The “Community Chapter” Program
ElCaT is partnering with the National Park Service (NPS) and local communities to develop Community chapters to assist and support communities in the protection, development, and promotion of trail resources in their local areas!
Based on the Gateway Community program of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the Community chapter program of the Overmountain Victory National Historic Trail, ElCaT’s Community chapter program aims to empower local citizen volunteers, elected officials, businesses, and other partners to share the rich history of the Camino Real, develop local trail sites for visitor-use, and garner greater appreciation for the road that led to the founding of Texas!
Current ElCaT Community Chapters
Rancheria Grande — Milam County, Texas
Citizens of Milam County organized The Rancheria Grande Chapter to pay tribute to Dr. Lucile Estelle and the late Joy Graham and further promote Milam County’s portion of the trail. Both Lucile and Joy served on the Board of ElCaT and were instrumental advocates of the importance of the El Camino Real in Milam County in the early days of the association. The Chapter is also engaged as advocates of ElCaT by providing educational resources and further researching the historical assets along a northern segment of the trail recognized as Ramón’s Road of 1716. These assets include the Apache Pass, San Xavier Mission Complex, Sugarloaf Mountain, and the Rancheria Grande, a gathering place for 23 native American nations. A recent archaeological investigation of the Rancheria Grande identified several sites of historical significance. In addition, the river crossings of the Little River and subsequently the Brazos River in eastern Milam County as described by Ramón, and later in several Spanish diaries as the Brazos de Dios, was the principal place to cross these streams for those traveling between San Antonio and East Texas missions from 1716 to 1788. You can contact John Pruett, Chapter President, at johnpruett2@gmail.com.
Trail de Flores — Floresville, Texas
The El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail Association’s Trail de Flores Chapter was charted in January 2020 among the first group of the Association’s chartered chapters. The chapter is focused on that portion of the trail that runs through Wilson County, often referred to as “La Bahia Road”, which historically connected the Alamo and other San Antonio area missions to the north, to La Bahia (in present day Goliad) to the south. We are motivated by the Association’s mission to “Preserve, Promote and Educate”, and aspire to realize the shared vision to create a retracement route that will connect Rancho de las Cabras to the San Antonio Missions National Historic Park, allowing cultural and recreational tourists alike a new opportunity to have a more vicarious historical El Camino experience. You can contact Dave Regan, Chapter President, at (830) 321-0244 or traildeflores@gmail.com
Check out their Facebook page here