San Antonio Missions ~ Part IV ~ San Juan & San Espada

This is the last two of the missions on mission trail in San Antonio... I just love visiting areas that date back so far and the history behind them is amazing. All of these are over 250 years old and in such great shape. I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did and I wish for you to be able to visit them one day.

San Juan Capistrano ~ San Juan (1731)



Originally founded in 1716 in eastern Texas, Mission San Juan was transferred in 1731 to its present location. In 1756, the stone church, a friary, and a granary were completed. A larger church was begun, but was abandoned when half complete, the result of population decline. San Juan was a self-sustaining community. Within the compound, Indian artisans produced iron tools, cloth, and prepared hides. Orchards and gardens outside the walls provided melons, pumpkins, grapes, and peppers.

Beyond the mission complex Indian farmers cultivated maize (corn), beans, squash, sweet potatoes, and sugar cane in irrigated fields. Over 20 miles southeast of Mission San Juan was Rancho de Pataguilla, which, in 1762, reported 3,500 sheep and nearly as many cattle. These products helped support not only the San Antonio missions, but also the local settlements and presidial garrisons in the area. By the mid 1700s, San Juan, with its rich farm and pasturelands, was a regional supplier of agricultural produce. With its surplus, San Juan established a trade network stretching east to Louisiana and south to Coahuila, Mexico. This thriving economy helped the mission to survive epidemics and Indian attacks in its final years.

The original indigenous people and other inhabitants from the mission are buried here in what was suppost to be the new church. Enlarge the information photo to read about all about them.

Mission San Francisco de la Espada ~ Espada (1731)

After 250 years, Mission Espada remarkably retains its unique features and solitary character ~ keepsakes from the mid 1700s. Originally named San Francisco de los Tejas, Espada was renamed and relocated to San Antonio in 1731. It is the southernmost of the 5 missions located on the San Antonio River. Mission Espada features a very attractive chapel, along with an unusual door and stone entrance archway. Mission Espada appears as remote today as it did in the mid 1700s.

It boasts the best preserved segments of the historic acequias (the irrigation system designed to provide water for crops), part of which includes the still working Espada Dam and Aqueduct. The Espada Aqueduct, which carries water from the San Antonio River across Piedras Creek, continues to feed the original mission irrigation system. Espada Dam, built between 1731 and 1740, is the best existing example of the four Franciscan-designed dams and is still in use today. Combined, these structures represent perhaps the best surviving physical assembly of an 18th century Spanish irrigation network in the United States.

When leaving the Espada Dam and Aqueduct we noticed in a field these people made of bales of hay... They were so neat I had to take some pictures and share them with you! It is incredible the talent that some people have...

Did You Know?
That the Spanish cornered the market on cochineal, a bug that produces a vivid red color, early in the Spanish colonial period? British officer coats, with which every American school child is familiar, were dyed using cochineal.

Until Later... Have FUN, Travel Safe & Enjoy Everyday!

San Antonio Missions ~ Part III ~ San Jose'

Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo ~ San Jose (1720)

Soon after the building of the Alamo, a second mission was founded in 1720 about five miles downstream. Named San Jose, this new mission was established by Fray Antonio Margil de Jesus, who had previously left a failed mission in East Texas. A model among the Texas missions, San Jose gained a reputation as a major social and cultural center. Among the San Antonio missions, it also provided the strongest garrison against raids from Indians.

The San José, established in 1720, was a model for other missions--and the most prosperous. Located just south of the Alamo, this “Queen of the Missions” represented a social and cultural center. Its 300 residents sustained themselves by raising livestock and tending to vast fields. The mission had its own gristmill and granary, which have been restored. At the church, you can enjoy seeing carvings, quatrefoil patterns, and the famed “Rose Window,” a superb example of Spanish Colonial ornamentation. The stairway that leads to the belfry and choir loft is an incredible showcase of workmanship; all 25 risers were hand-hewn form a single log and assembled without the use of nails or pegs. You can also spend time reflecting in the beautiful gardens...

Did You Know?
That the four churches within San Antonio Missions National Historical Park are active Catholic parish churches? While they have not been in continuous operation since established in the early 1700s, many parishioners today are direct descendants of the mission Indians who built the churches.

Until Later... Have FUN, Travel Safe & Enjoy Everyday!

San Antonio Missions ~ Part II ~ Mission Concepcion

As promised here is a continuation of our day visiting the Missions of San Antonio. I am posting them in the order we saw them and actually how they are on the Mission Trail. While the Alamo is the most widely known and visited, travelers shouldn't make it their sole stop inside San Antonio Missions National Park. There are 5 missions in all on this magnificent tour... Here is the first one!

Nuestra Senora de la Purisima Concepcion - Mission Concepcion (1731)

One of the most attractive of the San Antonio missions, the church at Concepcion looks essentially as it did more than 200 years ago, when it stood at the center of local religious activity. The mission was well known for its religious celebrations. Not visible today are the colorful geometric designs, known as Frescos, that originally covered the exterior surface of the mission. Inside, however, are original paintings of religious symbols and architectural designs.

This handsome stone church took about 20 years to build, and was dedicated in 1755. It appears very much as it did over two centuries ago. Due to the fact that it was built directly on bedrock, it never lost its roof, or its integrity. It remains the least restored of the colonial structures within the Park.

Also on the grounds is a beautiful prayer garden... I found this a very tranquil area and sat for a long time reflecting on how it must have been for the Indains during those times of transisiton.... and what life must have been like for all....

Did You Know?
That Spanish missions were not churches? They were Indian towns, with the church as the focus, where, in the 1700s, the native people were learning to become Spanish citizens. In order to become a citizen, they had to be Catholic; that is why the King of Spain sent missionaries to acculturate them.

Until Later... Have FUN, Travel Safe & Enjoy Everyday!