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Location DB >
United States >
Texas >
Menard >
El Presidio
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Publically Viewable |
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This location has been labeled by its creator as Public, and therefore can be viewed by anyone.
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About two acres with the stone ruins of an 18th century Spanish fort or presidio in the middle of a small town golf course.
The ruins have been partially reconstructed with both substitute and original stones here on the original site. The excessive use of modern mortar kinda detracts from the whole authenticity thing for me though.
Theres a small unofficial displayboard with a painting that depicts a 1758 massacre by local indians.
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Type: Building
Status: Abandoned
Accessibility: Easy
Recommendation: check it out if you're nearby
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I think they just close the gates when the golf course closes
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On March 16, 1758 a combined force of over 2000 hostiles from the Comanche, Wichita and Caddo tribes overan and destroyed the flimsy wooden stockade built by the Spanish to protect the Mission at San Saba.
By 1760 the Spaniards had wised up and built a better fortification out of stone. A canal was dug (still visible nearby) and used to float the rocks up the San Saba river by barge. The stone palisades made things a little harder for the indians to burn but it didnt stop them from trying.
The Comanches continued to raid and harass the mission and the presidio to the point where they decided it wasnt worth the effort or risk to keep it open and it was abandoned in 1768. Spain didnt actually find out about the desertion until 1772.
The primary purpose of the Spanish missions in Texas at least according to the history books, was converting the local savages into Catholics. But the big picture reason was mining, processing and transporting hundreds of thousands of tons of silver ore and silver bullion out of Texas and back to Mexico and Spain.
In 1936 the Texas Centennial Commission hired archaeologists and construction crews to sort out the rubble and rebuild the presidio just the way it was. Stacks of numbered blocks and piles of rocks are still here right where they left them when the grant money ran out and they gave up on the project. The reconstruction is fairly accurate too except for the sloppy use of way to much concrete and mortar. To make matters more difficult many of the original stones were used by enterprising local contractors to construct several modern 19th century buildings in downtown Menard.
Today its abandoned once again and over a mile away from where the official State Historical site marker says it should be. Because iron artifacts, pottery, arrowheads, musket and canon shot have been recovered from this site, everyone is in agreement that the State marker is wrong. Except the State.
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In 2003 some archaeologists held a rendevous here to dig up some more musket balls but nothing has been done since.
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The moderator rating is a neutral rating of the content quality, photography, and coolness of this location.
| Category |
Rating |
| Photography |
6 / 10 |
| Coolness |
7 / 10 |
| Content Quality |
9 / 10 |
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This location's validation is current. It was last validated by
Emperor Wang on 5/20/2017 11:27 PM.
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on May 20 17 at 23:27, Emperor Wang validated this location
on May 20 17 at 21:13, Explorer Zero updated gallery Palisades
on May 20 17 at 21:11, Explorer Zero updated gallery picture No kidding
on May 20 17 at 21:10, Explorer Zero updated gallery picture Turret rear
on May 20 17 at 21:09, Explorer Zero updated gallery picture Piles
on May 20 17 at 21:08, Explorer Zero updated gallery picture Cedar beam
on May 20 17 at 21:07, Explorer Zero updated gallery picture Dwelling #2
on May 20 17 at 21:06, Explorer Zero updated gallery picture Spanish daggers
on May 20 17 at 21:06, Explorer Zero updated gallery picture Keep view
on May 20 17 at 21:05, Explorer Zero updated gallery picture Turret crack
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