The Third Oldest Municipality In The State With Its History Of Invading Armies, Sieges, Massacres, Daring Escapes, And Stampedes
While “Remember the Alamo!” has come down in history as the rallying cry that won Texas independence from Mexico, “Remember Goliad!” was just as critical to defining the cause of the rebel army, called “Texians” at the time. The phrase refers to an often-forgotten battle that came between the fall of the Alamo on March 6, 1836 and the decisive Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836. On March 20, the forces of Mexican general Santa Anna captured 350 men belonging to the force of Texian James Fannin at the Battle of Coleto Creek, outside the town of Goliad. Santa Anna ordered nearly all the captives executed, including Fannin.
Just a month later, Texian forces would charge into battle shouting, “Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!” winning the Battle of San Jacinto, and securing independence from Mexico for Texas.
“The events here in Goliad were just as important as what happened at the Alamo,” Scott McMahon, director of the Presidio La Bahia, tells The Buzz. “More men were killed here, although they weren’t as well-known as those at the Alamo, like Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie, so we get overlooked. But the Texans’ outrage and desire for revenge were inflamed by what happened in Goliad and led to Santa Anna’s defeat.”
The events of 1836 are just one episode in Goliad’s history, a story jam-packed with invading armies, sieges, massacres, daring escapes, and stampedes, according to McMahon. The little town on the banks of the San Antonio River, the third oldest municipality in the state, about 25 miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico, witnessed the birth of the Texas cattle industry, the first Texas Declaration of Independence, and even the birth of Cinco de Mayo, the popular celebration of Mexican independence.
“We have a lot of history around here,” McMahon admits. “People say that they can get a better feel for what happened, because we aren’t located in a metro area like The Alamo. This has always been a strategic area, and anchored the Spanish hold on East Texas.”
Goliad, McMahon says, is the best place in the state to understand how the Spanish colonization of the region proceeded. “The Presidio La Bahia was a fort, built in 1749 to protect the Franciscan Mission Espíritu Santo just across the river. It was a common set-up back then, but today this is the only restored presidio/mission complex in Texas where you can tour the actual buildings.”
The Mission Espíritu Santo was restored by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, and today forms the centerpiece of the Goliad State Park and Historic Site. The Presidio, which is still owned by the Catholic Church, was restored to its 1836 appearance by donor Kathryn Stoner O'Connor, who had a relative in the battles, working closely with archaeologists. At the time of restoration, the only thing standing were the ruins of the presidio’s walls and the Our Lady of Loreto Chapel.
“The chapel was built in 1749 and has been in constant use ever since,” McMahon says. “It’s the oldest church in Texas still active. Mass is held every Sunday at 5 p.m.” The first Texas Declaration of Independence was signed on the chapel altar in 1835.
A huge fresco was added to the chapel’s east wall in the 1940s by well-known Texas artist Antonio Garcia. It’s unique, McMahon says, in depicting the Angel Gabriel announcing the birth of Christ to Mary in a setting drawn from Texas itself, complete with cactus and a rattlesnake. Visitors can also tour a museum filled with artifacts found on site during the restoration.
Just outside the Presidio’s walls are two other monuments. The Zaragoza Birthplace State Historic Site celebrates the hero of Mexican independence whose victory over the French at Puebla in 1862 is celebrated as Cinco de Mayo on both sides of the border. Close by is the Fannin Memorial marking the burial site of the men executed on Santa Anna’s order.
Just across the river, the restored Nuestra Señora del Espíritu Santo de Zuñiga mission tells the other half of the Spanish Colonial story. Here the Franciscans ministered to the local Native American tribes, training them as vaqueros (cowboys) on what became the earliest and largest cattle ranch in Texas. Brenda Justice, current director of Goliad State Park, says that, in addition to the mission restored by the CCC, visitors can tour a museum with exhibits demonstrating the skills and tools used by the vaqueros in their work.
“This was the first mega ranch when cattle first came over from Spain,” Justice says. Espiritu Santo once herded some 40,000 wild longhorns. Today, the park offers tent and RV camping, as well as a put-in on the river for the popular Goliad Paddling Trail. The Angel of Goliad hiking and biking trail joins the mission/presidio historic district with downtown Goliad.
Originally named La Bahia, the Town of Goliad changed its name in 1829 to an anagram honoring patriot priest Miguel Hidalgo. For many years, Goliad was an important cattle town, a history detailed in the Market House Museum on the Victorian-era town square.
“We have Indian relics and artifacts from the early colonial days, up through aircraft from World War II,” Bill Montague, head of the Goliad County Historical Commission, tells The Buzz. “People especially like the longhorn heads and the history of brands exhibit. We used to have a stampede through town every year, until 1976 when the longhorns got spooked and caused some damage. Now we just have Santa ride in on a longhorn for our Christmas parade.”
Renee Wright:
A graduate of Franconia College in Social Psychology, Renee has worked as Travel Editor for Charlotte Magazine and has written three travel guidebooks for Countryman Press among other writing assignments. She enjoys food and camping.
Make Sure To Stay At:
Bay View RV Park, Known for its abundant fishing and birdwatching opportunities, as well as its pristine beaches, Rockport is a favorite vacation spot for many.