El Camino Real in Victoria County

THE CAMINO REAL (ROYAL ROAD), ALSO KNOWN AS THE KING’S HIGHWAY, WAS A SERIES OF ROUTES LINKING SPANISH MISSIONS AND PRESIDIOS IN TEXAS AND LOUISIANA. BEGINNING IN 1725, THE SPANISH EMPLOYED ONE SUCH ROADWAY, THE LOWER CAMINO REAL, THAT WENT THROUGH PRESENT-DAY VICTORIA COUNTY. AT FIRST, A ROAD DEVELOPED TO SUPPLY PRESIDIO NUESTRA SEÑORA DE LORETO, ALSO KNOWN AS LA BAHIA, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1721 ATOP THE BURNED REMAINS OF LA SALLE’S FORT ST. LOUIS. IN 1725, DUE TO THE LACK OF FRESH WATER, TIMBER, AND BUILDING STONES, AND ATTACKS BY THE UNPREDICTABLE KARAWANKA INDIANS, THE PRESIDIO MOVED INLAND TO TONKAWA BANK, A HIGH BLUFF ON THE GUADALUPE RIVER IN PRESENT-DAY RIVERSIDE PARK IN VICTORIA. THE NEXT YEAR, BOTH IT AND THE RELATED MISSION, NUESTRA SEÑORA DEL ESPIRITU SANTO DE ZUÑIGA, MOVED FURTHER UPSTREAM, 7 MILES NORTH OF PRESENT-DAY VICTORIA. IN 1727, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE GUADALUPE WAS IMPASSABLE, NECESSITATING THAT SUPPLIES BE BROUGHT OVERLAND FROM BEXAR TO THE SITE VIA A ROAD ESTABLISHED BY CAPTAIN JUAN BUSTILLO Y CEBALLO. HIS ROAD WAS A PRECURSOR TO THE BEXAR-LA BAHIA-NACOGDOCHES ROAD.

SOLDIERS FROM THE PRESIDIO LA BAHIA USED THIS ROUTE WHEN ASSIGNED TEMPORARILY TO POSTS ELSEWHERE. OTHERS USED THE ROAD, INCLUDING PRIESTS, SOLDIERS, AND SUPPLY TRAIN ESCORTS, WHO USED THE DETOUR BY 1731 TO AVOID APACHE RAIDERS IN AND AROUND SAN ANTONIO. IN 1749, PRESIDIO LA BAHIA AND MISSION ESPIRITU SANTO MOVED A FINAL TIME, TO THE SAN ANTONIO RIVER SOUTH OF PRESENT-DAY GOLIAD. THE ROAD THROUGH VICTORIA COUNTY CONTINUED TO BE USED FOR THE NEXT CENTURY. THE GUADALUPE RIVER SITE IS REFERRED TO ON SPANISH MAPS AS “RANCHO VIEJO.” THE LOWER CAMINO REAL WAS A VITAL LINK BETWEEN BEXAR AND EAST TEXAS, DURING WHICH TIME THE PRESIDIO LA BAHIA AND MISSION ESPIRITU SANTO PLAYED PIVOTAL ROLES FOR THE SPANISH.