Los Adaes, the symbol of New Spain in Louisiana, was once the capital of Texas and the scene of a unique cooperation among the French, the Spanish and the indigenous Native Americans.Los Adaes dates back to the early 1700s when a Franciscan missionary from New Spain (now Mexico), Father Francisco Hidalgo, urged the French governor of Louisiana to establish a post near east Texas. The founding of Natchitoches in 1714 by the Frenchman St.Denis and the subsequent construction there of Fort St. Jean Baptiste had the predicted effect. The easternmost of the missions, San Miguel, was built among the Adaes Indians, only 15 miles from the French Fort St. Jean Baptiste. In 1729, Spain designated Los Adaes the capital of the province of Texas. The French took advantage of supply shortages at Los Adaes, and an illicit trade soon flourished between the two posts. The Indians traded with both sides and this commerce became so important that Natchitoches suffered a recession when Los Adaes closed in...
