Jim Bowie's Graffito at Presidio San Luis de las Amarillas/Presidio de San Saba -- Menard TX - Graffiti on Waymarking.com

Alamo hero Jim Bowie is said to have carved his name into the limestone of the original arched entry for the Presidio San Luis de las Amarillas, also known as Presidio de San Saba, which was built by the Spanish in 1757 near Menard TX. Bowie's men were in the local area searching for treasure in 1831, and many left their mark.

A sign near the entrance to the Presidio reads as follows:

""PRESIDIO OF SAN SABA
(Fort of San Saba)

In 1732 the governor of Spanish Texas named the nearby river "San Saba", perhaps after St. Sabbas, a sixth-century monk. In 1757, soldiers built the Presidio San Luis de Las Amarillas out of wood. By 1764, stone replaced wood in the site was unofficially called Presidio de San Saba by the new commander. It measured approximately 348 feet by 324 feet, with towers on the northwest and southeast corners. Our knowledge about the Presidio comes from archaeological excavations, historical documents, and maps prepared by Spanish military officials in 1767.

Lining the inside of the Presidio were some 50 rooms. These included soldiers quarters, storerooms, blacksmith shops, kitchens and armories. A corral for cattle was built along the west wall; another corral to the south was used for horses.

FEW ORIGINAL STONES REMAIN

After the Presidio was abandoned, it quickly fell into ruin. By 1905 much of the stone used by the Spaniards over a hundred and fifty years earlier to build houses, fences, and various structures around Menard, including the stone wall around the town's cemetery and the original town courthouse. In 1937, the Texas Centennial Commission rebuilt part of the northwest portion of the Presidio but it too deteriorated. In 2011, the ruins of the Presidio does San Saba were partially reconstructed the stone found on the site. This reconstruction effort was built on historic footings and wall sections located through many years of archaeological investigations in historical research the reconstructed ruins of the entire perimeter walls of the 1764 Presidio are what you see today.

The large carved stones to either side of the arch entry are believed to still be in their original location. Over the last 200 plus years, many visitors left their name scratched in the gate. Notice letters "BOUIE". It is known that Jim Bowie and his men were in the area in 1831 searching for treasure, and he or 1 of his men may have scratched his name in the stone. Spanish documents have changed the spelling to correspond with their alphabet. Jim Bowie was killed at the Alamo in San Antonio in 1836.

[Photo of THC student pointing out Bowie's graffito]"

Type of Surface: Building

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