Historic Goliad, Part 2

(I was too tired to go inside.  Maybe next year.)

According to the Texas Historical Commission:

"Presidio de Nuestra Senora de Loreto de la Bahia-(Fort of Our Lady of Loreto of the Bay) One of the most historic Spanish forts in Texas. Popularly called Presidio la Bahia, it was founded on Espiritu Santo (present Lavaca) Bay in 1722. Twice moved, it was re-established here in 1749 to protect Espiritu Santo Mission (1/4 mi. NW). In the chapel is the statue of Our Lady of Loreto placed here in 1749. The turbulent history of this fort has often rung with the sound of revolution. Between 1812 and 1820 several irregular 'filibustering' forces, including the Gutierrez-Magee Expedition and others led by James Long and Henry Perry, occupied or assailed the fort for various idealistic and profiteering motives. Here, too, 92 Texas citizens and soldiers drew up and signed Texas' first formal Declaration of Independence on December 20, 1835. In the ensuing War for Texas Independence, Col. James Fannin and 341 prisoners of war were held and, on Palm Sunday, 1836, were massacred in and around the fort by their Mexican captors. When the fort was authentically restored, 1963-67, by the Kathryn O'Connor Foundation, nine "levels of occupancy" were uncovered. Church services are now held in the chapel. The presidio has been named a registered National Historic Landmark. Recorded Teas Historic Landmark--1969"


Also, the Presidio is very famous for being very haunted.  Click here to read a paranormal investigation report.

Historic Goliad, Part 1

Located in Goliad, TX- The Birthplace of Texas Ranching


(I'm just going to let the Texas Historical Commission explain it.  I'm too tired.)


The marker reads:


"After battle of Coleto (March 19 - 20, 1836), where a Texas Army under Col. James Walker Fannin met defeat by Mexicans in superior numbers, the Texas soldiers were held in Presidio La Bahia, supposedly as war prisoners. However, by order of Mexican Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, approximately 400 of Fannin's men were marched out and massacred on Palm Sunday, March 27, 1836. The wounded were shot one by one in the fort compound. Col. Fannin was the last to die. Because of their profession, Drs. J. H. Barnard, J. E. Field and Jack Shackelford were spared; about 25 men were saved by a Mexican woman, "The Angel of Goliad". Approximately 30 escaped by feigning death or by swimming the San Antonio River. The Texans' corpses were stripped and partly burned, but left unburied. This atrocity three weeks after the fall of the Alamo gave Texans part of the battle cry--"Remember the Alamo! Remember La Bahia!"--under which decisive victory was won at San Jacinto on April 21, 1836. Gen. Thomas J. Rusk and the Texan Army afterwards marched here and gathered the bones of Fannin's men from the terrain. From Presidio La Bahia the remains were carried in procession to the grave, and there given a military funeral and burial on June 3, 1836. (1968)."

The Scene of the Crime: The Days Inn Airport Corpus Christi

If you know anything about South Texas popular culture, you know that Tejano star Selena Quintanilla-Perez was murdered in this hotel on March 31, 1995.

I believe it happened in one of the two rooms to the left on the first floor.  The hotel has renumbered the rooms to confuse gawkers with morbid curiosities like myself.

Holiday Inn Express Knock-off?

While driving from Austin to Corpus Christi, I noticed this peculiar hotel in Cuero, TX:

And then compare to the Holiday Inn Express corporate sign:

My theory is that it used to be a Holiday Inn Express (HIE) but lost its accreditation when corporate raised its standards about a decade ago.  In order to meet the new HIE standards, this structure would probably have to be razed.  And the Hindu references would need to be removed.