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Nacogdoches - the oldest town in
Texas - is named for the Caddo family of Indians who once lived
in the area. There is a legend that tells of an old Caddo chief
who lived near the Sabine River and had twin sons. When the sons
grew to manhood and were ready to become leaders of their own
tribes, the father sent one brother three days eastward toward
the rising sun. The other brother was sent three days toward the
setting sun.
The twin who settled three days
toward the setting sun was Nacogdoches. The other brother,
Natchitoches, settled three days to the east in Louisiana. The
two brothers remained friendly and the road between the two
communities was well traveled. This road became a trade route
and the eastern end of the El Camino Real.
Nacogdoches remained a Caddo
Indian settlement until 1716 when Spain established a mission
here, Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe de los Nacogdoches. That was
the first European activity in the area, but a mission was not a
town - it was a church. The "town" of Nacogdoches got
started after Spaniards decided that the French were no longer a
threat and maintaining the mission was too costly. So, in 1772
they ordered all settlers in the area to move to San Antonio.
Some were eager to escape the wilderness, but others had to be
forced from their homes by soldiers.
 Antonio Gil
Y'Barbo, a prominent
Spanish trader, emerged as the leader of the settlers, and in
the spring of 1779, he led a group back to Nacogdoches. Later
that summer, Nacogdoches received designation from Mexico as a
pueblo, or town, thereby making it the first "town" in
Texas. Y'Barbo was named Lt. Governor of the new town and he established the rules and laws under which the city was
governed. He laid out streets with the intersecting El Camino
Real and El Calle del Norte as his central point. On the main
thoroughfare he built a stone house for use in his trading
business. The house, or Old Stone Fort
as it's called today, became a gateway from the United States to
the vast Texas frontier.
But Nacogdoches' role in Texas
history was just beginning. Over the next four decades,
Nacogdoches and the Old Stone Fort became the site of three
failed attempts to establish a Republic of Texas - the
Magee-Gutierrez (1812), Long (1819) and Fredonia (1826)
rebellions. Thus, nine flags have
flown over Nacogdoches as opposed to the six that have flown
over Texas.
Today, Nacogdoches is one of the
most popular tourist destinations in Texas. People come here
to discover the town's historic past and to enjoy its slow-paced
and relaxing atmosphere.
E-mail us
for your FREE Visitors' Information Guide on Nacogdoches!
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Visit our calendar
of events for a complete listing of upcoming activities in
Nacogdoches. Have a question? You may find your answer on our Frequently
Asked Questions page. If you can't find what you are looking
for, e-mail us.
Come
join Nacogdoches in the celebration of independence at Freedom
Fest. Friday, July 4th 2008 in Festival Plaza. Live
entertainment, vendors, children's activities and a phenomenal
firework show are sure to make this an old fashioned 4th of
July you don't want to miss! Call the CVB at
1-888-Oldest-Town for more information.
Helping
make the oldest town in Texas a “tourist-friendly” place
will be the goal of an upcoming Texas Friendly Hospitality
Training Workshop being hosted in August by the Nacogdoches
Convention & Visitors Bureau. Want more information or want
to register for this great workshop? Click Here.
Enjoy
a "radio
tour" of the Oldest Town in Texas, compliments
of Majestic Radio Tours!
Hungry?
Our Restaurant Guide
can help you find the perfect place to grab a bite in the Oldest
Town in Texas!
Downtown
Nacogdoches is home to a variety of unique antique and specialty
stores. Looking for a particular business? Visit our Downtown
Business Association.
Bed
and breakfasts can add charm and romance to a weekend getaway.
Nacogdoches offers a variety of bed
& breakfasts ranging from secluded hide-a-ways to
distinctive homes with rich histories.
There’s
no need to search the world over for the perfect location for
your next family reunion – the oldest town in Texas
has everything you need!
And
a new 10-step
guide produced by the Nacogdoches Convention & Visitors
Bureau can help you plan a fun and memorable family gathering
your relatives will be talking about for years to come.
Interested in
getting involved in your community? The Nacogdoches CVB is also
looking for a few good men and women. No matter what your skill
or commitment level, we have volunteer opportunities
available for you. Just fill out an interest
indicator form!
Designated as a
National Historic Trail in 2004, El Camino Real de los Tejas
(Highway 6 in Louisiana and Highway 21 in Texas) has existed for
more than 300 years. El
Camino Real has its easternmost beginning in Natchitoches,
Louisiana and runs from Piney Woods through rolling hills to the
arid lands of Old Mexico. Nacogdoches is a proud partner of El
Camino Real. Click here
to see what other sites await you on the trail.
Nacogdoches is a
proud partner of the Texas
Forest Trail Region. It was the "Gateway to
Texas" for prehistoric Caddo Indians, Spanish and
French explorers, Anglo pioneers, enslaved and freed African
Americans and European immigrants. Shadows of early Caddo and
Spanish occupation linger, and the stories of Texas' emergence
from a wilderness to a great state unfold in the region's
numerous towns, including Nacogdoches, the oldest town in Texas.
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