Built in 1749 by the Spanish to deter the French who were sniffing around the eastern edges of their empire, Presidio La Bahia played a role in six revolutions and wars. Texas revolutionaries seized the fort – now faithfully restored by the church – in October 1835.
The following year, Colonel Fannin and his men were held by the Mexican forces inside the walls for two weeks before their execution (their graves are nearby). The presidio is 2 miles south of Goliad and close to Mission Espiritu Santo.
