Goliad

You might argue that Goliad, being at least two hours from the Alamo City, does not belong in a blog called "My Hidden San Antonio". However, as I told several people where we were going today, only to be met by blank stares, I think we can safely consider it "hidden". And, considering its historic relationship to the battle at the Alamo, we can certainly see the link to San Antonio.

I was reminded today of our many childhood roadtrips when my parents called us this morning to see if we'd like to go to Goliad. This is Texas History in real life, rather than a textbook, and we jumped at the chance to take our daughters.

The road to Goliad is uneventful - the land is flat, and a dull, wintry brown. My daughters brought books to read, and my parents tried to convince me of the marvels of Global Positioning technology. I'm proficient on my compter, could program my VCR back when they existed, set up our home's surround sound system, and love my iPod immensely. I just haven't made the jump to a GPS from the tactile satisfaction of a good map as my traveling companion. However, as I was the guest and a passenger, I tolerated "Sophie" (their nickname for it, meaning "wisdom") for the duration. I will admit that she got us there without error, monitored our speed, calculated our estimated arrival time, washed the dishes, served us coffee.....oh, not those last few.

Like many small towns in both Texas and elsewhere, the entrance to Goliad is quiet and somewhat non-descript. Then, a large, proud sign appears, pointing the way to the historic district.

The historic district in Goliad is charming. In the middle of the square towers a breathtaking county courthouse made of stone and trimmed in red and green. Multiple turrets make it visible from far away. To its side stands an impressive tree, famous for hanging the county's criminals once upon a time. In fact, the tree is the square's claim to fame, being the namesake of several businesses around it.....The Hanging Tree Antiques, the Hanging Tree Restaurant, etc.

We opted for a later lunch and drove around the corner to the historic state park. The entrance hints of what lies ahead, as the stone pillars, ornamented with Texas stars, welcome you. To your right is a gleaming white mission church, Espiritu Santo. This is where, in 1749, Spanish missionaries lived and worked among the native people, evangelizing as they went along.

A little further down the road is a another white structure, this one much smaller, much more humble. It is the birthplace of Ignacio Zaragosa, a general in the Mexican Army, and the leader of the battle for which "Cinco De Mayo" is celebrated. (I just had to backspace while spelling that - at first, I typed "Di Maio", which is our last name, prounced the same. Habit, I suppose. People have suggested that we name a dog "Cinco", but our children have named our two canine companions Kate and Sugar. Alas, no historical significance there.)

Just across from that is the structure that most people drive to Goliad for - The Presidio La Bahia. The name means "The Fort of the Bay", and one look around will make you question where the water is. A video inside will inform you that Spanish originally established the fort in 1721 at Lavaca Bay, but moved inland when it didn't meet their needs.

The first site is a chapel, resplendent with a floor-to-ceiling mural of the Annunciation of the Angel Gabriel to Mary. But this is most definitely a fort, not a mission. The perimeter is marked by a vast stone wall, the corners rounded by watchtowers and canon holes. There are also smaller holes interspersed throughout the walls, presumably for rifles. Our daughters made a game of finding all of the rifle holes. My husband, the Marine, was just happy that they were taking interest in something other than dolls and stuffed animals.

There were some rooms, many with beautiful wooden beams. Heavy wooden doors were decorated with copper accents, green from the touch of time. On the walls are two flags - one with a canon, meant to taunt the enemy, saying "Come and get it." The other has a red arm, used by the Texans to indicate that they would rather give up their right arm than live under the dictatorship of Santa Anna any longer.

Many events occured at the presido between the Spanish settlement, and the Texas occupation of the fort. In the 1770s, the Spanish sent their army from the fort to the Gulf to fight the British and assist the colonists in the American Revolution.

The name of the town was changed in 1829 from "La Bahia" to "Goliad", as an attempt at an anagram of a Father Hidalgo in the Mexican Revolution, as the Mexicans now claimed the area.

In 1835, the Texans stormed the fort and took it as their own. In the chapel, 92 citizens signed the first Texas Declaration of Independence, and flew the Lone Star flag for the first time.

Perhaps now, it is most well known for the day of March 27, 1836 when Col. James Walker Fannin and 341 of his men were captured and subsequently massacred by General Santa Anna. "Remember Goliad" joined the cry of "Remember the Alamo", and the United States took notice.

Today, the Presidio is run by the Catholic Diocese of Victoria, and Mass is celebrated in the chapel every Sunday evening. It is recognized as the only completely restored Spanish fort in the Western Hemisphere.

History may overwhelm the mind, but the stomach can't be fed on musings of the past. Hungry, we drove the short distance back to the historic square, and chose between the two restaurants available. We selected The Hanging Tree (surprise, surprise). Open for only a month, this eatery was a real find. The building had most recently housed a Dollar Store, but now was made elegant by white triple dental mouldings, cranberry-colored walls, and white beadboard all around. The decor was equaled only by the service. Our waitress could not have been more helpful. The meal was very affordable - the kids menu was only $2.99, which is much less than what I have seen elsewhere.

We all wavered over the daily special - beef stew in a bread bowl, or blackened catfish, but the stew won out with 3 of us ordering it, and 1 ordering the catfish. The girls ordered chicken fingers (a childhood staple), and grilled cheese. This grilled cheese was open-faced on French bread - mighty gourmet for a little mouth. Surprised that our 7-year-old was actually torn between the proposed sides of salad, green beans, or French fries, the waitress brought ALL of them out to her, thus giving us more to sample.

It was all wonderful. The beef stew was perfect, the meat just falling apart at your touch. The broth saturated the bread bowl, and reminded me of what we used to order at Boudin's when we lived in San Francisco. We agreed that this was actually better than the Bay Area's famous menu item.

We left after meeting the owner, complimenting the cook, and taking a look at the old pictures of the town, hung on the walls. We wished that The Hanging Tree had a branch (no pun intended) in San Antonio. We would be frequent patrons.

We drove back, feeling a "good tired", content with full bellies, and entertained by the belated Christmas songs that our 3 year old was singing. "Sophie" led the way, accomodated our detours around traffic, and almost won me over. Almost.

Visit the Goliad Chamber of Commerce Website!