Presidio, Texas

History

The junction of the Rio Conchos and Rio Grande at Presidio was settled thousands of years ago by hunting and gathering peoples. By 1200 CE, the local Native Americans had adopted agriculture and lived in small, closely knit, La Junta Indians settlements, which the Spaniards later called pueblos.

The first Spaniards came to Presidio in 1535. Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and his three companions stopped at the Native American pueblo, placed a cross on the mountainside, and called the village La Junta de las Cruces. On December 10, 1582, Antonio de Espejo and his company arrived at the site and named the pueblo San Juan Evangelista. By 1681, the area of Presidio was known as La Junta de los Ríos, 'The Junction of the Rivers'. Five Jumanos towns were located along the Rio Grande to the north of the junction, consisting largely of permanent houses. In 1683, Juan Sabeata, the chief of the Jumanos, reported having seen a fiery cross on the mountain at Presidio and requested that a mission be established at La Junta. The settlement in 1684 became known as La Navidad en Las Cruces. The missions La Navidad en las Cruces, San Francisco de los Julimes, San Antonio de los Puliques, Apostol Santiago, and Santa María de la Redonda may have been established on the Texas side of the Rio Grande at La Junta.

From the History section of Presidio, Texas on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.