Antonio de Espejo Entrada of 1582-1583 Historical Markers

This is a marker series I created for Historic Marker Database Organization (HMDB.ORG).

Antonio de Espejo was a Spanish explorer who led an expedition into New Mexico, Arizona and Texas in 1582-1583. The expedition created interest in establishing a Spanish colony among the Pueblo Indians of the Rio Grande valley. The journals from this trip, especially those of Diego Pérez de Luxan, provide early first hand accounts of the region and Native Americans living there.

Click here to view the series of historical markers

When the page opens, you can generate a map of the markers by clicking on a link at the top of the page. You can then explore individual markers by clicking on each red flag.

Historic San Antonio-El Paso Road

This is a historical marker series I created for the Historic Marker Database Organization (HMDB.ORG)

As a result of the Mexican-American war, the United States in 1848 obtained land west of Texas: modern New Mexico, Arizona, and California. The resulting westward expansion made necessary a route from the city of San Antonio to El Paso, and beyond to California. The road that emerged within Texas became known as the San Antonio-El Paso Road (AKA Lower Emigrant Road; Military Road; Government Road). Between 1849 and 1882 the San Antonio-El Paso road carried mail, freight and passengers by horse and wagon across the Edwards Plateau and Trans-Pecos region of West Texas. During the gold-rush of 1849 the road was used by gold-seekers headed to California. Later the San Antonio-El Paso road was part of the San Antonio-San Diego Mail Line, and Butterfield Overland Mail. To protect people and supplies along the road from Indians and bandits, a series of forts was established along the road: Forts Inge, Clark, Lancaster, Stockton, Davis, Quitman and Bliss. Use of the road declined in the 1880s with the arrival of the railroad.

Click for list of historical markers along the San Antonio-El Paso road.

Once the page opens, to generate a map, click on the link shown in photo. You can then click on red flags to look at individual markers.

Texas Historical Markers on the Comanche Trail into Mexico

This is a historical marker series I created for the Historic Marker Database Organization (HMDB.ORG)

While there were actually many trails utilized by Comanches in Texas, “The Comanche Trail” typically refers to that system of trails used by Comanches traveling south through Texas on raids into Mexico. This trail is sometimes called the “Comanche War Trail” or “Comanche Trace”.

Pekka Hämäläinen in his book The Comanche Empire says raids on the trail grew into a “veritable industry” generating a “massive northward flow of property from Mexico into Comancheria and its trade channels” to the north. The full extent of the trail stretched nearly 1,000 miles from Comancheria in the north, deep into Mexico. The Comanche Trail was in use for about a century, starting in the late 1700s.

I created and maintain a Texas Historical Marker Series for the Historic Marker Database Organization (HMDB.ORG) relating to the Comanche Trail into Mexico. Click on the link below to view a list of markers in Texas dedicated to the Comanche Trail into Mexico:

• Comanche Trail into Mexico

At the top of the page you will see a link that let's you map the series across Texas; on the map you can then click on the red flags to view details about that particular marker.

On a personal note, I have visited all these markers; indeed did the initial logging for all but one. I have traveled the Comanche Trail down to Mexico!