The first French colony in Texas was established in 1685 and was named Fort Saint Louis. Located on Garcitas Creek near the present-day town of Inez, Fort Saint Louis was established by René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, a French explorer.

In 1685, La Salle and his crew sailed up the Mississippi River and reached the Gulf of Mexico, claiming all of the lands they had encountered. La Salle then sailed down the coast of what is now the United States and reached a point near Matagorda Bay and the mouth of the Colorado River. He named this area the “Country of the Brazos” and established a settlement called Fort Saint Louis.

The purpose of establishing the fort was to secure France’s claim to the area and to serve as a base of operations for further exploration of the region. The fort was also meant to serve as a trading center and a place to resupply ships traveling to and from the area.

In 1690, La Salle was murdered by one of his own men, and the fort was abandoned. The remaining settlers moved to a new settlement on the Trinity River, which was named La Salle in his honor. This settlement would later become the city of Houston.

While the original fort was never reoccupied, the French presence in Texas would continue for over a century, with other settlements being established in places like Nacogdoches and Galveston. The French would eventually be forced from Texas by Spain in the 1700s, but their legacy remains in the rich cultural heritage of the region.

The remains of the fort have been preserved as a historic site, and visitors can still see the ruins. The legacy of Fort Saint Louis, however, lives on. It was the first French colony in Texas, and it helped to pave the way for later French exploration and colonization in the area. The fort's legacy also serves as a reminder of the rich history of the region, and of the people who called it home.