FIRST -- Headquarters of the Missions of East Texas, Douglass TX
N 31° 40.035 W 094° 52.986
15R E 321477 N 3505094
Mission Nuestra Senora de la Purisma Concepcion de los Hainais was the first headquarters of the Missions of East Texas
Waymark Code: WMXHX8
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 01/16/2018
Views: 1
Five historical markers in the Douglass Pavilion at the intersection of the State Highway 21 and the FM 225 in downtown Douglass tell the story of this fascinating area of Texas.
One marker, dedicated to the Mission Nuestra Senora de la Purisma Concepcion de los Hainais, identifies this mission as the first headquarters of the Missions of East Texas.
The marker reads as follows:
"Mission Nuestra Senora de la Purisma Concepcion de los Hainais
Originally built in 1716, Mission Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de los Hainais was established during Domingo Ramón’s expedition to forge Spanish settlements in Texas. Father Félix Isidro Espinosa, the President of Querétaran missions in Texas, founded Concepción on July 7, 1716 in the village of the Hainais, the lead tribe of the Hasinai or Tejas Caddo. Accounts indicate that Mission Concepción was located east of the Angelina River, and that the church and missionary residence were placed on a north-south oriented mesa (or terrace) near two springs. It served as the original headquarters of the missions in East Texas and Ramón placed Presidio Dolores nearby. The important French trader and diplomat St. Denis visited Concepción many times.
Following a period of hardship and drought, Mission Concepción was re-supplied in 1718 during a visit by Governor Martin de Alarcón. A house was built near the mission for the governor. Alarcón moved the “sagacious” Caddo translator, Angelina, to the mission as well. All the East Texas missions were abandoned in 1719 due to a French attack on Mission San Miguel but were soon reestablished and reinforced by the 1721 Aguayo expedition. Due to the closure of the nearby presidio in 1729, Concepción was relocated to the San Antonio River in 1731 and renamed Mission Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de la Acuña. During the first fourteen years of permanent Spanish occupation of Texas, Mission Concepción was a key hub along El Camino Real de los Tejas, fostering interaction among Catholic priests, Spanish governors, French traders and East Texas Indian groups. (2012)
Marker is property of the state of Texas "
FIRST - Classification Variable: Place or Location
Date of FIRST: 07/07/1716
More Information - Web URL: [Web Link]
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