Located along the San Antonio River in Texas, the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park encompasses five Spanish Colonial sites: Mission Concepci&oacuten, Mission Espada, Mission San Jos&eacute, Mission San Juan, and the Espada Aqueduct. These outposts were originally built to expand and defend the Spanish frontier and spread Christianity to local Native American populations, but also acted as centers of agricultural production, weaving, iron working, and carpentry. Today, the San Antonio Missions represent the largest collection of Spanish Colonial missions in the United States.						