![]() ![]() The town was named after a New Mexico area called Socorro by the Spanish (for succor received from the Piro Indians). Socorro was first inhabited by Native American Indians, including the Piro, who fled the Pueblo Revolt in New Mexico in 1680. Five museums, including the Gonzales Memorial Museum honoring the “Immortal 32″–volunteers sent from Gonzales to aid the Alamo defenders–are all located in the Museum District. A 19th-century jail and a log cabin built in the 1840s are also of interest. Visit the Texas History Museum District to see the cannon that fired the first shot of the Texas Revolution, giving the Texians their first taste of victory against the Mexican forces. Gonzales is a small Texas town that greatly impacted Texas history. After years of planning and fundraising by a non-profit group called The Alamo Endowment Inc., led by Phil Collins (yes, that Phil Collins), who donated more than 3 million dollars to help restore this landmark, visitors can now see for themselves how far things have come after years of neglect and decay. No visit to San Antonio is complete without stopping by the Alamo – the “Birthplace of Texas Independence” and still a sacred site for Texans. Europeans first explored San Antonio in the 16th century but didn’t establish a mission until 1718. ![]() ![]() Numerous 18th-century restored Spanish missions are available to visit on the city’s Mission Trail, including the most famous of all, the Alamo. and now features the second-largest population in Texas. San Antonio in Bexar County is one of the most historical cities and one of the biggest cities in the U.S. The site features enlightening exhibits showing how those early European immigrants interacted with the Native Americans who were already there. San AugustinĪlthough San Augustin, a neighbor of Nacogdoches, doesn’t claim to be the oldest, history buffs should visit the Mission Dolores State Historic Site circa 1721. The center is located in the old Nacogdoches Train Depot. The Mexican government had forced the settlers to leave when the East Texas region was ceded to Spain, or they might have earned that title earlier.Īs a gateway city for those early settlers traveling to Texas through the southeast, Nacogdoches draws people researching their Texas roots to the Center for Regional Heritage Research. The town of Nacogdoches was officially established in 1779, earning the undisputed rights to be known as the First Official Town in Texas. While European settlers didn’t arrive until the Spanish established a mission there in 1716, Caddo Indians and others had lived there 10,000 or more years before then. The scenic East Texas city of Nacogdoches, a favorite destination for many history lovers, makes a third claim to be our oldest town. Ysleta is now a part of the larger city of El Paso but still maintains many early adobe structures, including a jailhouse that claims to have once tried to hold Billy the Kid before he broke out.ĭurst Taylor Museum – Nacogdoches. Ysleta also points out that de Vaca and his men didn’t stay very long-not long enough to matter–in Presidio. Their claim is based on the fact they served as a refugee camp for some years following the 1680 Pueblo Revolt in New Mexico (the native Pueblo people’s successful revolution against Spanish rule, keeping them at bay for 12 years). YsletaĪ second claim to be the oldest Texas town comes from tiny Ysleta, a village near Presidio in the state’s southwest corner. There’s also a great deal of evidence showing that native tribes had lived there for thousands of years. Presidio (near Big Bend State and National Parks on the Rio Grande River) has a valid claim since Cabeza de Vaca founded one of the first European colonies in 1535. Who claims the oldest town in Texas? Presidio The Historically Significant And Oldest Towns In Texas NEXT READ: Attractions in South Texas For History Buffs History enthusiast, journalist, and writer JoAnn Holt help explain the historically significant towns in Texas and who the oldest towns in Texas are. However, the prestigious title of “Texas Oldest” is claimed by at least three towns in the Lone Star State. We have to consider that native tribe had lived in parts of Texas long before the first European explorers arrived in the early 1500s. Which town deserves to be called the Oldest Town in Texas? This turns out to be a more complicated question than it first appears. Holt History journalist explains who ranks as the oldest towns in Texas. ![]()
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