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Nov 4, 1492
Columbus
Began European exploration in the Americas -
Nov 4, 1519
Pineda
Mapped the Texas coastline -
Nov 4, 1528
Cabeza de Vaca
Was shipwrecked on Galveston Island. They were captured by the indians and held prisoner for many years. -
Nov 18, 1540
Coronado
Searched for the 7 cities of gold. -
Nov 4, 1542
Moscoso
Found petroleum in East Texas but did not know the value of it and then left Texas -
Onate
Claimed the Rio Grande Valley for Spain -
Mission Corpus Christi de la Ylesta
Shortly after the mission was built, 21 Spanish families moved to the area to meet the spiritual needs of the Tigua people. -
La Salle
Built Fort St. Louis on Matagorda Bay -
Mission Sanfrisco de los Tejas
Spain had learned that La Salle had been in the area and built Fort St. Louis. They feared that even though La Salle’s settlement had failed, France would send another group of settlers to try again. Mission San Francisco de los Tejas was built among the Atakapan people who were more interested in stealing horses than going to church. -
Mission Santisimo Nombre de Maria
This mission was completely destroyed by flooding from the Neches River. It was located just North and East of Mission San Francisco de los Tejas, on the opposite side of the river. -
Mission San Francisco de la Espada
Indians at Mission Espada were taught masonry and carpentry by Spanish craftsmen. These skills helped the Indians survive in Texas long after the missions were closed. -
Mission Nuestra Senora de la Conception de Acuna
After a rough beginning and several moves, the mission was permanently moved to San Antonio in 1731, becoming the third in a chain of five missions established along the San Antonio River. From the beginning the priests at Mission Concepcion tried to replace Indian ceremonies with religious festivals that taught the Indians about Christianity. -
Nuestra Senora de Guadelupe de los Nacodoches
A few years later, when they established the town of Nacogdoches, settlers used the empty buildings. -
Mission San Antonio de Valero
was the first in a chain of five missions established near San Antonio During the 1730s and 1740s, the mission suffered from repeated attacks by the hostile Apache indians. In 1739, the Indians of the mission were almost completely wiped out by an epidemic of smallpox. After the mission closed in 1793, the buildings were used by several military groups as a hospital, a jail, soldier quarters, and to store military supplies. The mission became known as The Alamo, and after the epic battle ag -
Mission San Jose y San Miguel de Aguayo
The mission had a difficult beginning, but soon the 300 Indians who lived there became successful farmers and ranchers. The Indians helped dig 15 miles of irrigation ditches to bring water to the farms of the five San Antonio missions. Mission San Jose was so successful, it became known as “Queen of the Missions”. -
Mission Nuestra Senora del Espiritu Santo de Zuniga
This mission was completely destroyed by flooding from the Neches River. It was located just North and East of Mission San Francisco de los Tejas, on the opposite side of the river. -
Mission San Juan Capistrano
Within a few years, San Juan became a successful mission with rich farmland, orchards, and gardens. By 1762, the Indians living in the mission village were raising more than 3,000 head of sheep and cattle. They were growing enough pumpkins, grapes, and peppers to supply other communities with fresh vegetables. -
San Xavier missions
Conflict with the local garrison commander led to relocation of the missions to a site on the San Marcos River in 1755. The missions closed the following year. -
Santa Cruz de San Saba
It was attacked and destroyed in a revolt by Indians less than a year later. -
Nuestra Senora del Refugio
Later, Irish immigrants to the area named their settlement after the mission.