History of the Nine Flags

A local legend says the Caddo Indians founded Nacogdoches.
It is said that an old Caddo chief who lived near the Sabine River had twin sons. One son had dark hair and dark skin and the other had blond hair and light skin.
When the sons grew to manhood and were ready to become leaders of their own tribes, the father sent one brother three days eastward toward the rising sun. The other brother was sent three days westward toward the setting sun.
The twin who settled three days toward the setting sun was the blond-haired brother, Nacogdoches. Natchitoches, the dark-haired twin, settled three days to the east in Louisiana. The two brothers remained friendly and the road between the two communities was well traveled. This road became a trade route and the eastern end of the El Camino Real or Old San Antonio Road.

The French never actually settled in East Texas, but French intrusions into the area eventually forced the Spanish to establish permanent settlements in East Texas. Although the precise route is uncertain, La Salle and his men, on their ill-fated attempt to reach the Mississippi from their settlement on the Texas coast, must have come through East Texas.
These trips, plus French trading in the area precipitated the establishment of permanent Spanish missions and presidios in East Texas in 1721-1722.

After the Treaty of Paris in 1763, the Spanish decided to abandon East Texas.

The first two-story building in Texas was the Old Stone House. The first district court session was held in the Old Stone Fort.

First newspaper set to type in 1813.

The next flag to fly over the Stone Fort was the Mexican flag. Mexico formally gained its independence from Spain in August of 1821. The Mexican years date from 1821 to 1836; during this period Nacogdoches grew in size and character. Immigration from the southern U.S. caused a shift to Anglo culture in Nacogdoches. Texas and Coahuila were organized as one state within the Mexican Confederation.

The third attempt at independence from Mexico was known as the Fredonia Rebellion led by Haden Edwards. Mexico gave Edwards a contract to settle 800 families in the Nacogdoches area. When he arrived in Nacogdoches, he found that the land was already settled by Indians and Mexican descendants who had been there several generations.
Edwards gathered his men in the Stone Fort and declared themselves Fredonians (freedom seekers) when a dispute developed. Once again, the rebellion failed and Edwards' men scattered.

The first Baptist church service in Texas was held under an oak tree in Nacogdoches in 1838. The group organized Old North Church which is located about four miles north of town. The oak tree stands in front of the church building.

After the revolution, settlement of Texas swept through Nacogdoches to the west. Nacogdoches prospered raising cotton and tobacco, producing timber and advancing slowly while keeping its status as a cultural, educational and religious center.

El Camino Real de los Tejas (The King's Highway) was designated as a National Historic Trail in 2004 by the United States Congress. From its starting point in Louisiana, this royal road spans the broad expanse of Texas and is paved with the history of the brave men, women and children who traveled it as they pushed the frontiers of Texas to new limits. El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail consists of several major routes, including El Camino Real de los Tejas (the 1691 trail), the Lower Road, the Old San Antonio Road (beginning in 1820) and the Laredo Road.
The trail is a combination of routes totaling almost 2,600 miles from the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass and Laredo to Natchitoches, Louisiana. It also served as a path for Texas heroes Davy Crockett and Sam Houston, who fought in the struggle for Texas independence from Mexico. You are invited to travel this national landmark, visit historic spots along the way and revel in the exciting story of the people who traveled these roads and who gave life to this important slice of our great history as a nation.

The Nacogdoches Federal Building has served the city in many ways: as a post office, as office space for various government agencies, as an army induction center, a public library and currently as the city's Visitor's Information Center. Despite some renovations, the building stands today on the public square much as it has since its completion in 1918.

Stephen F. Austin State University is home to more than 12,000 students and boasts a campus that is recognized as one of the most beautiful in Texas. For 100 years, SFA has had an extraordinary academic influence on community, the region and the state. Nestled in a breathtaking pine forest, SFA offers more than 120 degree opportunities and is known throughout the south for excellence in the Colleges of Education, Forestry and Nursing.

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