A partial list of earliest settlements along Trinity
By Bill Young
Last week, I wrote several paragraphs about the French in Louisiana trading with the Native 
American populations living in East Texas on soil claimed by the Spanish. The two countries, France 
and Spain, were at war during the late 1600s into the earliest part of the 1700s. This trade network 
established by the French moving goods back and forth with the Native Americans in East Texas 
infuriated the Spanish who were determined to see it terminated. The Spanish government 
approached the Catholic Church suggesting to the clergy they needed to establish several missions 
in East Texas along the main trail known as the upper road. They especially wanted one or two 
missions along with an associated presidio (fort) for protection located near the border separating 
the two countries’ land holdings. One of the most troubling problems with the French trade was the 
fact the French were continuously trading guns and knives with the East Texas Native Americans 
which was something the Spanish refused to do. The Spaniards felt if any weapons were traded to 
the Native Americans, those weapons might be used to drive the Spaniards out of Texas. In all 
likelihood, this fear may have materialized if the Native Americans could have acquired enough guns 
so every member of each tribe was armed. 
 
San Antonio was considered the capital of Spanish Texas and therefore the base of operations. But 
all the goods and weapons along with horses and wagons originally had to be moved from Mexico 
City to San Antonio. In terms of miles, this was a huge distance to transfer materials to establish 
missions and presidios in East Texas. Thence after the missions and forts were established, goods to 
help supplement the daily lives of the Spanish inhabitants of the little missions and presidios had to 
be loaded onto wagons and shipped from Mexico City to San Antonio and then onto the mission 
sites. Needless to say, the supply wagons were always slow in coming and never carried all which 
was needed. The Spaniards were forbidden to trade with the French but there is direct evidence 
from several of the missions sites that French material was being acquired by not only the Native 
American populations living around each mission but by the Spanish soldiers and priests. 
 
The trails from San Antonio into East Texas which allowed the Spanish wagons to move back and 
forth were extremely necessary. Most archeologists think the first roads into the Piney Woods were 
long ago established by the Native American groups moving back and forth into central Texas for 
the purpose of trading with the central Texas cultures, bois de arc wood for bows and arrows or dart 
point shafts in turn for the high quality chert found in the Edwards Plateau. We also know from later 
historical accounts some of the East Texas tribes would completely abandon their villages for 
several months and migrate to central Texas to hunt bison. Established trails existed long before the 
Spanish and the French arrived in Texas. Some of these trails played an integral part in where some 
of the earliest communities were established along the Trinity River. 
 
I want to mention three roads or trails. The first one is known as the “Upper Trail.” Today it is also 
known as El Camino Real (the Kings Highway). It goes from San Antonio northeastward into East 
Texas arriving at Nacogdoches and then continuing towards Louisiana. Sections of the old original 
road have been plotted going back and forth through the pine trees in East Texas. 
 
Several individuals have taken on the project of trying to find and mark the entire road though East 
Texas. The second road is referred to by three separate names, the robbers trail, the smugglers trail 
or the contraband road. This trail was located to the south of the upper road running roughly 
parallel with the upper road. Because this was a much smaller and less used road or trail, there 
have only been a few sections recognized and plotted. And finally there is the “Lower Road” which 
also originated in San Antonio but this trail went into East Texas along a much lower line roughly 
running somewhat parallel with the coastal plains of East Texas. It is also referred to as El Camino 
Real. The upper and lower roads were especially important to the Spanish when they started 
establishing the missions in eastern Texas. 
 
In the next couple of articles, I want to discuss some of the communities and settlements 
established along the Trinity River. The first one I will discuss today is in chronological order of 
when each settlement was established. Some of the later ones I will discuss may be out of order as 
to when each was established. 
 
The Spanish from Los Adaes, a mission site located at Robeline, La., were in contact with some of 
the various tribes living in southeast Texas prior to 1750. This mission site is across the river from 
the French settlement. Some of the Spanish traders established trade with these groups trading 
French goods acquired from Louisiana for furs and hides. French traders also entered into this same 
region at about the same time trading with the same groups. Word of this French intrusion into 
Spanish-controlled Texas prompted the Spanish to establish a mission and presidio on the lower 
Trinity River in 1756. The mission was named Mission Nuestra Senora de La Luz, also referred to as 
Mission El Orcoquisac. The name Orcoquisac was the Spanish name for the various tribes living 
along the lower Trinity basin. The presidio was named Presidio San Augustin de Ahumada and it was 
located near to the mission. Both sites have been found and are listed on the National Register of 
Historic Places. A very small amount of archeological excavation work was conducted several years 
ago at the presidio site. 
 
Next week: Another early settlement established along the Trinity River