Founded in 1690 as San Francisco de los Tejas, this was the first mission in Texas. It was renamed Mission San Francisco de la Espada in 1731. Franciscan missionaries sought to make life within mission communities closely resemble that of Spanish villages and Spanish culture. Native Americans learned vocational skills. As plows, farm implements, and gear for horses, oxen, and mules fell into disrepair, blacksmithing skills soon became indispensable. Weaving skills were needed to help clothe the inhabitants. As buildings became more elaborate, mission occupants learned masonry and carpentry skills under the direction of craftsmen contracted by the missionaries.
