Winner, Presidio La Bahia Award, Sons of the Republic of Texas, 2000
Texas Old Missions and Forts Restoration Association Book Award, the Texas Old Missions and Fort Restoration Association and the Texas Catholic Historical Society, 2001

The Spanish colonial era in Texas (1528-1821) continues to emerge from the shadowy past with every new archaeological and historical discovery. In this book, years of archival sleuthing by Donald E. Chipman and Harriett Denise Joseph now reveal the real human beings behind the legendary figures who discovered, explored, and settled Spanish Texas.

By combining dramatic, real-life incidents, biographical sketches, and historical background, the authors bring to life these famous (and sometimes infamous) men of Spanish Texas:



Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca
Alonso de León
Francisco Hidalgo
Louis Juchereau de St. Denis
Antonio Margil
The Marqués de Aguayo
Pedro de Rivera
Felipe de Rábago
José de Escandón
Athanase de Mézières
The Marqués de Rubí
Antonio Gil Ibarvo
Domingo Cabello
José Bernardo Gutiérrez de Lara
Joaquín de Arredondo

The authors also devote a chapter to the women of Spanish Texas, drawing on scarce historical clues to tell the stories of both well-known and previously unknown Tejana, Indian, and African women.