Editing Val Verde County, Texas (section)

=== Colonial rule ===
In 1590, Spanish explorer [[Gaspar Castaño de Sosa]] led a mining expedition of 170 who passed through Devils Draw. He referred to a stream by the name of Laxas, which is believed to be Devils River.<ref>{{cite book|last=Tarpley|first=Fred|title=1001 Texas Place Names|url=https://archive.org/details/1001texasplacena0000tarp|url-access=registration|year=1980|publisher=University of Texas Press|isbn=978-0-292-76016-5|page=[https://archive.org/details/1001texasplacena0000tarp/page/61 61]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Devil's Draw|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/rbdbv|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=November 29, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Chipman|first=Donald E|title=Gaspar Castaño de Sosa|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fca87|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=November 29, 2010}}</ref>

In 1673, Juan Larios opened a mission school at a location between Del Rio and Eagle Pass.<ref name="Val Verde County"/><ref name="The Native Americans of the Texas Edwards Plateau, 1582-1799">{{cite book|last=Wade|first=Maria F|title=The Native Americans of the Texas Edwards Plateau, 1582-1799|year=2002|publisher=University of Texas Press|isbn=978-0-292-79156-5|pages=24–54|author2=Wade, Don E |author3=Hester, Thomas R |chapter=The Bosque-Larios Expedition}}</ref>

In 1675, traveling Franciscan priests celebrated Mass at San Felipe Springs.<ref name="Val Verde County"/><ref name="The Native Americans of the Texas Edwards Plateau, 1582-1799"/>

In 1736, Lt. Miguel de la Garza Falcón<ref>{{cite web|last=Garcia|first=Clotilde P|title=Miguel de la Garza Falcón|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fga95|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=November 29, 2010}}</ref> led 100 soldiers along the [[Devils River (Texas)|Devils River]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Smith|first=Julia Cauble|title=Devils River|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/htd12|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=November 29, 2010}}</ref> in pursuit of Apache natives.

During 1834, James Grant<ref>{{cite web|last=Blake|first=Robert Bruce|title=James Grant|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fgr12|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=November 29, 2010}}</ref> and John Charles Beales<ref>{{cite web|last=Estep|first=Raymond|title=John Charles Beales|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fbe03|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=November 29, 2010}}</ref> established a settlement on San Felipe Creek,<ref>{{cite web|title=San Felipe Creek|url=https://tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/rbs44|work=Handbook of Texas Online|publisher=Texas State Historical Association|access-date=November 29, 2010}}</ref> which became hazardous due to Indian attacks.