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83-603: Juan Nepomuceno Seguin was born on October 27, 1806, in San Antonio de Bexar , Province of Texas , Viceroyalty of New Spain , to Juan José María Erasmo Seguin , a second-generation Bexareño, and Maria Josefa Becerra. As the son of a postal administrator, he would help his mother in business, while his father was one of the drafting rapporteurs for the Mexican Constitution of 1824. In 1825, Seguin married María Gertrudis Flores de Abrego. They had ten children. He

166-520: 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. Hamilton P. Bee Hamilton Prioleau Bee (July 22, 1822 – October 3, 1897)

249-653: A cavalry charge, but was only slightly wounded. One of Bee's brigade commanders at this time was Arthur P. Bagby, Jr. , who later replaced him in command. Later, despite intense criticism of his handling of his troops, Bee was given command of Thomas Green 's division in Major General John A. Wharton's cavalry corps in February 1865. After that time, he commanded an infantry brigade in Brigadier General Samuel B. Maxey 's division. After

332-541: 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

415-768: 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

498-559: 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,

581-704: 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

664-538: A town thirty miles east of San Antonio, he was honored by parade and celebration; that newly named town would now bear his own name, Seguin . In 1840, he resigned his congressional seat in order to join a controversial campaign against the Centralist government in Mexico City. He became mayor of San Antonio in 1841. Texas became flooded with adventurous and land-hungry North Americans who were unfamiliar with

747-574: 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

830-614: 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

913-479: 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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996-696: 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

1079-469: 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

1162-619: 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

1245-469: 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

1328-604: 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

1411-772: The Texas Revolution and the Republic of Texas . Note that Seguin's men at the Alamo were scouts/couriers going in and out, between San Antonio and nearby Gonzales , the rallying point for volunteers. Siege of Béxar Battle of the Alamo Battle of San Jacinto Republic of Texas service post-San Jacinto Sources: San Antonio de Bexar San Antonio ( / ˌ s æ n æ n ˈ t oʊ n i oʊ / SAN an- TOH -nee-oh ; Spanish for " Saint Anthony "), officially

1494-532: The City of San Antonio , is a city in 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,

1577-628: The Mexican–American War , Bee served under Benjamin McCulloch 's Company A of Col. Jack Hays 's 1st Regiment of Texas Mounted Volunteers for a time. He transferred to Mirabeau B. Lamar 's Texas cavalry company as a second lieutenant . Bee signed up for a second term in 1847—this time as first lieutenant —in Lamar's Company, which was by then a component of Col. Peter Hansborough Bell 's regiment of Texas volunteers. Bee moved to Laredo after

1660-650: The Missions of San Antonio in search of a suitable base camp for the Texians and participated in the early successful Battle of Concepcion . Martín Perfecto de Cos was appointed as military governor over Texas by his brother-in-law Antonio López de Santa Anna , and established his headquarters in San Antonio on October 9, 1835. Upwards of 160 rancheros (Mexican ranch owners) and other Tejanos under Seguín, José Carbajal , Plácido Benavides , Salvador Flores and Manuel Leal joined Austin and approximately 400 Texians at

1743-739: The Republic of Texas . Bee County , Texas and the town of Beeville were named for him. The two brothers both served as generals in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War; Barnard Jr. was killed early in the war at the Battle of First Bull Run . Hamilton followed his father into politics in the Republic of Texas and the later state, serving in elective office for more than a decade in total. At age 17, Hamilton Bee

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1826-660: The Runaway Scrape . His company, with Captain Moseley Baker's company, blocked the Mexican army from crossing the Brazos River, preventing them from overtaking the Texians. His cavalry command, participating as infantry with Sherman's company, fought in the victorious Battle of San Jacinto . In May 1836, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. On June 4, as a representative of the Republic of Texas , he accepted

1909-472: 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

1992-501: The Siege of Béxar . After a two-month battle, Cos surrendered on December 9. In January 1836, Seguín was commissioned as a captain in the regular Texas army. Upon the return of Santa Anna's army, Seguín joined William B. Travis on February 23, in the Battle of the Alamo . Although serving at the Alamo during the thirteen-day siege , he did not actually participate in the final battle of

2075-657: 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

2158-433: 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

2241-475: 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

2324-551: The Alamo. He was chosen to carry the Alamo message through enemy lines, that the Texans "shall never surrender or retreat". Seguín got that message through to the other soldiers on the Texian side. He then returned with men to reinforce the Alamo , but it had already fallen to Santa Anna's army. After the Alamo, he re-formed cavalry companies at Gonzales and acted as the rear guard, providing protection for fleeing Texas families during

2407-595: 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

2490-557: 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,

2573-567: The February 25 funeral, the casket lay in "the parish church". An account provided by Seguin, in the March 28, 1837 issue of the Telegraph and Texas Register , states they were buried where the majority of ashes had been found, but was not specific about the location. He told historian Reuben Potter in 1861 that the site was in a peach orchard near the mission. Twenty-eight years later in correspondence with Hamilton P. Bee , Seguín remembered placing

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2656-489: 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

2739-562: The Mexican Constitution of 1824, Seguín was very critical of his contemporary Mexican leader. Years later Seguín gladly joined the Texas Revolution to rid the area of Santa Anna's rule. In 1835–1836, Seguín recruited and commanded troops for the Texian Army . He was commissioned a captain by Stephen F. Austin in October 1835 and was tasked with supplying the Texian troops with food and provisions. Seguín sent out scouting parties to

2822-465: 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

2905-594: The Texas legislature, at the age of 32 Bee married Mildred Tarver on May 21, 1854. After marriage, they had ten children, including sons Barnard E. Bee and Carlos Bee , born while they were living in Mexico. His grandson, Carlos Bee , was born in Berkeley, California and also became a politician. He was elected as mayor of Hayward, California and to the California State Assembly . In 1861, Bee

2988-605: 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

3071-534: 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

3154-406: 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

3237-708: 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

3320-459: 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

3403-553: 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

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3486-683: 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

3569-508: The city of Seguin, Texas . A counterattack was planned, and even though Seguín pursued the army of Ráfael Vásquez , chasing them from Texas, he was deemed to be to blame for the attack. Seguín resigned from office in April, due to threats on his life. Opposition to his defense of Texas rights, adversities, and false charges that he was aiding the Mexican army proved too much to bear. He fled to Mexico to "seek refuge amongst my enemies", where he

3652-574: 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

3735-406: 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

3818-418: 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,

3901-500: 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

3984-422: 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

4067-540: 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

4150-541: 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

4233-529: 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

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4316-428: The formal surrender of the Mexican forces in the Alamo. After Texas became a Republic, he was the head of the San Antonio military, commanding a force to defend the western frontier. Texas army Brigadier General Felix Huston ordered Seguín in early 1837 to arrange for burial of the Alamo defenders' remains that had been left where they were burned. Ashes were identified and collected at three unrecorded sites. Prior to

4399-456: 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

4482-399: 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

4565-655: 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

4648-696: 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

4731-413: The native Texans' history and their loyal support of Texas. Seguin's leadership and loyalty was challenged by these newcomers. Refusing to burn San Antonio to the ground by order of the new head of the Texas military was just the beginning. In 1842, San Antonio was overrun by Santa Anna 's forces. During March 1842, Colonel Seguin and the citizens of San Antonio sought refuge at Manuel Flores ' Ranch in

4814-410: 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

4897-413: 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

4980-525: 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

5063-439: The remains in a tomb inside the "Cathedral of San Antonio". Remains believed to be those of the Alamo defenders were discovered at the Cathedral of San Fernando in 1936, the battle's centennial. Time had decayed their original container, and they were re-interred in a marble sarcophagus . Purported to hold the ashes of Travis, Bowie and Crockett, some have doubted it can be proven whose remains are actually entombed there. Seguín

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5146-438: The rest of his life. Hamilton Prioleau Bee was born into a political family in Charleston , South Carolina , on July 22, 1822. His parents were Ann Wragg (Fayssoux) and Barnard Elliott Bee, Sr . His younger brother was Barnard Elliott Bee, Jr. Bee's family moved to Texas in 1836 when Hamilton was 14. Their father Barnard Bee, Sr. was a leader in the Texas Revolution and served as Secretary of State and Secretary of War in

5229-486: The second-largest in the Southern United States , and 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

5312-418: 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

5395-404: 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

5478-438: 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

5561-435: 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

5644-435: The war in 1869 during the Reconstruction era , Bee moved his family to Saltillo, Mexico . They lived in a self-imposed exile in Mexico until 1876. By then Democrats were regaining control of the Texas state legislature. He became a steward and superintendent of the farm at the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, now known as Texas A&M University. They returned to live in San Antonio , where Bee practiced law. He

5727-442: The war. In 1848 he ran and won a seat in the Texas House of Representatives for the Third Texas Legislature . He was repeatedly re-elected and served from 1849 through the end of the Seventh Legislature , for a total of ten years in the House. In the Sixth Legislature , Bee was decisively elected Speaker of the House with 78 votes, to 1 vote each for N. B. Charlton and Pleasant Williams Kittrell . After becoming established in

5810-404: 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

5893-603: 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

5976-827: Was an American politician in early Texas ; he was secretary of the Texas Senate in 1846. He served nearly 10 years as representative to the state house beginning in 1849, and for one term as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives . He later served as a Confederate States Army general during the American Civil War . In 1869 during the Reconstruction era , he and his family left Texas, living for several years in Saltillo, Mexico before their return to San Antonio in 1876. He lived there for most of

6059-651: Was appointed as secretary for the commission that determined the border between the United States and the Republic of Texas . Sam Houston sent Joseph C. Eldridge , Thomas S. Torrey and Bee to open negotiations with the Comanche in 1843. They achieved the Treaty of Tehuacana Creek. Bee was elected to the Texas Senate in the First Texas Legislature in 1846 and served as its secretary. During

6142-583: Was captured, arrested and coerced to enlist in the Mexican army as a staff officer. He returned to San Antonio with the opposition army of Adrian Woll in September 1842 and later served under Santa Anna in the Mexican–American War of 1846–1848. In February 1848, Seguín requested permission to return to Texas. By the year's end, he had returned, building a home in 1852; adjacent to his father Erasmo Seguín 's house, and ranching in Floresville, Texas . He

6225-566: Was elected an alderman in December, 1828 and served on numerous electoral boards before becoming the San Antonio alcalde (mayor) in December 1833. He then served as political chief of Bexar in 1834, when the previous chief became ill. In 1835, he led a relief force to Monclova, when the Federalist Governor appealed for help. As a teenager in Mexico, he had a strong interest in politics. While Antonio López de Santa Anna repealed

6308-482: Was elected as a Texas Senator from 1837 to 1840 and worked closely with Congressman José Antonio Navarro to ensure legislation that would be in the best interest of the citizenry of Texas, who were quickly becoming the political minority. In 1839, Seguín, captain of a Texas force of about fifty-four men, again protected the colonists in the Henry Karnes campaign against the hostile Comanche Indians. In 1839, at

6391-455: Was elected brigadier general of the Texas militia and appointed as a brigadier general in the Confederate Army on March 4, 1862. Bee commanded the brigade that consisted of Carl Buchel 's 1st Texas Cavalry, Nicholas C. Gould's 23rd Texas Cavalry , Xavier Blanchard Debray's 26th Texas Cavalry , James B. Liken's 35th Texas Cavalry , Peter Cavanaugh Woods 's 36th Texas Cavalry , and Alexander Watkins Terrell 's Texas Cavalry Regiments. Bee

6474-719: Was elected to two terms as Justice of the Peace of Bexar County in 1852 and 1854, and became a founding father of the Democratic Party in Bexar county. In 1858, he published his life memoirs. Seguín served as County Judge in Wilson County in 1869. However, business dealings occasionally took him back to Mexico, and in around 1883 he settled in Nuevo Laredo , Tamaulipas , Mexico, to be near his son Santiago, who

6557-596: Was headquartered in Brownsville , where he facilitated the trade of cotton for munitions through Mexico . On November 4, 1863, he was forced to abandon Brownsville in the face of a Union expeditionary force under Major General Nathaniel P. Banks . Bee was transferred to a field command in 1864 under Lieutenant General Richard Taylor in the Red River Campaign . In the Battle of Pleasant Hill , Bee had two different horses shot out from under him during

6640-514: Was mayor. He died there on August 27, 1890. His remains were returned to Texas in 1974 and as part of the nation's Bicentennial celebration were reinterred in his namesake town, Seguin , during ceremonies on July 4, 1976. A large monument, depicting him on horseback waving his saber, now honors his service to Texas, in the downtown Seguin Central Park. Tejano volunteers under the command of Juan Seguín for all or part of their service in

6723-462: 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

6806-570: 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

6889-491: 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

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