Mural #1
317 Main Street
LaSalle Shipwreck
Famous French explorer, Rene-Robert Cavalier, Sieur De LaSalle
entered Matagorda Bay in 1685. King Louis XIV sent LaSalle with four
ships and 300 people to colonize and build a fort at the southern mouth
of the Mississippi River. LaSalle missed his mark by 400 miles.
He built a small fort on Garcitis Creek and named it Fort St. Louis.
LaSalle set out on foot with his men in search of the river.
The "Belle" followed him along the shoreline. He ordered the
"Belle" to anchor, at what is believed to be the Palacios area, while he
and his men ventured inland. He did not return as scheduled.
With all provisions exhausted, The "Belle" weighed anchor
to return to the fort when a winter storm took control of the ship.
The ship wrecked in the shallow waters near the Matagorda Peninsula, just
12 miles from the shore at Palacios.
Shipwrecked sailors had to swim and raft ashore limiting any
salvage of the ship's goods. Only 6 crew members made their way back
to the fort alive.
The shipwreck was rediscovered by the Texas Historical Commission
in 1995 and excavated in 1996/97. Over one million artifacts were
found, making this the most significant marine archeological find in America
to date.
The mirage in the sky depicts the legend of Palacios.
Shipwrecked sailors swam toward a mirage of three palaces. The Spanish
words "Tres Palacios" translate "3 palaces". The bay and the city
are named accordingly. |
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