Christopher Talbot Nuestra Señora de Loreto de la Bahía, Goliad County, Texas This National Historic Landmark dates from April 6, 1722, when the Marqués de Aguayo laid out the plan for construction of fortifications at the La Salle settlement site in southern Victoria County. The presidio guarded the coast against possible French intrusion. Faced with continuing troubles with the Karankawas Indians, Spanish authorities moved the presidio in 1726 to the Guadalupe River Valley (present-day Victoria County). For the next 26 years, the mission and presidio prospered with farming and cattle ranching that furnished food for the presidio and the missions in East Texas and at San Antonio. In 1749 the presidio was again moved, this time to the site of present-day of Goliad. The garrison of 50 men guarded not only the presidio but also two nearby missions, and they were occasionally sent to escort travelers and supply trains between San Antonio and San Juan Bautista on the Rio Grande. After Mexico won independence from Spain, the presidio assumed a new role: protecting and supervising the various colonists coming into the region. The building was restored in 1963. Time period: 1749-1830 A Photographic Journey of the Trail - NEXT IMAGE |
Last updated: February 24, 2015