Excerpt from Presidios of the Big Bend Area

Today historians, anthropologists, and the National Park Service look with increased interest at the historical background of the Big Bend National Park area. Part of this interest results from the development of the historic resources of traditionally natural parks such as Big Bend. Preparations for a major celebration of the 5o0th anniversary of the European discovery of the New World in 1992 have contributed additional interest. As part of this celebration, scholars propose an international appraisal of the effects of Columbus's landing. The appraisal would include studies of the history of New Spain, such as historical and archeological research dealing with specific sites of international significance. Among the sites being considered for such research are two in northern Mexico on the south side of the Rio Grande River near Big Bend National Park. They are the ruins of two military posts constructed during the later years of the Spanish Empire, the presidios of San Vicente and San Carlos.

In 1772 the Spanish government constructed the two presidios as part of a new alignment of frontier defenses. The new line of presidios extended from the California coast to the Gulf of Mexico. It housed troops moved from forts closed down by the realignment. This shift in the defenses resulted from a debate within the government over frontier policy for New Spain and strongly affected subsequent events, including future relationships with the new nation of the United States.

Although San Carlos and San Vicente presidios were not exceptional parts of the new frontier when they were established, time has immensely increased their significance. Because of changing frontier management policies, they were abandoned after ten years and have been Virtually undisturbed since that time. As a result, they contain an almost untouched archeological record of the daily activities and culture of the late-eighteenth-century frontier presidio. This information, if combined with the extensive military and historical records of the period, would produce an unequaled picture of the operation and life of these presidios. Because of this, they are of unique interest in terms of both historic and archeological potential.

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