1701-1707
During these years Father Hidalgo and Father Salazar were trading and preaching to the Indians at Mission Maria de Los Delores. Father Hidalgo traded with the Indians for gold; Anya, who was then the Governor of Coahuile, was aware of this. There are several historical records referring to the raiding of the Hidalgo mission in search of gold. Hidalgo at first did turn the gold over to the government, part of which was to be given to the College of the Holy Cross. A Captain Hernandez was broken in rank when he gave Hidalgo a receipt for the gold. Padre Hidalgo realized that very little, if any, of the gold was reaching the King of Spain.
Anya conceived the idea of cutting off the supplies of trade goods to the mission so that the Indians would then have to come and trade at the Presidio San Juan Bautista. Captain Hernandez upon the urgence of the Priests of the College was restored to rank. Father Hidalgo, realizing that no one would actually know how much gold he was accumulating, began to hoard the gold.
Allarge Bejoux, operating from a location near present day Pointe Coupee, had cut a road or trail overland northwestward to intersect the Buffalo Trail west of the present town of Many, Louisiana, and had by the year 1708 established trade agreements for horses with the Ais Indians (See Location 10 on map). Francois Hidalgo through his trade with the Indians of different tribes soon learned of this.