Paso de Jacinto

Christopher Talbot

 

El Paso de Jacinto/Paso de los Indios, Webb County, Texas

Around 1746, explorer Jacinto de León discovered a ford that allowed safe passage across the Río Grande in this vicinity; it had probably been used for centuries by American Indians. The ford came to be known at Paso de Jacinto. By the turn of the 19th century, the crossing was marked on maps as Paso de los Indios. A century later, the Old Indian Crossing (the English name) was a well-known landmark near the northern edge of Fort McIntosh. The significance of the ford to the history of Laredo is underscored by the presence of a nearby ranch known as Rancho Paso de los Indios. Historic features like these offer a reminder of the need for routes across the river.

Time period: 1740s
Ownership: Private