Did You Know? The First Capital of Texas Was in Louisiana

ROBELINE, La. (KPEL News) - Louisiana and Texas both have a rich, storied history when it comes to early settlers. While the French were the first to establish permanent settlements in what is now the state of Louisiana, the Spanish were busy settling up settlements and trade outposts in Texas.

But, neither region had official borders at that point, which makes figuring out who was in control of what patch of land at any given time. Both the French and the Spanish worked alongside Native Americans (at times) but clearly did not respect those territorial claims to land.

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Since "Louisiana" and "Texas" did not exist in the 1700s like they do now, there is some confusion as to where French territory ended and Spanish territory began. As a result, you get some odd little historical facts, like the fact that the first "capital" of Texas was in Robeline, Louisiana.

Los Adeas - The First Texas Capital

The Los Adeas historical site, located in Robeline, is historically recognized as the first capital of "Tejas" by the Spanish.

Spain and France were not exactly on the friendliest terms, so when the French established Fort St. Jean Baptiste in what is now Natchitoches, Louisiana, the Spanish sought to stop the French from expanding westward. They established a colony in what is now Robeline, Louisiana, called "Los Adaes" (or "Los Adais," as seen above).

The fort would be the capital of the province of "Tejas," which was the Spanish territory covering Texas at the time (not to be confused with the later Mexican province of Tejas) and would be the Spanish government's attempt to stop the French from expanding.

There would be 100 soldiers stationed there, mostly cavalrymen who defended the mission and escorted the governor and missionaries on their travels. The soldiers also served as farmers and herdsmen in the colony.

Despite hostilities between the Spanish and the French governments, the colonies were relatively peaceful after the two forts were established. The need to survive outweighed the need to fight for God and country.

So, yes, technically the first capital of Texas was established in Louisiana. However, those were much different times and under much different circumstances. Still, it's a fascinating bit of the incredibly rich history of both Louisiana and Texas.

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Speaking of history, here's one a little closer to home...