Mission San Francisco de los Tejas

Duane's take

Here's the story as the official marker tells it, and I'm taking it from there. Now, not every tale starts with a trumpet blast and a parade — some start quiet, in the Texas pineywoods, at the edge of a village. But this one carries a date so specific it practically rings like a bell: May 24, 1690.

That's the day Mission San Francisco de los Tejas was founded, right near where this marker stands, at the Nabedache Indian village — the village of the Tejas people themselves. You want to talk about planting a flag in deep East Texas, that's about as deep as it gets. The year 1690, and somebody was already here to greet them.

The marker was erected in 1934 by the DeZavala Chapter of the Texas Historical and Landmarks Association — folks who believed that if a thing happened, it deserved to be remembered and remembered in the right spot. And finding the right spot, well, that took some doing. The location was pinned down by Dr.

Albert Woldert of Tyler, Texas, and Miss Adina DeZavala of San Antonio, Texas, with a helping hand from Mr. J. M.

Lovell of Augusta, Texas. Three people, three Texas towns, one mission that had been waiting in the woods since 1690 for someone to say: here. Right here.

This is the place.

What the marker says

Was founded near this marker May 24, 1690, at the Nabedache (Tejas) Indian Village ----------------- Erected, A. D. 1934, by DeZavala Chapter, Texas Historical and Landmarks Association. ----------------- Located by: Dr. Albert Woldert, Tyler, Texas. Miss Adina DeZavala, San Antonio, Texas Assisted by Mr. J. M. Lovell, Augusta, Texas