Great thoroughfare of pioneer Texas, stretching 1,000 miles from Saltillo, Mexico, to present Louisiana. The general route followed ancient Indian and buffalo trails, but the oldest marked portion, known as "Trail of the Padres", was blazed in 1691 under Domingo Teran de los Rios, first Governor of Texas. This part joined Monclova, then capital of the province, to the Spanish missions of East Texas. San Antonio, military nerve center of the region, was a major stop. Over the centuries, explorers, traders, smugglers, armed men, and civilians traversed this road. In 1820 Moses Austin traveled it to San Antonio to request a land grant from Spanish officials. The colonizing venture he started later brought thousands of Anglo-Americans over the road to help settle Texas. In 1915 the Texas Legislature appropriated $5,000 to survey and mark the route. The Daughters of the American Revolution and other patriotic groups sponsored and endorsed the project, and V.N. Zivley was commissioned to make the survey. In 1918 the state and D.A.R. placed granite markers approximately every five miles along the Texas section of the road. Today many modern highways, particularly State 21, follow the original route of El Camino Real.

Settled in the 1860s by Czech, German, and Polish immigrants, the Shiloh community was an area of large family farms. In addition to homes and farms, the settlement at one time boasted a community center, a two-room school, a vineyard, a mill, and a blacksmith shop. The families of Shiloh community maintained a cooperative relationship, often helping each other with planting, harvesting, barn building, and other activities. In 1883, to coordinate assistance efforts and group purchases of farm supplies, they formed the Slavonic Agricultural and Benevolent Society, which still exists in reorganized form as the Shiloh Club. The community later was completely encompassed by the City of College Station. Mrs. William G. Rector deeded land at this site to the local Methodist Church in 1870 for use as a community cemetery. The property later was acquired by the City of College Station, which established a larger city cemetery around the original Shiloh Graveyard. Although little remains of the Shiloh community, this cemetery serves as a reminder of a once-thriving settlement.

The Ursuline Sisters, founded by St. Angela in Italy in 1535, opened their first girls' school in North America in Quebec in 1639. In 1727, they opened the Ursuline Academy in New Orleans, followed in 1846 with the Ursuline Academy in Galveston. In addition to teaching, the nuns served as nurses during epidemics, hurricanes, fires and the Civil War. Their Galveston Academy building served as a refugee shelter despite heavy damages sustained in the devastating 1900 storm. Seeking a new school site further inland, Mother Superior Mary Joseph Dallmer selected Bryan over several other cities. With donations from Bryan citizens, the sisters purchased land from W.R. and Mary (Mitchell) Cavitt and began plans for Villa Maria Ursuline Academy at this site, which became known as St. Ursula's Hill. Contractor George Jenkins built a school and dormitory using a Nicholas Clayton design. The school opened in September 1901, but construction continued until October 21, St. Ursula's feast day. Girls at the academy studied traditional subjects, as well as sports and music, and maintained a large farm. The sisters worked closely with St. Joseph's Catholic Church and School, where they also taught. Facing low enrollment and burdened by the debt of costly building repairs, Villa Maria Ursuline Academy closed in 1929. Former U.S. Consul General Williamson S. Howell, Jr. bought the property and built a 24-room house using bricks from the school. The few graves of Ursuline nuns on the property were removed to Galveston, where the school resumed operations. Howell later sold to Allen Academy, which retained ownership until 1973. Today, nearby street names reflect the impact of both the academy and Howell. (2005)

This parish traces its origin to Episcopal services held in nearby Millican in 1864. A yellow fever epidemic in the Millican area prompted the relocation of the Saint Andrew's Mission to Bryan in 1867. A parish was formed that year and led by The Rev. Robert Jope. The original church structure, located near this site, was consecrated by Bishop Alexander Gregg in 1868. The Rev. Randolph Ray held the first service in a new church building at this location in 1914. In 1992 Saint Andrew's celebrated 125 years of service and participation in a variety of community programs and activities.

Although Catholic worship services were celebrated in Bryan by 1869, this church traces its history to the early 1870s. The first church building was erected about 1871 for a small active parish. The Reverend John Moore is considered to be the first full-time pastor of St. Joseph Church of Bryan. Fire destroyed the church structure in 1876. The congregation held worship services in temporary quarters in a local store building until a new location was established. In 1883 the Masonic schoolhouse was purchased for $500 and converted into a church at a cost of about $1,200. In 1904 a new frame edifice replaced the converted schoolhouse. Another structure was built at East 26th and Preston Streets as the congregation grew. A new church building was dedicated here in 1960. Programs have been provided for church members and the community for decades, including traditional spiritual activites and social outreach support. St. Joseph Church has grown from a frontier mission with a few members to a large urban parish with more than 1600 family members. The church continues to have a strong presence in Bryan as it has for more than a century. (1997)