Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-07-15
NACoGDoCHEs FORT.
The Most Ancient Building West Of
the Mississippi River

the Mississippi River
written for the Gazette.
Nacogdoches, In Nacogdoches coun-
ty, Texas, takes Its name from tribe
OF Indians, the Nacogdoches Indians.
LsSalle was doubtless the first Euro.
pean who set foot upon the soil OF
Nacogdoches. He probably visited
Nacogdoches some time In 1856 or 1857.
Many distinguished writers nave sup
posed that the followers of De Soto
Iraversed the country In l5i4, or about
that time. The proof of the supposi-
ton has not been produced, and
doub less LaSalle YVES the discovtrer.
Previous to Its discovery by
white men Nscogdoches was inhab.
tied by the Nassanis, Nassanitts or
the Nacogdocnes INDIANS. How long
IL may have been inhabited by the ln-
dams no one can tell. History is lost
In tradition and tradition itself fades
away In the dim twilight Of antiquity.
Here, doubtless, thousands OF years
ago one B aalbec or Palmyra had arisen
from the plains, here the Nacogdoches
Indians dwelt In the morning OF time,
here the smoke from the Inuian wig
wan assembled TO commingle with the
clouds OF heaven, here among the hills
and valleys the Indian warrior hunt.
ed, and here are buried the bones OF
his race.
Modern Nacogdoches is a town OF
about 1900 inhabitants; 1t Is situated
on the Houston East Il West
Texas Railway, 1873 miles northeast
from Houston. The chief object OF
interest to the stranger In Nacog'
doches is the ,Old Stone fort, n stone
building ninety feet long by twenty
feet broad, including the walls, which
are between two and half and three
feet thick. The building Ia two sto-
ri,s high. The stone OF which II IL
built Is indigenous to the country
around Naoogdoches, IL ough at this
| date the quarry from which the rock
was taken cannot be pointed out. The
date OF the erection Of the Old Stone
fort cannot DO accurately ascertained.
| There Is sign, grocery sign, on the
building that dates Its erection in
| 1918. This date IL doubtless enron c aus;
the building Is probably not 30 old by
a hundred years. Mr.. Yoakum, In his
history of Texas, dates its erection In
177S He refers to Col. Forbes MS.
notes. II Mr.. Yoakum IL correct, the
building Is only 100 years old. He Ia
probably wrong when he gives this
date, 1878. He refers to settlement
of Nacogdoches. Nacogdoches Is men,
toned in history as early rs 17l4.
Vital Flores, an old Spaniard, who is
still living, was born In Nacog-
doches. He is nineiy.five years
old. According to Mr., Yea
KUN, when Flores was born
the fort had only been built eleven
years Senior Flores has no remem-
brance OF ever having heard anything
about the building OF the Old Stone
fort. He says that when he was boy
the building appeared rs old IA II doet
to-day. II 1t had been built only
eleven years when he was born ht
would have heard his father or some
one else say something about IL. But
to the contrary, the date of its erection
was then as great mystery as IL Is to
day and as much "A subject OF coDjec
ture and speculation as it is now. MS
own opinion Is that no history give
, the correct date OF the building OF tn,
Old Stone fort. 1t is unquesiionabl,
the most ancient building west of thu
, Mississippi, the Alamo at San Anto
, MO not excepted. Il. Il. j.