DUANE
Duane's take
Here's how the official marker tells it — and it's a story worth telling right. Somewhere along the San Saba River in Menard County, there's a spot the old records call Paso de la Santa Cruz — the Holy Cross Ford. And if you want to know how it came to carry that name, well, the marker laid right here lays it out plain.
In 1753, a Spanish explorer named Juan Galván came to this stretch of river and made a decision. He put up a huge cross — not a modest little marker, mind you, a huge cross — right here at this ford, declaring this the site he'd chosen for Mission San Saba. Now think about what that meant, out here in this country, in 1753.
You plant something that large in the ground, you're making a statement to anyone who passes. And people noticed. Indians gathered at that cross.
Not just passing by, either — they remained. They stayed, and what followed was the first known Christian worship service in this entire area. Just a cross, a riverbank, and people coming together around it.
The mission that followed was built two miles east of this spot, and both the mission and the river ford took their names from that cross Galván raised. The cross named the ford. The cross named the mission.
One explorer, one act, one year — 1753 — and it echoed through everything that came after it in this valley.
What the marker says
(Holy Cross Ford) Spot where in 1753 Juan Galvan, Spanish explorer, put up a huge cross, to show his choice of site for Mission San Saba. Indians gathered at the cross, remaining to participate in the first known Christian worship service in this area. The mission, 2 miles east, and the river ford were both named for the cross. (1965)