San Augustine

An early eastern gate to Texas, in area claimed in 1600s by both France and Spain. To back her claim, Spain in 1691 chartered from Mexico past this site El Camino Real (The King's Highway) and established nearby in 1717 Mission Dolores de los Aies. Inhabited by Ayish Indians and Spaniards until the late 1790s, when Richard Sims came and was soon followed by John Quinalty, Edmond Quirk and families of Broocks, Cullens, Cartwrights, Hortons, Hustons, Prathers and others. By 1824 the settlement had a water mill to grind corn meal; in 1826, a cotton gin. In the 1827 Battle of Ayish Bayou, Col. Prather and 69 men put down Fredonian uprising over land titles. The town was laid off in 1833 by Thomas McFarland. In 1836 it sent as delegates to sign Declaration of Independence S. W. Blount and E. O. LeGrand; fielded 3 companies to fight in the War for Independence. Its Republic of Texas statesmen included vice-president K. L. Anderson; J. A. Greer, Secretary of the Treasury; Wm. Holman, Congressman; J. Pinckney Henderson, Minister to England and France, and later the first Governor of the state. Oran M. Roberts was 16th governor. Home of the 1965 United States Ambassador to Australia Edward Clark. Many historic sites are marked. (1966)

San Augustine is a historical marker in San Augustine, San Augustine County, dedicated in 1966. It is one of 51 historical markers documented in San Augustine County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 161 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 31.5313, -94.1176 near San Augustine. The nearest cataloged historic site is Early Texas Sawmill (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Horn-Polk House, Polk House, and San Augustine County Courthouse.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5405007637. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.