PRESIDIO LA BAHIA
(Fort of the Bay)
National Historic Landmark
P. O. Box 57, Goliad, Texas 77963
26th ANNUAL‘GOLIAD MASSACRE’ LIVING HISTORY PROGRAM
AT FAMOUS PRESIDIO LA BAHIA (FORT OF THE BAY), MARCH 26-27
5,000 visitors, 300+ re-enactorsexpected; 175thAnniversary ofTexas Independence
GOLIAD,TX(Feb. 17, 2011) --The Crossroads of Texas Living History Assn. and the Presidio La Bahia (Fort of the Bay) National Historic Landmark in Goliad, TX, will reenact the occupation of the 290-year-old citadel by Col. James Fannin and the “massacre” of him and 341 ofhis men in and around the walled bastion on Saturday, March 26, and Sunday March27.
The 26th Annual Living History event, complete with encampments by the early “Texians” and the “MexicanArmy,” attracts the general public as well as descendants on both sides of the revolutionary encounters, some of whom travel from distant states. (http://www.presidiolabahia.org/)
Schools send students. Boyand Girl Scout troops come on field trips. Parents bring their children toexperience the colorful reenactment of a critical and violent chapter in thecolony’s quest for independence from Mexico and its historic march toward becoming the Republic of Texas.
On Saturday, authenticperiod cannons will blast away and muskets will fire as the armies skirmish andbattle on foot and on horseback. Noise, gritos (cries) and black powder smokewill fill the air. Re-enactors on both sides, dressed in period costumes, willanswer questions in their respective encampments, as they spin yarns, singauthentic songs and work on their gear.
Visitors also will have theopportunity to attend lectures in the 232-year-old Our Lady of Loreto Chapel, where debates on “massacre” versus “execution” will likely rise again, and tosee a cavalry presentation in the nearby amphitheatre.
From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.,candlelight tours will be conducted through the barracks, the Mexican officers’quarters and the impromptu “hospital”in the Chapel, where the wounded Texians are suffering. The visitors actuallybecome part of the historic tableau, finally departing, knowing the fate of the Texians is only hoursaway. (Reservations required. Photos and story at http://www.presidiolabahia.org/candlelight.htm.)
On Sunday, the death marchbegins inside the Presidio, proceeding to one of the locations where the massacre actually took place. The program will conclude with a Memorial Service that begins in the Chapel followed by a procession to the Fannin Memorial and a 21-musket salute.
Daily admission is $4 forages 12-59; $3.50 for age 60 and up and $1 for ages 6-11. Children five yearsold and younger are admitted free. There is an additional $2 per person fee foradmission to the Candlelight Tour. A detailed schedule of activities is at (http://www.presidiolabahia.org/). For more information call361-645-3752.
“Passport ToTexasHistory”Attracts Travelers
Historic sites across Texas have created a way for visitors to re-live the events of theTexas Revolution by offering a “Passport to Texas History." Travelers can learn as they visit the sites where Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, James Fannin and Santa Anna made history.
Just likean official government passport, visitors can gettheir book stamped at each sitethey visit. Those who collect stamps from six designated sites by December 2011 receive a commemorative gift from theTexas Independence Trail Region and qualify for more extensive rewards including stays at historic lodging.
The sites include Gonzalez, San Felipe, San Antonio, San Jacinto,Washington-on-the-Brazos, LaPorte and Goliad. For more information onthese and other passport sites, as well as a state-wide Texas independence event calendar with its many historic re-enactments and memorials,visit www.txindependence175.org.
“The Presidio in Goliad isin a pastoral hilltop setting beside the San Antonio River. It’s a must-see destination on the Trail,” said Newton M. Warzecha, long-time Director of the Presidio."The annual program is staged with the help of the Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept., with some of the activities on the grounds and in the amphitheatre of nearby Goliad State Park, Warzecha noted.
"TP&W and the Park have been a great partner for many years," hesaid. "We encourage visitors to tour that park and its museum, the historic Mission Espiritu Santo, and the hiking trails. Ironically, the birthplace of Mexican Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza, who helped preserve Mexico's independence from France, is across the street from the Presidio. OnMay 5 (Cinco de Mayo),1862, Zaragoza and his men defeated French forces at Puebla, raising him to "hero" status.
“Our landmark, with its recently renovated museum, is one of the finest examples of Spanish Colonial architecture in the country,” Warzecha emphasized. “Although fully restored inthe 1960s with funds from the Kathryn Stoner O’Connor Foundation, more than $500,000 and 3½years work were required in an extensive effort to broaden the landmark’s appealand the compelling story of early Texas that it represents.”
Thefort has eight-foot stone walls, parapets, cannons, a bell tower containing two bells, a religious statue estimated at 300 years old, more than 150 artifacts on display, a unique Texas- version fresco of the Annunciation and “The (Officer’s) Quarters,” which can accommodate four persons for overnight stays.
“The first formaldeclaration of independence occurred in the quaint Our Lady of Loreto Chapel inside the fortress walls in October 1835,” he proudly noted.
“The disastrous Battle of Coleto Creek (nearby), the surrender and subsequent massacre shocked U.S.citizens who came long distances to aid the Texians’ and to take up the battle cries: ‘Remember Goliad! Remember the Alamo!’” he explained.
“Now we hope they will come again -- joined by native Texans, Texans-by-choice and thousands of socialstudies students already scheduled for spring field trips -- to honor the heroes and the costly struggle that led to Texas’ Independence 175 yearsago.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION ORINTERVIEWS:
NewtonM.Warzecha,Director of Presidio La Bahia and President of The Presidio LaBahia Foundation,Goliad,TX, 361-645-3752,presidiolabahia@goliad.net Preston F. Kirk, APR, Kirk PublicRelations,Spicewood,TX, 830-693-4447;kirkpf@verizon.net
