Map by Nicolas Sanson d' Abbeville, 1650
V88.1.2
Educational Collection

Robert Cavelier, Sier de La Salle descended the Mississippi River to its mouth on the Gulf and proclaimed it the property of France in 1682. In 1684, he returned to the Texas Gulf to explore this new territory. In 1685 he erected a stockade building, Fort St. Louis, on Garcitas Creek near Matagorda Bay. Crop failures, indian depredation, and disease led to the failure of this expedition. Finally, in a mutiny, La Salle was killed by his own troops, the survivors returning to French controlled Canada. Alonso de Leon, arriving at the ruins of Fort St. Louis in 1689 discovered two of La Salle's men, thus learning the fate of the expedition.

La Salle proclaiming the French dominion in America
L38.12.704
Donated by William E. Howard

Pierced tin lantern
M40.17.33
Gift of City of Dallas, Department of Public Welfare