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| Landmark #8 | Presidio County | Visited: October 1, 2018 | Plaque? YES! 🙂 |
| What is it? | A roadside plaque out of Marfa! |
| What makes it historical? | THE PLAQUE SAYS: At confluence of Concho and Rio Grande Rivers. A settlement for over 10,000 years. Site of first recorded wagon train crossing into Texas, December 10, 1582, headed by Antonio de Espejo. Marker placed jointly by Texas Society, Children of the American Revolution, Texas Society, Daughters of the American Colonists. (1961)
OTHER TIDBITS: To knowledge, native farmers started cultivating this area around 1500 B.C. and did so uninterrupted until the first Spanish explorers, led by Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, arrived on the scene in 1535! They called the village at this site La Junta de las Cruces, but that name was not to last either. In 1582, Antonio de Espejo renamed it San Juan Evangelista, in 1681 it became La Junta de los Ríos, and in 1683, it changed again to La Navidad en Las Cruces! In 1830, the name changed again to Presidio del Norte for the Spanish penal colony and military base that had been set up here 70 years prior. It’s stayed that way through the immigration of U.S. settlers that started in 1848 after the Mexican-American War and remains the seat of Presidio County, Texas! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? | HERE’S HOW:
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| How do I find it? | Listed Directions: 1/2 mile E. of Marfa (with Presidio County markers) Annotations: From Austin: ~428mi (689km) — 7.2hrs |
| When should I go? | Whenever the mood strikes you! |
Is there any mention of William B Spencer’s travels through the area and encounters with the local Indians and silver mines in the area,I have land grants that claim land in the presidio area with the early presidents in off ice signature and William B spencer was my fathers great grand father ,also have letters in all the stuff I inherited written by William B Spencer in his early wagon train travels in the area,,just don’t know who to talk to to validate these documents and possibly someday come to presidio and donate to museum some of the items we have ,,also William B Spencer is mentioned in some of the early texas history travels in the area ,,( would love to talk to somebody some day to let them know what we have and send some pictures too ,thanks David l spencer
Hi David! Very cool piece of history! Thanks for sharing! This plaque was placed by the Texas Society Children
of the American Revolution. Have you tried contacting one of their local chapters? https://tscar.net/Local-Societies