Blog Posts About Mission Dolores State Historic Site

Cowboy on horseback with lasso/reata courtesy of Colin Brown, Flickr.

The Texas Tradition of Cattle Ranching Began in Tejas

Wednesday, February 21, 2018 - 1:45pm

By Amanda Carr, Educator/Interpreter, Mission Dolores State Historic Site

Cattle drives in Texas originated about 300 years ago with the establishment of Spanish missions in New Spain’s eastern province of Tejas. In the 18th century, three major European powers were competing for control of North America: Spain, France, and England. England controlled the eastern seaboard, but Spain...

THC's Historic Sites, Mission Dolores State Historic Site | heritage travel

Father Antonio Margil de Jesús

Man on a Mission

Friday, February 10, 2017 - 7:55am

By Brooke Bonorden, Mission Dolores State Historic Site Educator

Stephen F. Austin will be forever remembered in history as the “Father of Texas” for his role in founding the Republic of Texas. Over 100 years before Austin ushered Anglo immigrants into Texas, however, a “father” in a different sense of the word led another group of settlers into the area—Father Antonio Margil...

THC's Historic Sites, Mission Dolores State Historic Site | Spanish Colonial