During the 1600's and 1700's the Spanish were extremely sensitive to attempts by the French to cross the Sabine border and enter Texas. In the 1680's, LaSalle caused a lot of trouble by establishing his fort near Victoria. By the 1750's, Frenchman Joseph Blancpain had opened a trading post for the local tribes in the Wallisville area. The Spanish outpost, El Orcoquisac, located near present Wallisville, was established in 1756 by Governor Jacinto de Barrios on site of the French trading post to oppose the French presence and trade with the Bidais and Akokisa (Orcoquizas) tribes. The Bidais and Akokisa lived throughout Harris County, mostly in the woodlands on the north side of Buffalo Bayou.

The Akokisa most likely occupied the Barker and Addicks Reservoir areas. They lived primarily at the mouths and confluences of streams and rivers. They practiced some limited agriculture, raising maize, however, the bulk of their diet was birds' eggs, fish, wild fruit and game, including deer, bear and bison. Winter found them in permanent or semi-permanent camps, while summer saw them wandering in search of  food. In 1830's, Indians of various tribes (Coushattas, Bidais, Caddos, Alabamas, Lipans) camped in and around Houston to trade furs and venison for lead, powder, cottons and rugs. In 1837, several Indian tribes came to Houston and camped in the forest on the north bank of Buffalo Bayou. This camp was probably the area known as Beauchamps Springs, also known as Beauchampville, located on White Oak Bayou near Woodland Park. It was named for a man who camped in the forest near the springs with the Bidais Indians.

John Torrey and his brothers, who arrived in Houston in 1836, built the first frame building in town as a trading house for Indians. Torrey's trading post was abandoned in the early 1840's. At that time the Indians transferred their goods to the John Kennedy store on the northwest corner of Travis and Congress and to the store of Cornelius Ennis on Main St. between Franklin and Commerce. The John Kennedy Trading Post traded with Indians as late as 1870.

Details of the relations that Houstonians had with the Indians are not widely reported. We do know that early settler housewives in the area were taught by the Indians to make root dyes for  coloring thread, to fashion crocks of clay and to use 'spring houses', excavations dug beside running springs where meat, milk and butter could be kept cool.

Relations with the Indians were often perplexing, if not cordial. In Harrisburg, in the 1840's, a family of German immigrants was enjoying a holiday dinner in their log cabin. In contrast to the frontier character of their home, they had set a refined table with linens and china in preparation for the feast and thanksgiving. Just as thanks were returned to God, an Indian strode into the room with two wild turkeys. The arrows were still in the turkeys and they were  dripping blood all over the carpet. He threw the bloody mess on the white linen tablecloth, snatched up two pies, shouted "SWAP!" and vanished.

According to Henrietta Bleick, a member of the Habermacher family that live on land that is now Barker Resevoir, Indians used to come in large numbers to the area. They camped on Buffalo Bayou near Habermacher Crossing which was located near the modern Highway 6. The severe winter of 1875 caused widespread suffering and death for many of them. It was last time that there was such a large gathering of the Indians and marked the demise of the true first settlers along Buffalo Bayou.

-----------------------
Photos:

1. Bikers ride through the mixed woodland and prairie of Barker Reservoir.

2. Buffalo Bayou's banks are heavily wooded in Barker Reservoir.