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125-643: The Center is located at 310 West Ashby, which at the time was considered the “outskirts” of San Antonio . In the late 19th century, the challenge from Native Americans protecting their stolen land prevented the further colonization of land to the north beyond the San Pedro area. It wasn’t until after the defeat of the Apache resistance fighter and healer Geronimo that San Antonio settler colonialists started building in this occupied land, where Midtown and Uptown San Antonio now stand. Otto Koehler originally built

250-493: A Gulf Coast hurricane destroyed the existing structures at Misión San Antonio de Valero, the mission was moved to its current location. At the time, the new location was just across the San Antonio River from the town of San Antonio de Béxar and just north of a group of huts known as La Villita. Over the next several decades, the mission complex expanded to cover 3 acres (1.2 ha). The first permanent building

375-552: A UNESCO World Heritage Site on July 5, 2015. In 1716, the Spanish government established several Roman Catholic missions in East Texas . The isolation of the missions—the nearest Spanish settlement, San Juan Bautista, Coahuila was over 400 miles (644 km) away—made it difficult to keep them adequately provisioned. To assist the missionaries, the new governor of Spanish Texas , Martín de Alarcón , wished to establish

500-423: A 30-day option on the property, wherein the group would pay $ 500 up front, with $ 4,500 due at the conclusion of the 30 days, with an additional $ 20,000 due on February 10, 1904, and the remainder paid in five annual installments of $ 10,000. Driscoll paid the initial $ 500 deposit out of her personal funds, and when fundraising efforts fell far short (only raising slightly over $ 1,000 of the needed $ 4,500), Driscoll paid

625-562: A 90 out of 100 in its treatment of the LGBT community. The population of Greater San Antonio is predominantly Christian . Owing in part to San Antonio's Spanish and Mexican heritage , Roman Catholicism is the largest religious group in the region. In addition, American missionary work and immigration into Texas have also resulted in a substantial Protestant population. Alamo Mission in San Antonio The Alamo

750-551: A ballroom on the top floor and a one-lane bowling alley in the basement. [REDACTED] Media related to Koehler Cultural Center at Wikimedia Commons See also: List of museums in Central Texas San Antonio San Antonio ( / ˌ s æ n æ n ˈ t oʊ n i oʊ / SAN an- TOH -nee-oh ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony "), officially the City of San Antonio , is a city in

875-541: A dozen subfreezing nights each year, typically seeing snow, sleet, or freezing rain about once every two or three winters, but accumulation and snow itself are very rare. Winters may pass without any frozen precipitation at all, and up to a decade has passed between snowfalls. According to the National Weather Service , there have been 32 instances of snowfall (a trace or more) in the city in the past 122 years, about once every four years. Prior to 2021 snow

1000-632: A large plaza and anchored by an ancient chapel". Unable to reach an agreement, Driscoll and several other women formed a competing chapter of the DRT named the Alamo Mission chapter. The two chapters argued over which had oversight of the Alamo. Unable to resolve the dispute, in February 1908 the executive committee of the DRT leased out the building. Angry with that decision, de Zavala announced that

1125-642: A major donor to the Democratic Party to undermine him. At the time, Colquitt was considered running for U.S. Senate . She told the New York Herald Tribune that "the Daughters desire to have a Spanish garden on the site of the old mission, but the governor will not consider it. Therefore, we are going to fight him from the stump. ... We are also going to make speeches in the districts of State Senators who voted against and killed

1250-518: A massacre at the Mission Santa Cruz de San Sabá . The convent and church were not fully enclosed within the 8-foot (2.4 m) high walls. The walls were built 2 feet (60 cm) thick and enclosed an area 480 feet (150 m) long (north-south) and 160 feet (49 m) wide (east-west). For additional protection, a turret housing three cannon was added near the main gate in 1762. By 1793, an additional one-pounder cannon had been placed on

1375-768: A maximum of 52.28 inches (1,328 mm) and a minimum of 10.11 inches (256.8 mm) in one year. See or edit raw graph data . The U.S. Census Bureau 's 2020 census determined San Antonio had a population of 1,434,625 residents in 2020. In 2019, the American Community Survey estimated San Antonio had a racial makeup of 88.4% White, 6.6% Black and African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 2.8% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 0.2% some other race and 1.7% two or more races. Ethnically, 64.5% were Hispanic or Latin American of any race. In 2020, its racial and ethnic makeup

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1500-695: A part of the San Antonio Missions World Heritage Site . Originally named the Misión San Antonio de Valero , it was one of the early Spanish missions in Texas , built to convert American tribes to Christianity. The mission was secularized in 1793 and then abandoned. Ten years later, it became a fortress housing the Second Flying Company of San Carlos de Parras military unit, who likely gave

1625-559: A quality that only New Orleans could rival in what he described as "odd and antiquated foreignness." Following the Civil War, San Antonio prospered as a center of the cattle industry. During this period, it remained a frontier city, with a mixture of cultures that was different from other U.S. cities. German immigrants founded smaller surrounding towns such as New Braunfels , Castroville , Boerne , Comfort , Fredericksburg , and Bulverde , all towns far out from San Antonio. However,

1750-462: A rampart near the convent. The population of Indians fluctuated from a high of 328 in 1756 to a low of 44 in 1777. The new commandant general of the interior provinces, Teodoro de Croix , thought the missions were a liability and began taking actions to decrease their influence. In 1778, he ruled that all unbranded cattle belonged to the government. Raiding Apache tribes had stolen most of the mission's horses, making it difficult to round up and brand

1875-540: A syndicate wanted to buy the chapel and tear it down. She then barricaded herself in the Hugo and Schmeltzer building for three days. In response to de Zavala's actions, on February 12, Governor Thomas Mitchell Campbell ordered that the superintendent of public buildings and grounds take control of the property. Eventually, a judge named Driscoll's chapter the official custodians of the Alamo. The DRT later expelled de Zavala and her followers. Driscoll offered to donate

2000-652: A total of 56 persons. They joined the military community established in 1718. The immigrants formed the nucleus of the villa of San Fernando de Béxar, the first regularly organized civil government in Texas. Several older families of San Antonio trace their descent from the Canary Island colonists. María Rosa Padrón was the first baby born of Canary Islander descent in San Antonio. During the Spanish–Mexican settlement of Southwestern lands, which took place over

2125-574: A transitional humid subtropical climate ( Köppen : Cfa ) that borders a hot semi-arid climate ( Köppen climate classification : BSh ) towards the west of the city featuring very hot, long, and humid summers and mild to cool winters. The area is subject to descending northern cold fronts in the winter with cool to cold nights, and is warm and rainy in the spring and fall. San Antonio falls in USDA hardiness zones 8b (15 °F to 20 °F) and 9a (20 °F to 25 °F). San Antonio receives about

2250-607: A waystation between the settlements along the Rio Grande and the new missions in East Texas. In April 1718, Alarcón led an expedition to found a new community in Texas. The group erected a temporary mud, brush, and straw structure near the headwaters of the San Antonio River . This building would serve as a new mission, San Antonio de Valero, named after Saint Anthony of Padua and the viceroy of New Spain ,

2375-614: Is a dialect of German that evolved when the German language was separated from Germany. Texas German is best described as an anglicized-German dialect with a Texas twang. Many older generations in New Braunfels and Fredericksburg still speak Texas German to this day. In 1877, following the Reconstruction Era , developers constructed the first railroad to San Antonio, connecting it to major markets and port cities. Texas

2500-605: Is a historic Spanish mission and fortress compound founded in the 18th century by Roman Catholic missionaries in what is now San Antonio, Texas , United States. It was the site of the Battle of the Alamo in 1836, a pivotal event of the Texas Revolution in which American folk heroes James Bowie and Davy Crockett were killed. Today it is a museum in the Alamo Plaza Historic District and

2625-479: Is also located in Northwest Side. Companies with headquarters in the area include Valero and NuStar Energy . The South Side area of San Antonio is characterized by its predominantly Latino and Hispanic neighborhoods, an average above 81 percent. Large growth came to South Side when Toyota constructed a manufacturing plant . Palo Alto College and Texas A&M University–San Antonio are located in

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2750-696: Is also the location of upper-middle-class neighborhoods (Deerfield, Churchill Estates, Hunter's Creek, Oak Meadow, and Summerfield). Northwest Side is the location of the main campus of the University of Texas at San Antonio , the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio , and the Northwest Campus of the University of the Incarnate Word , which includes the Rosenberg School of Optometry. The Medical Center District

2875-411: Is at risk from environmental factors, however. The limestone used to construct the buildings was taken from the banks of the San Antonio River. It expands when confronted with moisture and then contracts when temperatures drop, shedding small pieces of limestone with each cycle. Measures have been taken to partially combat the problem. In 1988, a theater near the Alamo unveiled a new movie, Alamo ...

3000-469: Is at the westernmost limit for both Cabbage palmetto ( Sabal palmetto ) and Spanish moss . The native Eastern Subterranean Termite ( Reticulitermes flavipes ) is a common structural pest here. The Formosan Termite ( Coptotermes formosanus ) is an invasive pest originally from the Far East . Researchers at Texas A&M University consider it to be economically devastating. San Antonio has

3125-619: Is generally understood to cover the northern half of the "Downtown Loop"—the area bordered by Cesar Chavez to the south. Due to the size of the city and its horizontal development, downtown accounts for less than one half of one percent of San Antonio's geographic area. The Strip (north of Downtown) houses a concentration of clubs and bars catering to the LGBT community. North Central is home to several enclaves and upscale neighborhoods including Castle Hills , Shavano Park, Hollywood Park , Elm Creek, Inwood , Stone Oak , and Rogers Ranch. The area

3250-469: Is land and 4.5 square miles (11.7 km ) of it is water. The city's gently rolling terrain is dotted with oak trees, forested land, mesquite, and cacti. The Texas Hill Country reaches into the far northern portions of the city. San Antonio sits on the Balcones Escarpment . Its altitude is approximately 662 feet (202 m) above sea level . The city's primary source of drinking water

3375-604: Is the Edwards Aquifer . Impounded in 1962 and 1969, respectively, Victor Braunig Lake and Calaveras Lake were among the first reservoirs in the United States built to use recycled treated wastewater for power plant cooling, reducing the amount of groundwater needed for electrical generation. Downtown San Antonio, the city and metro area's urban core, encompasses many of the city's famous structures, attractions, and businesses. The central business district

3500-788: Is the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, the Elks, the Muslims, or the Water Buffalo Club. Texas legislator Ron Wilson , who wished to transfer oversight of the Alamo to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Shortly after that, San Antonio representative Jerry Beauchamp proposed that the Alamo be transferred from the DRT to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department . Many minority legislators agreed with him. However,

3625-497: Is unlikely that it was ever used for religious services. The chapel was intended to be highly decorated. Niches were carved on either side of the door to hold statues. The lower-level niches displayed Saint Francis and Saint Dominic , while the second-level niches contained statues of Saint Clare and Saint Margaret of Cortona . Carvings were also completed around the chapel's door. Up to 30 adobe or mud buildings were constructed to serve as workrooms, storerooms, and homes for

3750-716: The Marquess of Valero . Alarcón, acting in his capacity as "General of the Provinces of the Kingdom of the New Philippines ," formally entrusted the mission on May 1 to Father Antonio de San Buenaventura y Olivares in a foundation document, still preserved. The mission was located near a community of Coahuiltecans and was initially populated by three to five Indian converts from Mission San Francisco Solano near San Juan Bautista. One mile (two km) north of

3875-471: The Mexican War of Independence , parts of the mission frequently served as a political prison. Between 1806 and 1812 it served as San Antonio's first hospital. Spanish records indicate that some renovations were made for this purpose, but no details were provided. The buildings were transferred from Spanish to Mexican control in 1821 after Mexico gained its independence. Soldiers continued to garrison

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4000-605: The Republic of Texas legislature passed an act returning the sanctuary of the Alamo to the Roman Catholic Church. By 1845, when Texas was annexed to the United States, a colony of bats occupied the abandoned complex and weeds and grass covered many of the walls. As the Mexican–American War loomed in 1846, 2000 United States Army soldiers were sent to San Antonio under Brigadier General John Wool . By

4125-472: The San Pedro Springs area. They called the vicinity Yanaguana , meaning "refreshing waters". In 1691, a group of Spanish explorers and missionaries came upon the river and Payaya settlement on June 13, the feast day of St. Anthony of Padua . They named the place and river "San Antonio" in his honor. It was years before any Spanish settlement took place. Father Antonio de Olivares visited

4250-591: The Texas Revolution . In a series of battles, the Texian Army succeeded in forcing Mexican soldiers out of the settlement areas east of San Antonio, which were dominated by Americans. Under the leadership of Ben Milam , in the Battle of Bexar , December 1835, Texian forces captured San Antonio from forces commanded by General Martin Perfecto de Cos , Santa Anna's brother-in-law. In the spring of 1836, Santa Anna marched on San Antonio. A volunteer force under

4375-573: The U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio , the third-largest metropolitan area in Texas and the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 2.6 million people in the 2020 US census . It is the most populous city in and the county seat of Bexar County . The city is the seventh-most populous in the United States, the second-largest in the Southern United States , and

4500-558: The second-most populous in Texas after Houston . Founded as a Spanish mission and colonial outpost in 1718, the city in 1731 became the first chartered civil settlement in what is now present-day Texas. The area was then part of the Spanish Empire . From 1821 to 1836, it was part of the Mexican Republic . It is the oldest municipality in Texas, having celebrated its 300th anniversary on May 1, 2018. Straddling

4625-433: The 2010 U.S. census, San Antonio's median income for a household was $ 36,214, and the median income for a family was $ 53,100. Males have a median income of $ 30,061 versus $ 24,444 for females. The per capita income for the city is $ 17,487. About 17.3% of the population and 14.0% of families are below the poverty line . Of the total population, 24.3% of those under the age of 18 and 13.5% of those 65 and older were living below

4750-475: The 2019 American Community Survey, there were 512,273 households and 319,673 families. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.83. Of the local population, 201,960 were married-couple households and 172,741 were female households with no spouse or partner present. An estimated 85,462 households were single-person. Roughly 218,249 residents in San Antonio were foreign-born residents. For every 100 females, San Antonio had 97.1 males. At

4875-786: The Alamo Chapel. In 1931, Driscoll persuaded the state legislature to purchase two tracts of land between the chapel and Crockett street. In 1935, she convinced the city of San Antonio not to place a fire station in a building near the Alamo; the DRT later purchased that building and made it the DRT Library. During the Great Depression , money from the Works Progress Administration and the National Youth Administration

5000-523: The Alamo never was built by a military people for a fortress." Letter, dated January 18, 1836, from engineer Green B. Jameson to Sam Houston, commander of the Texian forces. With Cos's departure, there was no longer an organized garrison of Mexican troops in Texas, and many Texians believed the war was over. Colonel James C. Neill assumed command of the 100 soldiers who remained. Neill requested that an additional 200 men be sent to fortify

5125-622: The Alamo to the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). In response to pressure from Hispanic groups, state representative Orlando Garcia of San Antonio began legislative hearings into DRT finances. The DRT agreed to make their financial records more open, and the hearings were canceled. [The Alamo is] one of the most important historical structures in the state. It belongs to everyone, or at least it should. ... [It] shouldn't be managed by any private group–I don't care if it

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5250-406: The Alamo walls and burned some of the buildings. For the next five years, the Alamo was periodically used to garrison soldiers, both Texian and Mexican, but was ultimately abandoned. In 1849, several years after Texas was annexed to the United States, the U.S. Army began renting the facility for use as a quartermaster's depot, before again abandoning the mission in 1876 after nearby Fort Sam Houston

5375-401: The Alamo's walls, dug musket rounds out of the holds, and knocked off stone carvings". Pieces of the debris were sold to tourists, and in 1840 the San Antonio town council passed a resolution allowing local citizens to take stone from the Alamo at a cost of $ 5 per wagonload. By the late 1840s, even the four statues located on the front wall of the chapel had been removed. On January 13, 1841,

5500-564: The Alamo, and expressed fear that his garrison could be starved out of the Alamo after a four-day siege. However, the Texian government was in turmoil and unable to provide much assistance. Determined to make the best of the situation, Neill and engineer Green B. Jameson began working to fortify the Alamo. Jameson installed the cannons that Cos had left along the walls. Heeding Neill's warnings, General Sam Houston ordered Colonel James Bowie to take 35–50 men to Béxar to help Neill move all of

5625-475: The Alamo, citing that they had done nothing to restore the property since gaining control. He also announced an intent to rebuild the convent. Shortly thereafter, the legislature paid to demolish the building that had been added by Hugo and Schmeltzer and authorized $ 5,000 to restore the rest of the complex. The restorations were begun, but not finished, as the appropriations fell short of the costs. Driscoll, upset over Colquitt's decisions, used her influence as

5750-462: The Alamo. On February 23, the Mexican Army, under the command of President-General Antonio López de Santa Anna , arrived in San Antonio de Béxar intent on recapturing the city. For the next thirteen days, the Mexican Army laid siege to the Alamo , during which work continued on its interior. After Mexican soldiers tried to block the irrigation ditch leading into the fort, Jameson supervised

5875-686: The Alamo. Twiggs elected to surrender and all supplies were turned over to the Texans. Following the Confederacy's defeat, the United States Army again maintained control over the Alamo. Shortly after the war ended, however, the Catholic Church requested that the army vacate the premises so that the Alamo could become a place of worship for local German Catholics. The army refused, and the church made no further attempts at retaking

6000-595: The Americas , SeaWorld San Antonio , the Alamo Bowl , and Marriage Island . Commercial entertainment includes Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Morgan's Wonderland amusement parks. According to the San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau, the city is visited by about 32 million tourists a year. It is home to the five-time National Basketball Association (NBA) champion San Antonio Spurs . It hosts

6125-557: The Canaries to Texas by way of Havana and Veracruz . By June 1730, 25 families had reached Cuba , and 10 families had been sent to Veracruz before orders from Spain came to stop the re-settlement. Under the leadership of Juan Leal Goraz , the group marched overland from Veracruz to the Presidio San Antonio de Béxar, where they arrived on March 9, 1731. Due to marriages along the way, the party now included 15 families,

6250-414: The Catholic Church was the rightful owner of the chapel. While litigation was ongoing, the army rented the chapel from the Catholic Church for $ 150 per month. Under the army's oversight, the Alamo was greatly repaired. Soldiers cleared the grounds and rebuilt the old convent and the mission walls, primarily from the original stone which was strewn along the ground. During the renovations, a new wooden roof

6375-519: The DRT custodian of the Alamo. The bill passed, and Driscoll received all of her money back. Driscoll and de Zavala argued over how best to preserve the building. De Zavala wished to restore the exterior of the buildings to a state similar to its 1836 appearance, focusing on the convent (then called the long barracks), while Driscoll wanted to tear down the long barracks and create a monument similar to those she had seen in Europe: "a city center opened by

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6500-489: The Germans were then drawn to San Antonio for work, and many buildings and streets still bear German names such as Wurzbach, Huebner, and Jones Maltsberger, and Wiederstein. The German impact on San Antonio was great, in the early 1900s it is estimated that at least 1/3 of San Antonio was ethnically German. Many descendants of German immigrants in San Antonio spoke Texas German up to the fifth or sixth generations. Texas German

6625-476: The Indian residents. As the nearby presidio was perpetually understaffed, the mission was built to withstand attacks by Apache and Comanche raiders. In 1745, 100 mission Indians successfully drove off a band of 300 Apaches which had surrounded the presidio. Their actions saved the presidio, the mission, and likely the town from destruction. Walls were erected around the Indian homes in 1758, likely in response to

6750-637: The Long Barracks was still standing, and the building that had contained the south wall gate and several rooms were mostly intact. The Texians briefly used the Alamo as a fortress in December 1836 and again in January 1839. The Mexican army regained control in March 1841 and September 1842 as they briefly took San Antonio de Bexar. According to historians Roberts and Olson, "both groups carved names in

6875-532: The Mexican army's defeat at the Battle of San Jacinto and the capture of Santa Anna, the Mexican army agreed to leave Texas, effectively ending the Texas Revolution. As Andrade and his garrison joined the retreat on May 24, they spiked the cannons , tore down many of the Alamo walls, and set fires throughout the complex. Only a few buildings survived their efforts; the chapel was left in ruins, most of

7000-409: The Mexican soldiers involved in the final assault, which historian Terry Todish stated was "a tremendous casualty rate by any standards". Following the battle of the Alamo, one thousand Mexican soldiers, under General Juan Andrade, remained at the mission. For the next two months, they repaired and fortified the complex, however, no records remain of what improvements they made to the structure. After

7125-479: The Price of Freedom . The 40-minute-long film would be screened several times each day. The movie attracted many protests from Mexican-American activists, who decried the anti-Mexican comments and complained that it ignored Tejano contributions to the battle. The movie was re-edited in response to the complaints, but the controversy grew to the point that many activists began pressuring the legislature to move control of

7250-410: The Republic of Texas (DRT) organized in 1892 with one of their main goals being to preserve the Alamo. Among its early members was Adina Emilia De Zavala , granddaughter of the Republic of Texas Vice-president Lorenzo de Zavala . Shortly before the turn of the 20th century, Adina de Zavala convinced Gustav Schmeltzer, owner of the convent, to give the DRT first option in purchasing the building if it

7375-465: The San Antonio area, resulting in widespread flooding and 12 fatalities. Tornadoes within the city limits have been reported as recently as February 2017, although they seldom occur. An F2 tornado lands within 50 mi (80 km) of the city on average once every five years. San Antonio has experienced two F4 tornadoes, one in 1953 and another in 1973. The 1953 tornado resulted in two deaths and 15 injuries. In San Antonio, July and August tie for

7500-547: The San Antonio mayor, Henry Cisneros , advocated that control remain with the DRT, and the legislature shelved the bill. Several years later, Carlos Guerra, a reporter for the San Antonio Express-News , began writing columns attacking the DRT for its handling of the Alamo. Guerra claimed that the DRT had kept the temperature too low within the chapel, a situation which caused the formation of water vapor , which when mixed with automobile exhaust fumes damaged

7625-413: The Spanish colonies." In the 19th century, the mission complex became known as "the Alamo". The name may have been derived from a grove of nearby cottonwood trees, known in Spanish as álamo . Alternatively, in 1803, the abandoned compound was occupied by the Second Flying Company of San Carlos de Parras , from Álamo de Parras in Coahuila . Locals often called them simply the "Alamo Company". During

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7750-424: The Texians, including Dickinson, Gregorio Esparza , and Bonham, grabbed rifles and fired before being bayoneted to death. Texian Robert Evans was master of ordnance and had been tasked with keeping the gunpowder from falling into Mexican hands. Wounded, he crawled towards the powder magazine but was killed by a musket ball with his torch only inches from the powder. If he had succeeded, the blast would have destroyed

7875-414: The Texians. The last of the Texians to die were the eleven men manning the two 12 lb (5.4 kg) cannon in the chapel. The entrance to the church had been barricaded with sandbags, which the Texians were able to fire over. A shot from the 18 lb (8.2 kg) cannon destroyed the barricades, and Mexican soldiers entered the building after firing an initial musket volley. With no time to reload,

8000-475: The United States . San Antonio is approximately 75 miles (121 km) to the southwest of its neighboring city, Austin , the state capital , about 150 miles (240 km) from the Mexico-United States border , about 190 miles (310 km) west of Houston , and about 250 miles (400 km) south of the Dallas–Fort Worth area. The city has a total area of 465.4 square miles (1,205.4 km ); 460.93 square miles (1,193.8 km ) of San Antonio's total area

8125-407: The United States into the territory; they mostly occupied land in the eastern part. In 1835, when Antonio López de Santa Anna unilaterally abolished the Mexican Constitution of 1824 , violence ensued in many states of Mexico . which led to many short-lived independent republics. This, in addition to Mexico's abolition of slavery, and cultural differences between the Texians and the Mexicans, led to

8250-509: The amendment" to return control of the mission to the DRT. Subsequently, while Colquitt was out of state on a business trip, Lieutenant Governor William Harding Mayes allowed the removal of the upper-story walls of the long barracks from the convent, leaving only the one-story walls of the west and south portions of the building. This conflict became known as the Second Battle of the Alamo. Upon their deaths in 1945 and 1955, Driscoll and de Zavala, respectively, had their bodies laid in state in

8375-406: The annual San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo , one of the largest such events in the U.S. The U.S. Armed Forces have numerous facilities in and around San Antonio; Fort Sam Houston , which has Brooke Army Medical Center within it, is the only one within the city limits. Lackland Air Force Base , Randolph Air Force Base , Kelly Air Force Base , Camp Bullis , and Camp Stanley are outside

8500-501: The area. The East Side of San Antonio is home to the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo , the Frost Bank Center , and the Freeman Coliseum . This area has the largest concentration of Black and African American residents. The West Side is predominantly Hispanic/Latin American and working class, with pockets of wealth in the northwest and far west. African Americans are also located in parts of San Antonio's West Side. The West Side has undergone gentrification as of 2019. It includes

8625-474: The artillery and destroy the fortress. There were not enough oxen to move the artillery to a safer place, and most of the men believed the complex was of strategic importance to protecting the settlements to the east. On January 26, the Texian soldiers passed a resolution in favor of holding the Alamo. On February 11, Neill went on furlough to pursue additional reinforcements and supplies for the garrison. William Travis and James Bowie agreed to share command of

8750-459: The average warmest months, with an average high of 95 °F (35 °C). The highest temperature ever recorded was 111 °F (44 °C) on September 5, 2000. The average coolest month is January. The lowest recorded temperature ever was 0 °F (−18 °C) on January 31, 1949. May, June, and October have quite a bit of precipitation. Since recordkeeping began in 1871, the average annual precipitation has been 29.03 inches (737 mm), with

8875-470: The balance of the $ 4,500 from her own pocket. At the urging of both Driscoll and de Zavala, the Texas Legislature approved $ 5,000 for the committee to use as part of the next payment. The appropriation was vetoed by Governor S. W. T. Lanham , who said it was "not a justifiable expenditure of the taxpayers' money". DRT members set up a collection booth outside the Alamo and held several fundraising activities, collecting $ 5,662.23. Driscoll agreed to make up

9000-408: The buildings. Visitors were often more impressed. In 1828, French naturalist Jean Louis Berlandier visited the area. He mentioned the Alamo complex: "An enormous battlement and some barracks are found there, as well as the ruins of a church which could pass for one of the loveliest monuments of the area, even if its architecture is overloaded with ornamentation like all the ecclesiastical buildings of

9125-421: The cattle. As a result, when the ruling took effect, the mission lost a great deal of its wealth and was unable to support a larger population of converts. By 1793, only 12 Indians remained. By this point, few of the hunting and gathering tribes in Texas had not been Christianized . In 1793, Misión San Antonio de Valero was secularized. Shortly after, the mission was abandoned. Most locals were uninterested in

9250-604: The cause of Texas freedom and "Remember the Alamo" became a rallying cry in the Texian Army's eventual success at defeating Santa Anna's army. Juan Seguín , who organized the company of Tejano patriots, who fought for Texas independence, fought at the Battle of Concepción , the Siege of Bexar , and the Battle of San Jacinto , and served as mayor of San Antonio. He was forced out of office due to threats on his life by sectarian newcomers and political opponents in 1842, becoming

9375-480: The church. Santa Anna ordered that the Texian bodies be stacked and burned. All, or almost all, of the Texian defenders were killed in the battle, although some historians believe that at least one Texian, Henry Warnell, successfully escaped. Warnell died several months later of wounds incurred either during the final battle or during his escape. Most Alamo historians agree that 400–600 Mexicans were killed or wounded. This would represent about one-third of

9500-683: The city limits. San Antonio is home to four Fortune 500 companies and the South Texas Medical Center , the only medical research and care provider in the South Texas region. San Antonio is also one of the largest majority-Hispanic cities in the United States, with 64% of its population being Hispanic . At the time of European encounter, the Payaya people lived near the San Antonio River Valley in

9625-574: The city until the 18th. The February 15–20, 2021, North American winter storm dropped another 1–2 inches (2.5–5 cm) on the city on the 16th. San Antonio and New Braunfels , 40 miles (64 km) to the northeast, are some of the most flood-prone regions in North America. The October 1998 Central Texas floods were among the costliest floods in United States history, resulting in $ 750 million in damage and 32 deaths. In 2002, from June 30 to July 7, 35 in (890 mm) of rain fell in

9750-406: The city's population was distributed as 28.5% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. In San Antonio, 48% of the population were males, and 52% of the population were females. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males. At

9875-418: The city's population was of Hispanic or Latino origin, of any race. According to the 2000 U.S. census , the city proper had a population of 1,144,646, ranking it the ninth-most populated city in the country. San Antonio has a relatively lower cost of living compared to most Texas and U.S. major cities and a strong job market. However, due to San Antonio's low density and relatively small suburban population,

10000-500: The city). In 1990, the United States Census Bureau reported San Antonio's population as 55.6% Hispanic or Latino, 7.0% Black or African American, and 36.2% non-Hispanic white. The San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and The Alamo became UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2015 and the city was designated a UNESCO "City of Creativity for Gastronomy" in 2017, one of only 26 gastronomy creative cities in

10125-404: The color of the smoke coming from the smokestacks. In 2022, the house was acquired by Graham Weston's company Weston Urban with the intention to turn it into a restaurant and a hotel. This Victorian style mansion is a good example of the eclectic architectural style that was popular during the late 19th century and early 20th century. The house has three levels, 12,665 square feet of space,

10250-422: The command of James C. Neill occupied and fortified the deserted Alamo mission. Upon his departure, the joint command of William Barrett Travis and James Bowie were left in charge of defending the old mission. The Battle of the Alamo took place from February 23 to March 6, 1836. The outnumbered Texian force was ultimately defeated, with all of the Alamo defenders killed. These men were seen as "martyrs" for

10375-421: The complex until December 1835, when General Martín Perfecto de Cos surrendered to Texian forces following a two-month siege of San Antonio de Béxar during the Texas Revolution . In the few months that Cos supervised the troops garrisoned in San Antonio, he had ordered many improvements to the Alamo. Cos's men likely demolished the four stone arches that were to support a future chapel dome. The debris from these

10500-488: The complex. They abandoned the Alamo in 1876 when Fort Sam Houston was established in San Antonio. About that time, the Church sold the convent to Honore Grenet, who added a new two-story wood building to the complex. Grenet used the convent and the new building for a wholesale grocery business. After Grenet's death in 1882, his business was purchased by the mercantile firm, Hugo & Schmeltzer, which continued to operate

10625-485: The current boundaries of Mexico; they fell into internal conflict and turmoil with neighboring entities. San Antonio grew to become the largest Spanish settlement in Texas; it was designated as the capital of the Spanish, later Mexican, province of Tejas . From San Antonio, the Camino Real (today Nacogdoches Road), was built to the small frontier town of Nacogdoches . Mexico allowed European American settlers from

10750-425: The difference, as well as agreeing to pay the final $ 50,000. After hearing of her generosity, various newspapers in Texas dubbed her the "Savior of the Alamo". Many groups began to petition the legislature to reimburse Driscoll. In January 1905, de Zavala drafted a bill that was sponsored by representative Samuel Ealy Johnson Jr. (father of future US President Lyndon Baines Johnson ), to reimburse Driscoll and name

10875-484: The digging of a well at the south end of the plaza. Although the men hit the water, they weakened an earth and timber parapet near the barracks, collapsing it and leaving no way to fire safely over that wall. The siege ended in a fierce battle on March 6. As the Mexican Army overran the walls, most of the Texians fell back to the long barracks (convent) and the chapel. During the siege, Texians had carved holes in many of

11000-541: The diverse neighborhoods of Avenida Guadalupe, Collins Garden, Las Palmas, Prospect Hill, Rainbow Hills (Marbach), San Juan Gardens, Loma Park, Loma Vista, Memorial Heights, and Westwood. It is also home to the historic Our Lady of the Lake University and St. Mary's University . Natural vegetation in the San Antonio area (where undisturbed by development) includes oak-cedar woodland, oak grassland savanna, chaparral brush, and riparian (stream) woodland. San Antonio

11125-532: The end of the year, they had appropriated part of the Alamo complex for the Quartermaster's Department. Within eighteen months, the convent building had been restored to serve as offices and storerooms. The chapel remained vacant, however, as the army, the Roman Catholic Church, and the city of San Antonio bickered over its ownership. An 1855 decision by the Texas Supreme Court reaffirmed that

11250-529: The following century, Juan Leal Goraz Jr. was a prominent figure. He claimed nearly 100,000 sq miles (153,766 acres) as Spanish territory and held some control for nearly three decades; this area stretched across six present-day states. San Antonio was designated as Leal Goraz's capital. It represented Mexican expansion into the area. With his robust military forces, he led exploration and establishing Spanish colonial bases as far as San Francisco, California . Widespread bankruptcy forced Leal Goraz Jr.'s army back into

11375-456: The last Tejano mayor for nearly 150 years. In 1845, the United States finally decided to annex Texas and include it as a state in the Union. This led to the Mexican–American War . Though the U.S. ultimately won, the war was devastating to San Antonio. By its end, the population of the city had been reduced by almost two-thirds, to 800 inhabitants. Bolstered by migrants and immigrants, by 1860 at

11500-507: The mansion in 1901-1902, utilizing the services of Carol von Seutter as the chief architect of the mansion. Mr. Koehler came to San Antonio in 1884 and was one of the organizers of the San Antonio Brewing Association, now known as Pearl Brewing Company . According to legend, Koehler selected the spot due to its unobstructed view of his brewery, and could determine whether or not his employees were hard at work by

11625-399: The metropolitan area ranked just 30th in the United States, with a population of 1,592,383 in 2000. San Antonio has a large Hispanic population with a significant African American population. The 2011 U.S. census estimate for the eight-county San Antonio–New Braunfels metropolitan area placed its population at 2,194,927. The 2017 estimate for Greater San Antonio was 2,473,974, making it

11750-655: The mission complex. Differences between Alarcón and Olivares resulted in delays, and construction did not start until 1718. Olivares built, with the help of the Payaya and the Pastia people , the Misión de San Antonio de Valero (The Alamo) , the Presidio San Antonio de Bexar , the bridge that connected both, and the Acequia Madre de Valero . The families who clustered around the presidio and mission were

11875-513: The mission the name Alamo ("poplar trees"). During the Texas Revolution, Mexican General Martín Perfecto de Cos surrendered the fort to the Texian Army in December 1835, following the Siege of Béxar . A relatively small number of Texian soldiers then occupied the compound for several months. The defenders were wiped out at the Battle of the Alamo on March 6, 1836. As the Mexican Army retreated from Texas several months later, they tore down many of

12000-427: The mission's farmland produced up to 2,000 bushels of corn and 100 bushels of beans; cotton was also grown. The first stones were laid for a more permanent church building in 1744, however, the church, its tower, and the sacristy collapsed in the late 1750s. Reconstruction began in 1758, with the new chapel located at the south end of the inner courtyard. Constructed of 4-foot (1.2 m) thick limestone blocks, it

12125-436: The mission, Alarcón built a fort, the Presidio San Antonio de Béxar . Close by, he founded the first civilian community in Texas, San Antonio de Béxar , which later developed into the present-day city of San Antonio, Texas. Within a year, the mission moved to the western bank of the river, where it was less likely to flood. Over the next several years, a chain of missions was established nearby. In 1724, after remnants of

12250-696: The mission. On February 14, 1719, the Marquis of San Miguel de Aguayo proposed to the king of Spain that 400 families be transported from the Canary Islands , Galicia , or Havana to populate the province of Texas. His plan was approved, and notice was given the Canary Islanders ( isleños ) to furnish 200 families; the Council of the Indies suggested that 400 families should be sent from

12375-400: The money required to tear down the convent, build a stone wall around the Alamo complex, and convert the interior into a park. The legislature postponed a decision until after the 1910 elections after which Texas had a new governor, Oscar Branch Colquitt . Both de Zavala and Driscoll spoke, and Colquitt toured the property; three months later, Colquitt removed the DRT as official custodians of

12500-410: The older historic buildings were demolished in the process of this modernization. Since the late twentieth century, San Antonio has had steady population growth . The city's population has nearly doubled in 35 years, from just over 650,000 in the 1970 census to an estimated 1.2 million in 2005, through both population growth and land annexation (the latter has considerably enlarged the physical area of

12625-835: The other three sides of the building. The complex eventually contained a supply depot, offices, storage facilities, a blacksmith shop, and stables. During the American Civil War , Texas joined the Confederacy , and the Alamo complex was taken over by the Confederate Army . In February 1861, the Texan Militia, under direction from the Texas Secession Convention and led by Ben McCullough and Sam Maverick, confronted General Twiggs, commander of all US Forces in Texas and headquartered at

12750-413: The poverty line. In 2019, households had a median income of $ 53,571 and a mean income of $ 72,587. An estimated 16.8% of the population lived at or below the poverty line. The city of San Antonio and its metropolis was rated the poorest in 2019. A Gallup study in 2015 determined 4% of the city and Greater San Antonio identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender . In 2016, San Antonio scored

12875-525: The regional divide between South and Central Texas , San Antonio anchors the southwestern corner of an urban megaregion colloquially known as the Texas Triangle . Downtown Austin and Downtown San Antonio are approximately 80 miles (129 km) apart, and both fall along the I-35 corridor. This combined metropolitan region of San Antonio–Austin has approximately 5 million people. San Antonio

13000-471: The site in 1709, and he was determined to found a mission and civilian settlement there. The viceroy gave formal approval for a combined mission and presidio in late 1716, as he wanted to forestall any French expansion into the area from their colony of La Louisiane to the east, as well as prevent illegal trading with the Payaya. He directed Martín de Alarcón , the governor of Coahuila y Tejas , to establish

13125-496: The spot where flames ascended ... over the funeral pyre of heroes". In 1883, the Catholic Church sold the chapel to the State of Texas for $ 20,000. The state hired Tom Rife to manage the building. He gave tours but did not make any efforts to restore the chapel, to the annoyance of many. In the past decades, soldiers and members of the local Masonic lodge , which had used the building for meetings, had inscribed various graffiti on

13250-537: The start of Villa de Béjar, destined to become the most important town in Spanish Texas . On May 1, the governor transferred ownership of the Mission San Antonio de Valero (later famous as The Alamo) to Fray Antonio de Olivares. On May 5, 1718, he commissioned the Presidio San Antonio de Béxar ("Béjar" in modern Spanish orthography) on the west side of the San Antonio River, one-fourth league from

13375-557: The start of the American Civil War , San Antonio had grown to a city of 15,000 people. In the 1850s Frederick Law Olmsted , the landscape architect who designed Central Park in New York City, traveled throughout the Southern and Southwest U.S., and published accounts of his observations. In his 1859 book about Texas, Olmsted described San Antonio as having a "jumble of races, costumes, languages, and buildings", which gave it

13500-639: The state legislature in 1905 to purchase the remaining buildings and to name the DRT as the permanent custodian of the site. Over the next century, periodic attempts were made to transfer control of the Alamo from the DRT. In early 2015, Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush officially moved control of the Alamo to the Texas General Land Office . The Alamo and the four missions in the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park were designated

13625-564: The store. San Antonio's first rail service began in 1877, and the city's tourism industry began to grow. The city heavily advertised the Alamo, using photographs and drawings that showed only the chapel, not the surrounding city. Many of the visitors were disappointed with their visit; in 1877 tourist Harrier P. Spofford wrote that the chapel was "a reproach to all San Antonio. Its wall is overthrown and removed, its dormitories are piled with military stores, its battle-scarred front has been revamped and repainted and market carts roll to and fro on

13750-494: The third-most populous metro area in Texas (after the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex and Greater Houston ) and the 24th-most populous metro area in the U.S. About 405,474 households, and 280,993 families resided in San Antonio. The population density as of 2010 was 2,808.5 people per square mile (1,084.4 people/km ). There were 433,122 housing units at an average density of 1,062.7 per square mile (410.3/km ). The age of

13875-549: The walls and statues. In May 1887 a devout Catholic who was incensed that Masonic emblems had been inscribed on a statue of Saint Teresa was arrested after breaking into the building and smashing statues with a sledgehammer. The 50th anniversary of the fall of the Alamo received little attention. In an editorial after the fact, the San Antonio Express called for the formation of a new society that would help recognize important historical events. The Daughters of

14000-437: The walls of these rooms so that they would be able to fire. Each room had only one door which led into the courtyard and which had been "buttressed by semicircular parapets of dirt secured with cowhides". Some of the rooms even had trenches dug into the floor to provide some cover for the defenders. Mexican soldiers used the abandoned Texian cannon to blow off the doors of the rooms, allowing Mexican soldiers to enter and defeat

14125-615: The world. With the increase in professional jobs, San Antonio has become a destination for many college-educated persons, most recently including African Americans in a reverse Great Migration from northern and western areas. Over 31,000 migrants who requested asylum have been released by the Border Patrol into the city in 2019 during the National Emergency Concerning the Southern Border of

14250-603: Was 23.4% non-Hispanic white, 63.9% Hispanic or Latin American of any race, 6.5% Black and African American, 3.2% Asian, and 2.3% multiracial or some other race. According to the 2010 U.S. census , 1,327,407 people resided in San Antonio city proper, an increase of 16.0% since 2000. The racial composition of the city based on the 2010 U.S. census is as follows: 72.6% White ( non-Hispanic whites : 26.6%), 6.9% Black or African American , 0.9% Native American , 2.4% Asian , 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander , 3.4% two or more races , and 13.7% other races . In addition, 63.2% of

14375-417: Was added to the chapel and the campanulate, or bell-shaped facade, was added to the front wall of the chapel. At the time, reports suggested that the soldiers found several skeletons while clearing the rubble from the chapel floor. The new chapel roof was destroyed in a fire in 1861. The army also cut additional windows into the chapel, adding two on the upper level of the facade as well as additional windows on

14500-547: Was designated in 1977. As San Antonio prepared to host the Hemisfair in 1968, the long barracks were roofed and turned into a museum. Few structural changes have taken place since then. According to Herbert Malloy Mason's Spanish Missions of Texas , the Alamo is one of "the finest examples of Spanish ecclesiastical building on the North American continent". The mission, along with others located in San Antonio,

14625-412: Was established. The Alamo chapel was sold to the state of Texas, which conducted occasional tours but made no effort to restore it. The remaining buildings were sold to a mercantile company that operated them as a wholesale grocery store. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas (DRT) formed in 1891 and began trying to preserve the Alamo. Adina Emilia De Zavala and Clara Driscoll successfully convinced

14750-510: Was ever sold. In 1903, when Schmeltzer wanted to sell the building to a developer, he offered the building first to the DRT for $ 75,000, which they did not have. During De Zavala's attempts to raise the money, she met Clara Driscoll , an heiress who was very interested in Texas history , especially the Alamo. Shortly thereafter, Driscoll joined the DRT and was appointed chair of the San Antonio chapter's fund-raising committee. The DRT negotiated

14875-406: Was intended to be three stories high and topped by a dome, with bell towers on either side. Its shape was a traditional cross, with a long nave and short transepts . Although the first two levels were completed, the bell towers and third story were never begun. While four stone arches were erected to support the planned dome, the dome itself was never built. As the church was never completed, it

15000-462: Was likely the two-story, L-shaped stone residence for the priests. The building served as parts of the west and south edges of an inner courtyard. A series of adobe barracks buildings were constructed to house the mission Indians and a textile workshop was erected. By 1744, over 300 Indian converts resided at San Antonio de Valero. The mission was largely self-sufficient, relying on its 2,000 head of cattle and 1,300 sheep for food and clothing. Each year,

15125-462: Was most recently seen on December 7, 2017, when 1.9 inches (4.8 cm) of snow coated the city. On January 13, 1985, San Antonio received a record snowfall of 16 inches (41 cm). During the February 13–17, 2021, North American winter storm , San Antonio was blanketed with 4–6 inches (10–15 cm) of snow. The cold air which accompanied this storm caused massive rolling blackouts throughout

15250-570: Was named by a 1691 Spanish expedition for the Portuguese priest Saint Anthony of Padua , whose feast day is June 13. The city contains five 18th-century Spanish frontier missions, including The Alamo and San Antonio Missions National Historical Park . Together these were designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2015. Other notable attractions include the River Walk , the Tower of

15375-491: Was the first state to have major cities develop by railroads rather than waterways. In Texas, the railroads supported a markedly different pattern of development of major interior cities, such as San Antonio, Dallas and Fort Worth , compared to the historical development of coastal port cities in the established eastern states. At the beginning of the 20th century, the streets of the city's downtown were widened to accommodate street cars and modern traffic. At that time, many of

15500-415: Was used to build a ramp to the apse of the chapel building. There, the Mexican soldiers placed three cannon, which could fire over the walls of the roofless building. To close a gap between the church and the barracks (formerly the convent building) and the south wall, the soldiers built a palisade . When Cos retreated, he left behind 19 cannons, including a 16-pounder. "You can plainly see that

15625-676: Was used to construct a wall around the Alamo and a museum, and to raze several non-historic buildings on the Alamo property. The Alamo was designated a National Historic Landmark on December 19, 1960, and was documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey in 1961. It was an inaugural listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966 and is a contributing property to the Alamo Plaza Historic District, which

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