Wichita Mountains region is believed to have captivated the first Spanish
conquistadors during the
Age of Discovery. The
epoch was defined by the
geographical exploration of
North America as orchestrated by the
Spanish Empire during the sixteenth century
inland expeditions. The
Spanish colonization of the Americas revealed substantial developments with the establishment of the territorial entities known as
New Spain and
Spanish Texas. The
Red River of the South was explored by the
Spaniards originating during the 16th century. The
Montague County, Texas administrative division sustains exemplary events chronicled at
Spanish Fort, Texas dating to the eighteenth century. The Spanish Empire explored native kingdoms specifically for
gold mining and
silver mining collectively as the
proprietors of the
Treasure of Villena and the
Spanish royal crown's decrees often referred to as the
Doctrine of Discovery and
Laws of the Indies. The
monarchy and
regal decrees entitled chartering expeditionary campaigns to collect geological and mineral surveys on distant
coasts and
continents. The Spanish Empire's exploratory
caravans were possessed by the
tales of the earlier
explorers who exalted the
New World's mythic lands. A
dominion located in the
Terra incognita cartographically recognized as the outlying northern territory of North America. The Spanish conquistadors conceptualized the New World's landscape by a covetous
euphoria for the
Iberian Peninsula horde beseeching the
Seven Cities of Gold treasuring the similarities of the
Las Médulas. The
group eleven elements were an alluring earthly possession serving as a
periodic element for the
crown jewels. The
mineral ore forged as a
coinage metal or
milled coinage for the
currency of Spain and
Spanish America authentically illustrated by the
Spanish escudo. The
precious metals were mutually considered a
barter and
medium of exchange for
cultural diplomacy and greetings with native kingdoms. In 1955, a primitive mill, recognized as an
arrastra, was discovered south of Meers near Meers Road or
Oklahoma State Highway 115. The
16th-century mill, situated to close proximity of Cedar Creek, was considered to be of Spanish design and origin. The
arrastra permitted
comminution of earth elements being
gold and
silver essentially
scaling the
metallics for protracted overland passages. The fragmentation process formed a suitable
ductile element for conveyance by
pack saddle. The Spanish prospector's
packhorse route was a southerly journey into the
Texas Blackland Prairies migrating into the
Lower Rio Grande Valley ―
Atascocita Road ― while transitioning to the
Gulf Coastal Plain venturing the
coastal geography of northeastern Mexico's mountainous region known as
Sierra Madre Oriental. The prized
noble metal was conferred for transfer on the east coast of Mexico at the
port of Veracruz ―
San Juan de Ulúa ―
treasure port for
Spanish Main. The
transition metals encompassed an overland passage —
Old Spanish Trail — of the
New World to Spanish
galleons of the
Spanish treasure fleet in
St. Augustine, Florida adorned by the Spanish fortification
Castillo de San Marcos. Spain's
medieval ships would potentially
anchor in
Havana and
Spanish Wells for mustering seafaring provisions, water, and
wine. The spanish cargo fleets ―
1715 Treasure Fleet ― continued the
nautical voyage with
winds sustaining the
transatlantic crossing to the
Old World in anticipation of the King's treasure homecoming in
Cádiz and
Cartagena, Spain. The
Spanish Crown encountered acts of
piracy among their Spanish
flota of galleons
navigating the
Caribbean Sea and
North Atlantic ocean. The
commerce raiding and
privateering of Spanish cargo vessels culminated as a discord known as the
Treasure crisis of 1568 which emboldened the
Convention of Nymegen. ==Listing as National Register of Historic Places==