Developed in the 1750s or 1760s, Rancho El Salto was a successful extension of the Spanish Misión Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe de los Nacogdoches which opened in 1716. Located about five or six miles from Nacogdoches, the Rancho derived its name from the nearby El Salto Creek, which flowed first into the Moral then into the Angelina River. Although the Misión Guadalupe had limited success in its goal of converting Native Americans to Christianity, the outlying Misión Rancho was prosperous. Operated by a priest, two young workers, and two soldiers and their families, El Salto by all accounts was a vast, highly active and thriving Rancho, with cattle, horses, mules and crops. El Salto helped to provide for the Misión. During the forced Spanish withdrawal from Los Adaes to San Antonio in 1773, nine workers stayed at El Salto and continued the operation of the Rancho. In 1806, El Salto hosted a Spanish military post that supported the successful peace efforts held to avoid war between Spain and America. These discussions led to the creation of a neutral ground and gave the two parties time to agree to the defined border outlined in the Adams-Onís Treaty. However, military action between Spain and Mexico and the incoming American settlers, plus other factors, caused instability in the area. The site of the ranch was lost. Rancho El Salto had no written deed or right of possession until Capt. D. Juan Cortes granted a league of land to the secular church as noted in the 1809 census. Even then the Rancho’s boundaries remained unclear except for marks on trees. In 1831, Governor Juan Antonio Saucedo granted the land believed to be the bulk of El Salto to Juan Isidro Acosta who had been living there since 1821. Although the exact boundaries have been lost to history, the story of Rancho El Salto gives modern audiences a chance to reflect on the history of the mission system and Spanish beginnings in Texas. (2022)