The Battle for San Antonio....

Last Saturday on September 22^nd, I and my classmates met up at the Alamo to learn the history and the significance of this building. We were given an in-depth tour with one of the curators Dr. Winders. He studied the Alamo inside and out and heard every rumor, story, lie, and factual statement about it. He gave a great presentation full of information about the accounts that led to the battle and what happened to the Alamo after the battle. One of the most important information that he discussed was what the men of the Alamo were truly fighting for.

Santa Anna was on his way with a couple of thousand soldiers ready to take back Texas using any means possible. The people who defended the Alamo had a little less than 200 men. Of these men were Americans, Europeans, Texans, and Tejanos. This meant that Mexicans would be fighting Mexicans. With this in mind Tejanos still felt that breaking away from Mexico’s rule would bring better and new opportunities to them. These men were not fighting for the Alamo itself, but for the town of San Antonio. They were fighting for the growing community because they saw the potential for a self governing state where Anglos and Tejanos could coincide. I never saw the Alamo as the catalyst for the State of Texas until that moment. This battle is an important piece of history not only in the world, but also for the people who live in this great state. Every Texan regardless of their ethnicity should understand the Alamo is our heritage.

Trailing Through History

It was a typical hot Texas afternoon with a swinging breeze. The air was not warm, so it was comfortable. It was around 1:30 in the afternoon when I drove into the parking lot of Mission San Juan Capistrano. To the left of the mission itself is a forest; that's when I knew I was close to the Yanaguana Trail. Sure enough when I walked a little further three trails popped out from the forest. The trail area is not very big and all the trails eventually lead to the same place. Because of this I knew I wasn't going to be there for a while. I took the trail on the right and proceeded to walking. The trail passes through dense vegetation, which towers over head and covers the sun's unbearable rays. This made the experience much more pleasant and comfortable.

As I trailed for 3 minutes, I began to hear the sound of water, so I knew I was close to the San Antonio River. From here the trail moves right beside the banks of the river. The area is so peaceful and tranquil that you don't hear the sound of cars or the city for that matter. It's a nice way to escape and clear your mind of whatever problems you have. The trail ranges from regular dirt to wooden planks used as a bridge so people could walk over low level areas. There was benches on the planks, but I wouldn't sit on them. There was fire ants everywhere and Argiope webs on the planks, so I didn't want to get bit or have something crawl up my leg if I sat down. The middle trail convened with mine so I knew I was halfway done. According to one of the signs posted the river eels and alligators roamed the river. The area is filled with trees in every direction. At one point where the trail meets the water, the trees tower about 75 feet in the air, with long blanket of leaves hanging down creating a tent of vegetation. Pretty soon the trail was over and it didn't even take that long. All in all, the experience was very relaxing, and I would consider going back when I want some clarity in my head. -Art

Mission Espada

Ok this is my first blog entry ever and what a better way to start it off than talking about one of the missions from our great city. I along with several other classmates visited Mission San Francisco de la Espada, Mission Espada for short. The mission is located a couple of miles south of San Antonio. It is surrounded by a forest and spurts of flat land in between. It is a very rural, very quiet place to live with exception of the gunshots “dove hunting season”. The mission it self is surrounded by old quarry stones and bricks that forms the outer walls that range from knee length to about 8 feet in height. The mission was moved across Texas and Louisiana 3 times before finally settling at its current position. A friary was built in 1745 and church was completed in 1756. The purpose of the mission was to convert the local Native Indians to Christianity. The mission served as a viceroyalty of New Spain. From the southern tip of South America, to the Canadian border was all under Spain’s control. The mission was a small town where the Indians were given “forced really” religion, clothes, and a job to do. The mission was constructed by the Spanish who then ordered the Indians to build it. The mission was frequently attacked by nearby Apache’s for food. The Spanish taught the Indians techniques vital for surviving. The most important was the acequias which are the irrigation ditches. This helped them grow food and raise livestock. The mission was built relatively close to the San Antonio River for this reason. The church and the mission still stand like the day it was built. In fact the church’s doorway arches were built incorrectly and till this day remains that way. The story goes that the mason building the arches fled in the middle of the night leaving the Indians to finish the job. There is a theory that states the mason killed somebody and was on the run. Being a person of Mexican origin I find this mission like all missions a story in the lives of mypeople. As a Texan I find these missions precious like a best friend. We are fortunate to have the mission stand undamaged like it was when it was first built, so we should take extra responsibility in helping preserve the mission and the irrigation ditch systems that run through it. -Art