Founded near here in 1756 to guard against French encroachment from the east, Mission Nuestra Senora de la Luz del Orcoquisac and its auxiliary fort, Presidio San Agustin de Ahumada, became two of Spain’s most misfortune-ridden outposts in Texas. The two friars assigned to minister to the Orcoquisac tribe arrived soon after the 30 soldiers who were to man the fort, but the elder friar soon died and the younger, seeking relief from his duties, complained of biting insects, extreme heat and cold, and thick, stinking lake water near the lonely mission. The 50 families expected to establish a town there never arrived, and despite valiant efforts at improvement, conditions worsened instead. Poorly trained soldiers stirred unrest among the Indians, supplies of food, clothing, and ammunition remained meager, and some commanders treated their men with great cruelty. In 1767 an official inspector concluded that because of the terrain, discord among the staff, and failure to convert the Indians, the mission and presidio should be closed. In 1771, fearing an invasion of Apaches, authorities withdrew the personnel and the two remote outposts were completely abandoned.