Travel Encounters -- Caddo Mounds SHS, SH 21 W of Alto, TX - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

This sign of history is located along the El Camino Real at Caddo Mounds State Historic site, and reads as follows:

"TRAVEL ENCOUNTERS
Along El Camino Real de los Tejas

On a good day, a Spanish carreta, or wooden freight wagon, could travel up 18 miles before sunset along El Camino Real de los Tejas. In the 1750s, the driver might pass a group of Franciscan Friars in charge of the mission of San Miguel the Linares de los Adaes (now in present-day Louisiana). Next he might overtake several Caddo, possibly carrying a bois d’arc bow, corn, or other foodstuffs to trade farther west along the trail. In the distance, he may see sunlight glinting off the helmets and gun barrels of Spanish soldiers crowding the path.

In the space of a few miles our traveler has encountered 3 of the most influential types of traffic on El Camino Road Real de los Tejas: religious, trade, and military.

“The camino real, or more aptly the caminos reales, is more than a route, more than a series of parajes between two endpoints. It is a complex set of relationships between travelers and nature, buyers and sellers, governors and governed.” – Dr. Jesus de la Teja, Professor of Southwestern studies, Texas State University

Missionaries
The Franciscan order of the Catholic Church was responsible for establishing missions in East Texas beginning in 1690. They hoped to convert the local Native Americans to Christianity but did not meet with great success.

Ruts in the Road
Constant traffic over many years created ruts, known as swales, in the road. Some are still visible after hundreds of years. And in places, you can find several parallel road swales that allowed the traveler to choose the best route for that day’s journey.

Transportation
The carreta was the primary vehicle used by Spanish settlers and traders. It’s trademark wooden wheels measured up to 7 feet in diameter, and little, if any, metal was used in its construction. The carreta could be pulled by mules or oxen. The type of animal and the weight of the load determined the number of miles traveled in a day."

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

Visit Instructions:
Take a picture of the marker, preferably including yourself or your GPSr in the photo. A very detailed description of your visit may be substituted for a photo. In any case please provide a description of your visit. A description of only "Visited" or "Saw it while on vacation" by anyone other than the person creating the waymark may be deleted by the waymark owner or the category officers.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log   12/30/2017 Benchmark Blasterz visited it