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One Story Told by Seven Texas Museums
In early February of 1686 a small French ship,the Belle, went down in the murky waters ofMatagorda Bay on the Texas Gulf Coast. Withthe ship went a famous explorer’s dreams anda king’s ambition to expand his empire in theNew World.
The La Salle Odyssey, a series of exhibits inseven museums, tells the story of this ill-fatedexpedition and the remarkable discovery andexcavation of the Belle and Fort St. Louis 300years later.
any thanks to the followingmajor contributors for their generous
support of the La Salle Odyssey.
The 77th Texas Legislature
J.P. and Mary Jon Bryan Foundation
The Cullen Foundation
The Fondren Foundation
The Hillcrest Foundation
The Houston Endowment, Inc.
ISTEA — Texas Department of Transportation
Carolyn Bennett Jackson
M.G. and Lillie A. Johnson Foundation
Robert and Helen Kleberg Foundation
The Meadows Foundation
Mobil Exploration and Producing US, Inc.
Dennis O’Connor
The O’Connor and Hewitt Foundation
Kathryn O’Connor Foundation
Earl C. Sams Foundation
Shell Oil Company Foundation
The Summerlee Foundation
The Trull Foundation
CORPUS CHRISTI MUSEUMOF SCIENCE AND HISTORY
TEXAS MARITIMEMUSEUM
LA PETITE BELLEHOMEPORT & MUSEUM
MATAGORDACOUNTYMUSEUM
CALHOUN COUNTYMUSEUM
MUSEUM OF THECOASTAL BEND
FORTST. LOUIS
WRECKOF THEBELLE
TEXANAMUSEUM
LaSalleOdyssey
Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History1900 N. Chaparral St., Corpus Christiwww.ccmuseum.com • 361/826-4650
Texas Maritime Museum1202 Navigation Circle, Rockportwww.texasmaritimemuseum.org • 361/729-1271
Texana Museum403 N. Wells, Edna361/782-5431
Calhoun County Museum301 S. Ann St., Port Lavacawww.calhouncountymuseum.org361/553-4689
Museum of the Coastal BendVictoria College2200 E. Red River, Victoriawww.museumofthecoastalbend.org • 361/582-2511
Matagorda County Museum2100 Ave. F, Bay Citywww.matagordacountymuseum.org979/245-7502
La Petite Belle Homeportand Palacios Area Historical MuseumCommerce St., Palacioswww.palaciosmuseum.org • 361/972-3960
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www.thc.state.tx.us
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The
isit all the museums ofthe La Salle Odyssey to get thecomplete story.
Not just any ship, the Belle belonged to RobertCavelier, Sieur de La Salle, leader of an expedi-tion for France’s Louis XIV. It contained all hisremaining supplies. Ultimately, the expeditionwould end in disaster and the deaths of almosteveryone involved, including La Salle himself.
Each of the museums in the La Salle Odysseyexplores part of the saga, and each containsartifacts never before seen by the public.
Birth ofan expedition
As part of Louis XIV’s planto enlarge his territory inNorth America, La Salle’sfour ships set sail for theNew World in 1684. This
exhibit includes displays about the unusual design ofthe Belle and the skill of the shipwrights who built her.
Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History,Corpus Christi
Daily life on board the Belle
La Salle sailed too farsouthwest and missed hisintended destination, themouth of the MississippiRiver. This exhibit explores
the science, art and mystery of navigation in La Salle’stime, and also offers a unique glimpse into crewmembers’ lives. Among the items on display are ascale model of the Belle, sailors’ personal belongingsand 17th-century medical instruments.
Texas Maritime Museum, Rockport
The NativeAmericans
who watched theFrench come ashoreWhen La Salle landednear Matagorda Bayin today’s Texas, the
Karankawa people of the Gulf Coast were thereto meet him. The French brought glass beads,brass bells, jewelry and axes as trade items.However, the French-Indian relationship wouldsoon turn deadly.
Texana Museum, Edna
The clashof empires
in 17th-centuryNorth AmericaCannon balls, gun flintsand personal effects ofFrench and Spanish
colonists are among the artifacts that attest to thestruggle between Spain and France for power inthe New World.
Calhoun County Museum, Port Lavaca
La Salle’sdoomed colony
on the Texas coastLa Salle built a smallsettlement near MatagordaBay called Fort St. Louis.By 1689, Karankawas had
killed or captured the last of the settlers, and LaSalle’s own men had murdered him. This museum’sexhibit includes eight cannons that defended thecolony, a settler’s journal and exhibits about the TexasHistorical Commission’s excavation of Fort St. Louis.
Museum of the Coastal Bend, Victoria
Theextraordinary
excavation thatuncovered the BelleTexas HistoricalCommission archeologistsdiscovered the Belle
shipwreck in 1995 and excavated it from thebottom of Matagorda Bay inside a giant cofferdam.On display in this museum are a diorama of part ofthe excavation and artifacts from the ship, includinga bronze cannon and navigational instruments.
Matagorda County Museum, Bay City
A fullyfunctioning,
seagoing replicaof the BelleBuilt to half-scale, La PetiteBelle serves as the La SalleOdyssey’s traveling ambas-
sador, bringing the fascinating story to every port shevisits. Near her homeport is a museum exhibit aboutthe crucial role the community of Palacios played inthe discovery and recovery of the Belle.
La Petite Belle, homeport in Palacios andPalacios Area Historical Museum, Palacios
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Excavation of the Belle at the bottom of Matagorda Bay.