If you enjoy Texas History you’ll love Presidio La Bahia. The Presidio Nuestra Señora de Loreto de la Bahía, was built in 1747. It is a fort the Spanish Army built and is located in Goliad, Texas. Continue reading to learn about our overnight stay at The Quarters at the Presidio La Bahia.
Presidio La Bahia
Presidio La Bahia is a Spanish fort located in Goliad, Texas. It was built in 1749 and is one of the oldest Spanish colonial fortifications in the United States. The fort was restored from ruins between 1963 and 1967.
La Bahia is famously known as the location of the Battle of Goliad in October 1835 and is the site of the Goliad Massacre in March 1836 during the Texas Revolution. Today, the Catholic Diocese of Victoria owns and maintains Presidio La Bahia.
The Goliad Massacre
Presidio La Bahia played a significant role in the Texas War for Independence from Mexico. There is much more to this story, other campaigns, and battles that took place that I do not mention here.
For in-depth details about this time in Texas history, read about Goliad and the Texian War for Independence at Presidio La Bahias’ website.
Here is a brief recap of events at Goliad and Presidio La Bahia, but I encourage you to take a few minutes to learn about or refresh your memory of La Bahia and Goliad.
The Texians captured Presidio La Bahia from Mexico in the second battle of the War for Independence in October 1835 and renamed it Fort Defiance.
After the disastrous fall of the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, on March 6, 1836, Texas’ General Sam Houston ordered Colonel Fannin, the commanding officer at Presidio La Bahia, to retreat to Victoria.
During that retreat, not far from Goliad, Fannin and his troops were overcome and surrendered to the Mexican army at what is known as the Battle of Coleto Creek on March 20, 1836.
Mabry McMahon is one of the most knowledgeable young men I have encountered. He knows all there is to know about La Bahia’s history.
Colonel Fannin and his troops marched back to Presidio La Bahia as prisoners. They expected they would receive fair treatment as prisoners of war; but Mexican General Santa Anna ordered the execution of all prisoners.
The soldiers were separated into three groups, marched in three different directions, all less than a mile from the fort. They were then all shot! This horrific mass execution of over 300 soldiers is known as the Goliad massacre.
Furthermore, the wounded Texian soldiers that could not march with the others were lined up against the fort’s walls and shot. Colonel Fannin, the last to be executed also, was placed in a chair in front of the Chapel, blindfolded, and also shot.
Fannin made three final requests before he was executed. First, he asked to be shot in the heart, and second, not to be shot in the face. Thirdly, he asked to be given a Christian burial and to have his belongings sent to his family.
It is sad to think about how Fannin was treated after he was killed. His troops burned his body and did not return his personal.
Our Lady of Loreto Chapel
Our Lady of Loreto Chapel, inside the fort, was completed in 1779 and is entirely original. It is an active place of worship today and has been since 1853.
Fannin Memorial Monument
The Fannin Memorial Monument, just outside the fort grounds, is where, in June 1836, the Texian soldiers held a memorial service, gathered remains of the bodies, and buried them.
Francita Alavez is known as the “Angel of Goliad” because of her efforts to save Texas prisoners’ lives in the Massacre of Goliad.
The Quarters at Presidio La Bahia
We were fortunate enough to obtain a reservation for one night at The Quarters which is the only lodging available at Presidio La Bahia. I have wanted to book an overnight stay here for years, which is always reserved months in advance.
Presidio La Bahia is a beautiful and peacefully quiet place to be after dark. The Quarters is a two-bedroom apartment with a renovated kitchen and living room complete with fireplace. Steve and I were the only people on the property overnight and had complete freedom to wander the grounds.
Ghostly Encounter?
Are ghosts from the Goliad Massacre roaming Presidio La Bahia and The Quarters? That is the rumor, and I did hope to have some friendly ghostly interaction. Here are a few of my experiences in The Quarters that I cannot satisfactorily explain.
- First thing. I woke up around 1:30 am from a very sound sleep to a pounding, rapid heartbeat, and terrible anxiety. My heart nearly beat out of my chest for over an hour. It is strange, but I wasn’t frightened or worried that I would kick the bucket, just puzzled.
- I got up eventually and stood at the kitchen table for a while, just scrolling through my phone.
- Second thing. While standing at the kitchen table, I heard a BIG loud noise behind me, probably from the bathroom closet. The noise scared the daylights out of me and I screamed and woke Steve up. Bless him, he was very nice and did not call me a silly old lady.
- He looked in the closet and decided the sound probably came from the water heater. I can’t imagine why the water heater would make that noise in the dead of night and just one time, but I was happy to accept that explanation.
- Third thing. Throughout the rest of the night, I felt the bed mildly shaking. It never stopped. Steve did not feel the shaking and slept through till morning. I finally fell asleep also but got up and went to the bathroom at about 6:30 am.
- Fourth thing. As I walked 15-20 feet into the bathroom, I looked into the open shower door, right next to me. I saw a huge mass, fog, blob thing. It was kind of like someone had just taken a steamy hot shower but much more intense.
It didn’t reach the ceiling or the floor, but was huge and just floating. I just woke up, and my eyes were not adjusted to the light, right? I closed my eyes for a few seconds, opened them, and looked all around the bathroom, finally looking into the shower again.
Still there. The entire bathroom was crystal clear to me except for inside the shower! After a few more seconds, the fog simply disappeared. That scared me just a bit. I was not terrified, but I cannot explain it.
Those are my stories. Can you come up with logical explanations for me, please?
Twin bedroom with door leading to the inner courtyard
Why do we celebrate Cinco de Mayo?
General Ignacio Zaragoza led the Mexican army to victory in the Battle of Puebla against the French Empire on May 5, 1862. It is this victory that is the basis for Cinco de Mayo today, in honor of General Zaragoza’s victory.
General Zaragoza was born in a small home next to Presidio La Bahia. The General’s birthplace has been reconstructed and is now a museum operated by Texas Parks & Wildlife that commemorate the General’s life and is full of historical information.
Goliad State Park
The Park very near Presidio La Bahia is just across the highway. The Nuestra Señora del Espíritu Santo de Zuñiga Mission, established at this location in 1749, is inside the Goliad State Park and operated by Texas Parks & Wildlife.
Mission Espíritu Santo is a very pretty restored Franciscan mission and is where the first large cattle ranch in Texas stood. After it closed in 1830, the Civilian Conservation Corps rebuilt the mission in the 1930s. There is an informative museum here as well as historical exhibits.
Mission Rosario State Historic Site
The ruins of Mission Rosario are about a four mile drive from Goliad State Park. The mission, dating to the 1750s, is in ruins but a historical marker and signs at the site tell this mission’s great history.
Goliad County Courthouse
Another one of those architecturally remarkable county courthouses in Texas! This courthouse, built in 1894, is the fourth construction since 1836 when Goliad became a county.
The courthouse functioned as a hospital after 1902. In 2003 the clock tower and turrets were replaced to return the courthouse to its original 125 feet.
The Hanging Tree
This majestic tree is on the north lawn of the county courthouse. A general practice in Texas in the 19th century was to impose justice by hanging. The sentence usually occurred almost immediately following the verdict.
Our Goliad adventure is another driving trip with a lot of interesting history and beautiful scenery thrown in. Steve and I are enjoying our driving trips and the opportunity to see and learn a bit about our Texas history.
Please see my post titled San Antonio Missions National Historical Park – a UNESCO World Heritage Site describing our visit to the missions in San Antonio.
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