José Domingo Ramón(?-December 23, 1723) was aSpanishmilitaryman andexplorerwho founded several missions and apresidioin East Texas to preventFrenchexpansion in the area.
José Domingo Ramón | |
|---|---|
| Died | December 23, 1723 |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Occupation | Explorer |
Biography
editDomingo Ramón was born to Diego Ramón, a soldier who served ascommanderof the Presidio San Juan Bautista inCoahuila,in the modernMexico.
In 1715, Ramón was appointed commander of a Spanish expedition whose purpose was to go toEast Texas.[1]The objective of the expedition was the foundation of four religious missions, as well as a presidio[2]to prevent French expansion fromLouisiana.
The expedition, led by the Quebecer official commanderLouis Juchereau de St. Denis,[1]began its journey in San Juan Bautista (present-dayGuerrero, Coahuila) on April 12, 1716[2]and was made up by seventy-five members (among them twelve friars, includingIsidro de Espinosa,[3]and more than twenty civilians).
Finally, Ramon's team arrived in the east of the territory in late June.[1]Once there, the team went through a lot of places. The expedition touredLos Adaes,Nacogdoches[4](although the latter city had previously had a French settlement[5]), andSan Antonio.[6]In addition, the team passed through the vicinity of theSabine,[4][7]Brazos,Little,[8]San Antonio,[9]andSan Gabriel[10]rivers, and ofOnion,[11]Salado,[6]Cibolo,[12]andRosillocreeks. In addition, the team also discovered theComal Springs.[13]The expedition team named almost all water places (rivers, creeks) with their modern names.[4][8][7]Thus, Ramón named the San Antonio River after him because he discovered it onAnthony of Padua's Day (in Spanish:San Antonio de Padua),[14]while the Brazos, Little and San Gabriel rivers were originally named Brazos de Dios (Arms of God),[8]San Andrés[15]and San Javier[10]respectively.
Ramón included in his diary observations of certain indigenous tribes of the zone, such as theNacono.It was in the middle of his expedition thatNew Philippineswas first recorded as name for the territory he was exploring and settling, on a letter to the Marquess of Valero, written byAntonio Margilon July 20, 1716.[16]
The expedition successfully established the missions entrusted to it. Thus, the following were founded:Nuestro Padre San Francisco de los Tejas Mission(established near Weches, Texas on July 5. 1716),Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de Acuña(established by the group of Franciscans of the expedition in San Antonio),Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe(in Nacogdoches), andSan José de los Nazonis(nearCushing,in Nacogdoches).[1]
In early 1717, Denis and Ramon returned to East Texas, where they established the missionsNuestra Señora de los Dolores de los Ais[1](inSan Augustine) andSan Miguel de Linares de los Adaes.[1][17]
In 1719, coinciding with the outbreak of the Chicken War (theWar of the Quadruple Alliancefaction that was developed in Texas), Ramon left East Texas to move to San Antonio along with the rest of the Spaniards who had been living there.
After two years residing in that city, Ramon left forMatagorda Baywith a group of forty men and he settled on the shores of the bay.
In December 1723 Ramon was attacked by aKarankawaman, whose tribe had rebelled against the Spaniards atLa Bahia.The Karankawa attack caused his death.[1]
Personal life
editRamón married Luisa Maldonado de Orandai. It is known they were parents of three sons, which were named as Diego, Juan Domingo, and Miguel. It is not known if they had more children.[1]
References
edit- ^abcdefghDonald E. Chipman (2010)."RAMÓN, DOMINGO".Handbook of Texas Online.RetrievedAugust 13,2020.
- ^abChipman, Donald E. (1992).Spanish Texas, 1519–1821.University of Texas Press. pp. 111–112.
- ^Donald E. Chipman."Isidro de Espinoza".Handbook of Texas Online.RetrievedMay 8,2010.
- ^abcBartlett, Richard A. (1984).Rolling Rivers: An Encyclopedia of America's Rivers.ISBN978-0-07-003910-0.
- ^"Los Adaes".Louisiana Office of Tourism. Archived fromthe originalon August 16, 2011.RetrievedAugust 5,2011.
- ^ab"Salado Creek".Handbook of Texas Online.RetrievedOctober 22,2020.
- ^abArthur C. Benke; Colbert Cushing (2005).Rivers of North America.Elsevier. p. 209.ISBN978-0-08-045418-4.
- ^abcMcConal, Jon (2005).Bridges Over the Brazos.Texas Christian University Press. p. 2.ISBN978-0-87565-312-9.
- ^Lomax, Louise (1948).San Antonio's River.Naylor Company.
- ^abReed, Aaron (2020).The Local Angler Fly Fishing Austin & Central Texas.Imbrifex Books.ISBN978-1-945501-25-8.
- ^"McKinney Falls State Park".El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail.National Park Service.Retrieved25 August2017.
- ^"Cibolo Creek".Handbook of Texas Online.RetrievedOctober 22,2020.
- ^Richard Zelade (2011).Lone Star Travel Guide to Central Texas.Taylor Trade Publishing. p. 17.ISBN978-1-58979-608-9.
- ^Frank Goodwyn (1955).Lone-Star Land: Twentieth-century Texas in Perspective.Alfred A. Knopf. p. 108.
- ^"Little River".Handbook of Texas Online.RetrievedOctober 22,2020.
- ^Jesús "Frank" de la Teja (1976)."New Philippines".Handbook of Texas.Texas State Historical Association. Archived fromthe originalon 11 November 2020.Retrieved31 August2021.
Antonio Margil de Jesús evidently first used the name Nuevas Filipinas in a letter to the viceroy dated July 20, 1716
- ^Weber, David J. (1992).The Spanish Frontier in North America.Yale Western Americana Series. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT. p. 162.