OI.I) SPANISH MISSION FIELDS OF THE SOUTHERN BORDERLAND COUNTRY
TIio ^ Spanish missions wore numerous thruout the Spanish1'* possessions in the Americas. Five Spanish mission centers nro ' in the present United States along: the Old Spanish Trail; four of these were extensively developed outposts of the mission chains that reached from the administrative centers in Mexico. New Orleans was a French mission center. During: the Spanish occupation of Louisiana and the Mississippi Valley Spain cstab- ' lishcd missions and settlements hut later French influence was re-established.
ST. AUGUSTINE, NORTH FLORIDA, SOUTH GEORGIA First was St. Augustine, Fla., settled in 1505. Thcro are records of 38 missions in the Florida district. Old Fort San-' Luis, Tallahassee country, was an important section. The • Florida missions were probably of wooden construction. The ' only standing ruin known is of oyster shell cement in a forest north of Brunswick, Ga. (See pnges 10 and 11.)
EL FASO—SANTA I E. THE Kl'O GRANDE VALLEY Second, the Santa Fe—El Faso district. Don Juan Ofiato colonized near Santa Fo beginning 15D8. The El Paso mission settlement, began in 1650 and .(lie Spanish colonized from El Paso to Santa Fe. In 1G80 the Indian rebellion and massacre occurred around ' Albuquerque and Santa Fc; tlio survivors fell back to the mission at El Paso,, and a new group of missions in tho El Paso Valley was established. (Sep page 30.)
SAN ANTONIO. EAST ANI) SOUTH TEXAS Third, the San Antonio district. The beginning, however, was in northeastern Texas (Nacogdoches section) in 1000 with Intermittent attempts to establish missions there. In 171G-17 four now missions were established there. In 1718 tho mission now known ns tho Alamo was transferred to tho present San Antonio and the remnrkablo Texas mission works wore definitely founded. Five mission groups and ranchos were developed along tho San Antonio River; great stono churches still remain and ^ _ two of tho Irrigating aqueducts still function. Four other ' ' mission fields were occupied in southern Texas. (See pages 23,
24 and 20).
NOG-ALES—TUCSON. SANTA CRUZ VALLEY OF MEXICO AND ARIZONA Fourth, the. Nogales-Tucson district in Arizona. This work Is contemporaneous with northeast Texas and San Antonio. Beginning in 1GD1, the mission efforts spread fnr and wide' nAd remarkable churches were built. (See pages 33, 34, 35, 30.)
THE CALIFORNIA COAST Fifth, tho California group. They were built a day’s Journoy npur.t, 21 missions in nil beginning in 17G0 with the Mission San Diego do Alcala, now San Diego, and extending north of Salt Francisco. ’(See pages 3G, 37 and 38).	i
NEW ORLEANS.' FRENCH, WITH ITS SPANISH PfcltlOD •• The ■ French mission center was at Now Orleans, ■cmbrncinfr Mobile to tho cast and Lafayetto, Ln. to tlio west, and' thruout Old iLoulslana. During tlio Spanish control of Louisiana Spanish settlements and influence were spread over that country. A Cuniino Real (King’s Highway) is recorded from St. Louis to tho Spanish Fort San Fernando (Carutliorsvillo), then to tho Spanish Cnmpo do la Espcrnnza in Arkansas below Memphis.
In South Louisiana, on tho OST, is - Now1-Iberia, an Acadian—' French city.- Near by 16 a lukc known ns Spnnish Lake. Iberitt 'Is ad aaclefit Spunlsh tribe name.
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