A Welcome Rest for Weary Travelers -- Caddo Mounds SHS, SH 21 W of Alto, TX
N 31° 35.927 W 095° 09.110
15R E 295845 N 3497973
A sign of history along the El Camino Real at Caddo Mounds State Historic Site west of Alto TX
Waymark Code: WMXK6E
Location: Texas, United States
Date Posted: 01/22/2018
Views: 1
This sign of history is located along the El Camino Real at Caddo Mounds State Historic site, and reads as follows:
"A WELCOME REST
For Weary Travelers
During the height of travel along El Camino Real the los Tejas, this site was a frequent rest stop or paraje. It was known as Paraje el Cerrito, or place of the little hill. It was probably a popular stop because of its high, dry land with grass for grazing animals, edible plants for foraging, and nearby water sources: Bowles Creek and the Neches River.
The Caddo burial and Temple Mounds, still visible though abandoned three or four hundred years prior to European contact, made this paraje distinct from other rest stops along the 2500 mile long El Camino de Real de los Tejas.
Mother Earth’s (Wa-da t’i-na) Bounty
What made this location ideal for travelers also made it the most southwestern location of the great Mound Buildier cultures. Extensive archaeological excavations show that a prosperous Caddo community existed here over 1200 years ago.
“We forded this river (the Neches) in shallow water and one league beyond we climbed a hill. On the summit is a mound which appears to be hand-made.” – Nicolas de LaFlora, Spanish soldier and explorer in 1767"
Group that erected the marker: Texas Historical Commission
URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link]
Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary:
1649 SH 21 W
Alto, TX
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Visit Instructions:
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