Hondo Creek facts for kids
| Hondo Creek | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | Texas Hill Country Medina County, Texas 577 m (1,893 ft) 29°42′58″N 99°23′16″W / 29.71611°N 99.38778°W |
| River mouth | Frio River Frio County, Texas 182 m (597 ft) 28°56′37″N 99°10′44″W / 28.94361°N 99.17889°W |
| Battle of the Arroyo Hondo | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Woll Expedition | |||||||
|
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Republic of Texas |
 Mexico |
||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Mathew Caldwell | Adrián Woll | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
Hondo Creek is a stream in Texas that flows into the Frio River. It starts in Bandera County, northwest of Tarpley. The creek travels about 67 miles until it reaches its end near Pearsall, Texas. Hondo Creek goes through three counties: Bandera, Medina, and Frio.
The Creek's Journey
The name "Hondo" comes from the Spanish word for "deep." Hondo Creek begins in the Texas Hill Country. At first, the water flows over rocky areas and steep hills. The creek bed here is often shallow. It has a bottom made of clay and loam. This area is home to trees like Ashe juniper and live oak.
As the creek moves south, the land becomes flatter near Tarpley. The creek gets deeper as it flows through a rolling plain. Here, the creek bed is a mix of clay and a lot of sand. Closer to where it joins the Frio River, the land changes. It becomes fertile farmland. You can see Mesquite trees growing along the banks of the creek.
A Look Back in Time
Battle at Hondo Creek
Hondo Creek was the site of an important event in 1842. This was the Battle of the Arroyo Hondo. It happened where Hondo Creek meets Quahi Creek. This battle took place after Mexican forces tried to take back land from Texas. This was the third time in 1842 that Mexico tried to regain territory lost during the Texas Revolution in 1836.
A large Mexican army of 1200 soldiers was defeated in San Antonio. This happened because Mathew Caldwell and about 200 Texans fought them. After this, Mexican General Adrián Woll and his forces moved west. On September 21, they met some Texas Rangers. These Rangers were part of the Texas forces.
The Rangers were led by John Coffee Hays. He was known as "Captain Yak" by Native Americans. The Rangers attacked the Mexican forces by the creek. A battle began. Four Rangers were hurt, including Samuel Luckie. The Rangers managed to capture a cannon battery. But they had to leave it behind. The main Texas Army did not move forward to help them.
People have different stories about the battle. But it seems the Texans fought well. Caldwell thought his men could defeat the Mexican Army. However, the Texans were outnumbered. They also did not have enough supplies. They faced strong cannon fire. The Texas leaders could not agree on what to do next. So, they did not launch a full attack.
After the battle, the Texans went their separate ways. The Mexican forces continued their journey southwest, back to Mexico. Today, you can find a historical marker in Medina County, Texas where people believe the battle happened.
Fishing in Hondo Creek
If you like fishing, Hondo Creek is a good spot! The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department keeps records of fish caught here. Here are some of the fish found in the creek:
- Largemouth bass (The biggest caught was 22 inches long and weighed 4.31 pounds.)
- Rio Grande cichlid (The biggest was 10 inches long and weighed 1.38 pounds.)
- Gray redhorse (The biggest was 17.25 inches long and weighed 1.50 pounds.)
- Redear sunfish (The biggest was 10.75 inches long and weighed 1.13 pounds.)
