DUANE
Duane's take
Here's my telling of what the official marker has to say about the La Bahia Trail, right here in Grimes County. Now, before there were paved highways, before there were railroads, before there was even a Texas to speak of — there was a trail. And not just any trail.
This one started as an Indian path cutting through Southern Texas and Louisiana, worn into the earth long before any European boot ever touched it. Spanish explorers knew about it as early as 1690, and that year, something significant came rolling through this very site. The De Leon Expedition.
Just let that sink in for a moment — a party pushing out of Mexico, bound for East Texas, passing right here. At the head of it: Alonso de Leon, Governor of Coahuila, riding alongside Father Massanet, a Franciscan priest. And they did not travel light.
We're talking 115 men. Seven hundred and twenty-one horses. Eighty-two loads of flour.
Plus other supplies on top of that. This was not a Sunday ride. This was a full-scale enterprise.
Their purpose was threefold. Discourage French encroachment from the north. Explore and colonize.
And Christianize the Indians. Three big ambitions pushing that long column of men and horses northeast through the wilds of Texas. They followed the rugged trail up from the present town of Refugio, through Goliad, and continued northeast toward Navasota — probably trackin' Cedar Creek right through this very town, which is a thought worth sitting with.
Then they turned north, kept pressing, until they reached the Neches River. Near what is now Weches, they founded the Mission of San Francisco de Los Tejas. Named after the Tejas Indians — the "Friendly" Indians — whose name, the marker tells us, was eventually given to the entire state.
Now, de Leon's party went no farther on the western stretch of the trail — that section known as Atascosito Road. But the eastern section kept right on going, all the way into Louisiana. And the trail didn't retire when the expedition did.
Come the nineteenth century, it found new purpose altogether. Cattlemen took it up, calling it the Opelousas Road, and they used it to move Texas herds to market in the north and east. Same ancient path.
New boots. New cattle. Same direction.
A trail that carried Indian footsteps, then Spanish ambitions, then Texas longhorns — that's not just a road. That's a thread running straight through the story of this land.
What the marker says
Originally an Indian trail through Southern Texas and Louisiana; known to Spanish explorers as early as 1690, when the De Leon Expedition passed this site on the way from Mexico to East Texas. With 115 men, 721 horses, 82 loads of flour, and other supplies, Alonso de Leon, Governor of Coahuila, and Father Massanet, a Franciscan priest, entered the wilds of Texas. The purpose of the expedition was to discourage French encroachment from the north, as well as to explore, colonize, and Christianize the Indians. They followed the rugged trail from the present town of Refugio to Goliad and continued northeast to Navasota, probably following Cedar Creek through this town. Then they journeyed north until reaching the Neches River, where (near present Weches) they founded the Mission of San Francisco de Los Tejas. The church was called after the Tejas, or "Friendly" Indians, whose name was eventually given to the entire state. Although de Leon's party went no farther on the western section of the trail, known as Atascosito Road, the eastern section extended into Louisiana. In nineteenth century, the route gained importance as a cattle trail, the Opelousas Road, that moved Texas herds to market in the north and east.