[Although up to ten years ago Texas history had hardly recognized the
existence of the San Gabriel missions, legend had kept the fact and the
place green for generations. In April, 1914, an article by Dr. Herbert
E. Bolton, on “The Founding of the Missions on the San Gabriel River,
1745–1749,” appeared in the Southwestern Historical Quarterly. The next
year Dr. Bolton’s book entitled Texas in the Middle Eighteenth Century
was issued by the University of California Press; in it pages 135–278
treat of “The San Xavier Missions.” These are the main and almost only
accessible sources for whoever would know the history of the San
Gabriel missions. There were three missions, the principal and most
enduring one being the Mission San Francisco Xavier de Horcasitas
(1748–1755). The name San Xavier was later corrupted into San Gabriel.
[87] The San Gabriel missions had trouble with the Indians, and it is a
fact that a priest, Father Ganzábal, as in the legend, was killed by
them. [88]
Before the mission was abandoned in 1755, legend had seized upon it;
and when Dr. Bolton discovered the site hardly a dozen years ago, he
found that legend had kept treasure hunters familiar with the grounds
and ruins. [89] He quotes Father Mariano, [90] priest of the time, on
legendary causes that contributed to the final abandonment of the
mission: “The sacrilegious homicides having been perpetrated, the
elements at once conspired, declaring divine justice provoked; for in
the sky appeared a ball of fire so horrible that all were terrified,
and with so notable a circumstance that it circled from the presidio to
the mission of the Occisos [Orcoquiza], and returned to the same
presidio, when it exploded with a noise as loud as could be made by a
heavily loaded cannon. The river ceased to run, and its waters became
so corrupt that they were extremely noxious and intolerable to the
smell. The air became so infected that all who went to the place, even
though merely passing, became infected by the pest, which became so
malicious that many of the inhabitants died, and we all found ourselves
in the last extremes of life. Finally, the land became so accursed that
what had been a beautiful plain became converted into a thicket, in
which opened horrible crevices that caused terror. And the inhabitants
became so put to it, in order to escape the complete extermination that
threatened them, that they moved more than thirty leagues away, with no
other permission than that granted them by the natural right to save
their own lives.”
We learn how rich was the San Gabriel Mission, for whose cross of solid
gold men have blithely sought, when we read that the total properties
transported from it and its two sister missions, including six bells,
were inventoried at $1804.50. [91]—Editor.]
In the early days of Texas, when the missionaries were bringing old
world civilization to the new world, there stood a mission on the San
Gabriel River between what are now the towns of San Gabriel and
Rockdale. The mission was a thriving one, and before many months a
large rock church had been built. The crowning glory of this church was
a solid gold cross on the steeple.
Many converts were made to the new religion, and the small community
soon became so powerful that the Indians began to fear it and decided
to put an end to it. Accordingly, they murdered the priest there. The
surviving Spaniards decided to abandon the mission at once. First, they
buried the body of the murdered priest; then they took the cross from
the steeple of the church and buried it, together with some gold found
in the priest’s possession, until they should have time to return for
it and carry it away. By covering the gold with charcoal and ashes,
they took precautions that no mineral rod should locate it.
Many years later a church was being built in Mexico, and an old Mexican
who had heard from his ancestors the story of the buried cross and
treasure, came to the priest and prevailed upon him to go to the San
Gabriel River and try to find the gold cross to put on the new church.
During the journey the Mexican died, leaving with his companion
directions for finding the cross. Duties back home were urging the
priest’s return, and when he met a young Irishman named Mike Welch, he
entrusted him with the secret and obtained his promise to carry on the
search. With two men to help him, Mr. Welch went to the site of the old
mission. Digging a certain distance from a specified tree, the men
unearthed the skeleton of the priest together with a small crucifix.
Then, according to directions, they measured the distance from the
grave to the nearest corner of the church and began to dig again. They
came at last to some charcoal and ashes and knew that they were near
the object of their search. One of Mr. Welch’s men took sick, however,
and, as it was nearly dark, they decided to postpone further digging
until morning. That night the other man slipped away from camp. As soon
as Mr. Welch discovered next morning that one of his helpers was
missing, he went to the unfinished hole. There he saw where a large pot
had been taken out. It is well understood that the gold cross and other
treasures were found and stolen away. The thief left that part of the
country and has never been heard of since. Mr. Welch kept the crucifix
until a few years ago, when it was lost.