Goliad Historic Society

(February 1685) La Salle Establishes Fort St. Louis

French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle lands at Matagorda Bay, establishing Fort St. Louis.

Regional

(April 6, 1722) Aguayo Expedition Founds First Presidio La Bahía

Marqués de San Miguel de Aguayo establishes Presidio Nuestra Señora de Loreto de la Bahía on Garcitas Creek.

Regional

(1726) La Bahía Relocates to the Guadalupe River

Due to coastal hostilities, the mission and presidio are moved inland along the lower Guadalupe River.

Regional

(October 1749) Founding of Mission & Presidio La Bahía

Spanish colonizers establish Presidio La Bahía and Mission Espíritu Santo on the San Antonio River at Santa Dorotea.

(November 1754) Founding of Mission Nuestra Señora del Rosario

Franciscan friar Juan de Dios Camberos establishes Mission Rosario west of Goliad for Karankawa and Cujane bands.

(June 1779) Spanish Mission Cattle Drives Support the American Revolution

Thousands of longhorn cattle from Mission Espíritu Santo are driven east to feed Spanish troops under Bernardo de Gálvez.

(1785) Vaqueros & the Birth of the Texas Ranching Tradition

Mission vaqueros pioneer open-range roundups, horsemanship, and the first registered cattle brands in Texas.

(November 7, 1812 - February 19, 1813) Gutiérrez-Magee Expedition Siege Begins

The Republican Army of the North captures Presidio La Bahía and survives a four-month siege by Spanish royalists.

Time Span

(October 4, 1821) Long Expedition Captures Presidio La Bahía

Filibuster General James Long captures the presidio in an early push for Texas independence.

(February 4, 1829) Settlement Renamed Villa de Goliad

The Coahuila y Tejas legislature elevates the civilian settlement to a villa, renaming it Goliad in honor of Father Hidalgo.

(March 24, 1829) Birth of General Ignacio Zaragoza

Future Mexican hero of the Battle of Puebla (Cinco de Mayo) is born near the walls of Presidio La Bahía.

(February 1830) Secularization of Mission Espíritu Santo

The Mexican government orders the mission secularized, transferring communal lands to municipal control.

(October 10, 1835) Battle of Goliad

Texian rebels storm Presidio La Bahía, capturing crucial military supplies and severing Mexican supply lines.

(December 20, 1835) Signing of the Goliad Declaration of Independence

Texian citizens and soldiers sign the preliminary Goliad Declaration of Independence inside the presidio chapel.

(March 14-15, 1836) Battle of Refugio Delays Fannin's Retreat

Texian detachments under Ward and King clash with General Urrea at Mission Refugio, fatally delaying evacuation.

Time Span Regional

(March 19-20, 1836) Battle of Coleto Creek

Colonel James Fannin's retreating garrison is surrounded on the open prairie and fights off Mexican cavalry assaults.

Time Span

(March 27, 1836) The Goliad Massacre

On Palm Sunday, over 340 Texian prisoners of war under Colonel James Fannin are executed on Santa Anna's direct orders.

(June 3, 1836) Formal Military Burial of Fannin's Soldiers

General Thomas J. Rusk and the Texian Army gather the remains of the Goliad Massacre victims and inter them with full military honors.

(April 1846) Formal Organization of Goliad County

Following Texas statehood, Goliad County is officially organized with the historic town as county seat.

(February 16, 1852) Chartering of the Paine Female Institute

Methodist leaders establish one of the earliest colleges for women in the State of Texas.

(September 1857) The Cart War Erupts in Goliad County

Violent trade conflict erupts along the Indianola–San Antonio freight trail, leading to extrajudicial hangings on the courthouse lawn.

(April 1871 - 1885) The Great Post-Civil War Trail Driving Era

Goliad County ranchers and cowboys gather South Texas longhorns to drive north along feeder trails to northern railheads.

Time Span

(1882) Homesteading the Western Goliad Prairies (Weesatche & Weser)

German, Polish, and Tejano homesteaders establish enduring family ranches, cotton gins, and community halls in western Goliad County.

(January 1885 - 1894) Railroad Arrival & Goliad County Courthouse Construction

Rail connection sparks a commercial boom, culminating in the 1894 construction of Alfred Giles's limestone courthouse.

Time Span

(May 18, 1902) The Great Goliad Tornado

An F4 tornado decimates Goliad on Sunday afternoon, killing 114 people in one of Texas's deadliest natural disasters.

(June 4, 1936) Texas Centennial Dedication of the Fannin Memorial Monument

Texas dedicates the monumental pink granite art-deco monument over the burial grounds of Fannin's men.

(December 24, 1967) Presidio La Bahía Designated a National Historic Landmark

Following meticulous historical reconstruction, the presidio is designated a National Historic Landmark.

(October 1977) Expansion of Goliad State Historical Park

Texas Parks and Wildlife completes the comprehensive heritage complex at Mission Espíritu Santo.