From 1542 onward, San Felipe Springs served as an oasis for explorers, soldiers, and freighters. In 1675 priests named the seven springs for the King of Spain. In the 18th century, Comanches camped here on their war trail into Mexico. In 1808 a mission was established three miles downstream on San Felipe Creek. By 1856-57, the springs were on the 1470-mile San Antonio-to-San Diego mail route and on Chihuahua Road for wagons hauling silver and gold from Mexico to Indianola, then the chief port on the Texas coast. After settlers came in 1864, the irrigation Mother Ditch was dug, and soon Del Rio was founded.