The Most Criminally Overlooked Town In Texas And Why You Need To Visit
By Katie Lawrence|Published January 30, 2017
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Katie Lawrence
Author
Katie Lawrence is a Southeast Texas native who graduated 18th in her high school class with a GPA of 4.25. She attended college in the Houston area and changed her major twice (psychology, computer science, and finally criminal justice) before taking a leap of faith and dropping out to pursue a career in freelance writing.
Today, Katie writes for the Texas and Arizona pages of OnlyInYourState.com and has never been more passionate about a job before. Outside of work, you can likely find her curled up on the sofa with a hot cup of coffee, watching a crime TV show or scary movie.
It’s unfortunate how many towns get overlooked simply because they’re too small to gain much recognition. Given how large Texas is, we have many such towns, Goliad being one of the most underrated of them all. If you like war history, antique shops, breweries, and a quaint small-town vibe that’s sure to take you back in time, you definitely need to pay it a visit.
Goliad was established almost 300 years ago and is very important to Texas history, so it's a shame how overlooked it is.
Not only is it incredibly historic, but it's also quaint and adorable. Its town square, full of antique shops and restaurants, will whisk you back in time to simpler days.
Goliad is home to two very important missions. This is Presidio la Bahia, and it was an integral part of the battles of Goliad, the Alamo, and the Goliad Massacre.
Mission Nuestra Señora del Espíritu Santo de Zúñiga was established to convert Native Americans to Christianity and uphold territorial claims from France.
As tragic of a background as the Hanging Tree has, it's still worth paying a visit to. For 24 years, Goliad's trials were held underneath it, and its many branches were used for lynchings.
The courthouse is an architectural marvel for sure, and it comes alive on the 2nd Monday of every month for a street market attracting vendors and patrons from all over Texas.