Orcoquisac Archeological District
National Register of Historic Places

Orcoquisac Archeological District

Wallisville, Chambers County, Texas
Listed
July 13, 1971
Type
District
Period
Colonial
Ref No.
71000925

About this property

El Orcoquisac Archeological District is a registered U.S. historic site located near Galveston Bay in present-day Wallisville, Texas. The site preserves an important Spanish presidio and trading center as well as an important settlement for the Akokisa and Bidai tribes that once inhabited the area. Frenchmen, led by Joseph Blancpain and engaged in fur and hide trading with the tribes, had operated in the area near the mouth of the Trinity River in the early 18th century even though the area was claimed by the Spanish as part of the Texas province. Alarmed by this, the Spanish drove out the French and, in 1756, established a presidio known as San Augustín de Ahumada at the El Orcoquisac site. It was named after the Vicerroy of New Spain Agustín de Ahumada, 2nd Marquess of Amarillas. Within the presidio, a Roman Catholic mission known as Nuestra Señora de la Luz was also established. The Spanish post was never as successful in fur trading as Blancpain's operation. The stablishment of the Spanish Louisiana in 1762 resulted in the presidio garrison moved elsewhere and the site was gradually abandoned in the later 18th century. The site was rediscovered by the amateur historian John V. Clay in 1965 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.

Location

Wallisville, Chambers County, Texas

Categories

PREHISTORICHISTORIC - ABORIGINALMILITARYAGRICULTURERELIGION
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Questions about this property

When was Orcoquisac Archeological District listed on the National Register?

Orcoquisac Archeological District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 13, 1971.

What type of historic resource is Orcoquisac Archeological District?

Orcoquisac Archeological District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Orcoquisac Archeological District?

The period of significance for Orcoquisac Archeological District is recorded as the colonial era, specifically around 1756.

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