhumanity to man! To be clear, I agree with you that the Spanish speakers of Texas and the US have not been treated well. I did not grow up in Texas, but my friend who did told me some stories to rival what I witnessed happening to Blacks in the deep South. SIGH! Will it ever end?
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You are absolutely correct in your assessment, Linda. I completely agree with you. I find it unfortunate when “might makes right,” and any people are treated unfairly. Yes, the Spaniards treated the native Americans appallingly, and like you said: “There is no end to man’s inhumanity to man!” Tricky stuff, though, letting the real history out. I remember back in the 1970’s when the whole question of how our Native Americans had been treated was aired. I guess it never will end, nor the “convenient” rewriting of history for the winners.
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Liked this post. Thanks for the picture tour.
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Thank you for dropping by, Daisy!
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Your Welcome. Can’t wait to see another picture tour.
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