Frio County
Pearsall, Frio County, Texas
Marker Inscription
(Created 1858, Organized 1871) Home of Pachal Indians before Spaniards arrived in Mexico (1519). First area explorer was Alonso de Leon, 1690, searching for Fort St. Louis founded by La Salle. Upper Presidio Road--artery of travel from Saltillo, Mexico, to East Texas--crossed Frio River and became a King's Highway , 1720. Frio Town, first county seat, was located on the road, over which Santa Anna marched to destroy defenders of the Alamo in 1836. County took name from Frio (a Spanish word which means "cold") River. The county seat moved to Pearsall, 1883. Jail, built 1884, is the oldest building in town. (1968)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Long home to the Pachal Indians, this South Texas country was first crossed by Spanish explorer Alonso de León in 1690 as he searched for La Salle's ill-fated Fort St. Louis. By 1720 the route through the region had become part of a King's Highway linking Saltillo to East Texas—the same road along which Santa Anna marched toward the Alamo in 1836. Frio County, named for its "cold" river, was created in 1858 and organized in 1871, its seat later moving to Pearsall in 1883.
Why it matters
The county's story compresses two centuries of Texas history—Native homeland, Spanish exploration, the royal road, and revolution—into one stretch of ground along the Frio River.
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Related people
- · Alonso de León
- · Santa Anna
Related events
- · Founding of Fort St. Louis
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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