No matter how often I visit Texas historical sites, I am struck by the fact that I never fail to come away with a new piece of information or insight. We have such a rich past that there is always something else to learn. This was reaffirmed when I recently traveled the length of El Camino Real to celebrate its designation as a National Historic Trail from Milam to Eagle Pass.
El Camino Real de Los Tejas was the “royal road” established by Spain on the paths established by native Americans centuries earlier. The trail runs over 1,600 miles, from the Louisiana border through Nacogdoches, San Augustine, the Caddo Mounds, Crockett, Madison, Bryan, Caldwell, Lee County, Bastrop, San Marcos, New Braunfels, San Antonio, the San Jose Mission, Atascosa, Pearsoll, Carrizo Springs, Eagle Pass, and, finally, to Mexico. 550 miles of the trail run through Texas. Because so much of our history took place on this trail and I did not want this heritage to be lost, I worked long and hard to secure its National Historic Trail designation.
When I returned to the trail to celebrate its historic designation, I learned again that every visit to one of these historic sites yields something new. In Nacogdoches and San Augustine where I have often visited, I learned new facts about my great-great-grandparents Mr. and Mrs. Charles S. Taylor and Dr. and Mrs. Benjamin Sharp as well as those charming towns.
In Bryan, we had breakfast at the Lucky B Bison Ranch, founded by former Texas Agriculture Commissioner Reagan Brown. By raising Bison and Bison hybrids, called “beefalo,” the ranch keeps alive an animal which has been an integral part of America’s history.
At San Marcos’ Aquarena Springs, I learned new details of this beautiful location. These springs, which have provided fresh water for weary travelers from the dawn of history, lie on an intersection of not one, but two famous trails – El Camino Real and the Chisholm Trail on which cowboys drove herds of Texas longhorn north to Kansas. Information centers at the springs provide a lot of information on Texas wildlife and vegetation.
New Braunfels is on the trail. I was always aware of the town’s German heritage. It was founded on March 21, 1845, when Nicolaus Zink led a German immigrant wagon train up the Guadalupe River to the ford of the San Antonio-Nacogdoches road, as that part of El Camino Real was called at the time. What I did not know was that, with over 5,000 German immigrants, New Braunfels was Texas’ fourth-largest town in 1850.
New Braunfels’ 127-year-old Gruene historic district has played a role in preserving Texas’ distinctive music. The Gruene Music Hall holds the distinction of being the oldest continually operating dance hall in Texas. This 6,000-square-foot structure and its high-pitched tin roof was revitalized in the mid-1970s and has attracted musical acts including George Strait, Garth Brooks, Willie Nelson, Bo Diddley and Lyle Lovett.
Returning to the Alamo was like visiting an old friend. Almost 290 years ago, the viceroy of Mexico authorized construction of a mission on El Camino Real. The structure was designed to be both a spiritual and physical refuge in the wilderness north of the Rio Grande and, over time, its strong walls took on the character of a fort.
On February 23, 1836, Col. William B. Travis entered the Alamo with a force that later totaled approximately 187 men. Gen. Antonio López de Santa Anna brought 5,000 men up against the old mission and laid siege. Their heroic last stand has fired the imaginations of men and women ever since. It was thanks to the dedication of two far-sighted women, Adina de Zavala and Clara Driscoll, that the Alamo was saved for future generations.
The Mission San Jose with is operating water-powered grist mill is another wonderful historic place; it has been there since the 1700s.
In Eagle Pass, where El Camino Real crosses into Mexico, we had an opportunity to meet with Mexican officials and celebrate Texas and Mexico’s shared heritage. This crossing of the Rio Grande took its name from the flights of eagles that made their aeries in the ancient pecan trees along the Escondido Creek.
The three-day trip allowed me to meet old friends and make new ones. It was a vivid reminder that Texans who want to explore history can have an enriching and relaxing vacation without leaving the state. It is very rewarding to reacquaint ourselves with our heritage and the historic sites which played a role in the creation of Texas. I urge everyone to take your families on Texas’ royal road and rediscover our colorful past.