Mission Nuestra Senora de la Purisima Concepcion de los Hainais

Originally built in 1716, Mission Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de los Hainais was established during Domingo Ramóns expedition to forge Spanish settlements in Texas. Father Félix Isidro Espinosa, the President of Querétaran missions in Texas, founded Concepción on July 7, 1716 in the village of the Hainais, the lead tribe of the Hasinai or Tejas Caddo. Accounts indicate that Mission Concepción was located east of the Angelina River, and that the church and missionary residence were placed on a north-south oriented mesa (or terrace) near two springs. It served as the original headquarters of the missions in East Texas and Ramón placed Presidio Dolores nearby. The important French trader and diplomat St. Denis visited Concepción many times. Following a period of hardship and drought, Mission Concepción was re-supplied in 1718 during a visit by Governor Martin de Alarcón. A house was built near the mission for the governor. Alarcón moved the sagacious Caddo translator, Angelina, to the mission as well. All the East Texas missions were abandoned in 1719 due to a French attack on Mission San Miguel but were soon reestablished and reinforced by the 1721 Aguayo expedition. Due to the closure of the nearby presidio in 1729, Concepción was relocated to the San Antonio River in 1731 and renamed Mission Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción de la Acuña. During the first fourteen years of permanent Spanish occupation of Texas, Mission Concepción was a key hub along El Camino Real de los Tejas, fostering interaction among Catholic priests, Spanish governors, French traders and East Texas Indian groups. (2012)

Mission Nuestra Senora de la Purisima Concepcion de los Hainais is a historical marker in Douglass, Nacogdoches County, dedicated in 2013. It is one of 94 historical markers documented in Nacogdoches County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 232 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 31.6673, -94.8832 near Douglass. The nearest cataloged historic site is Presidio Nuestra Senora de los Dolores de los Tejas (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Louis Juchereau de St. Denis, San Patricio Rancho, and Town of Douglass.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507017688. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.