Bexar County Courthouse
Happy Labor Day, to those who are celebrating it. We don't have one until September
As you may or may not know, Texas use to belong to Mexico which, belonged to Spain. Anyway, that's why so many of the historical buildings look like Spanish cathedrals. I was surprised to learn that there was also a settlement of people from the Canary Islands...How did they get to Texas. I'll have to research that and get back to you. Here's a little from the Internet: Bexar County was created on December 20, 1836, and encompassed almost the entire western portion of the Republic of Texas. This included the disputed areas of western New Mexico northward to Wyoming. After statehood, 128 counties were carved out of its area.
The county was named for San Antonio de Béxar, one of the 23 Mexican municipalities (administrative divisions) of Texas at the time of its independence. San Antonio de Béxar—originally Villa de San Fernando de Béxar—was the first civil government established by the Spanish in the province of Texas. Specifically, the municipality was created in 1731 when 55 Canary Islanders settled near the system of missions that had been established around the source of the San Antonio River. The new settlement was named after the Presidio San Antonio de Béjar, the Spanish military outpost that protected the missions. The presidio, located at the San Pedro Springs, was founded in 1718 and named for Viceroy Balthasar Manuel de Zúñiga y Guzmán Sotomayor y Sarmiento, second son of the Duke of Béjar (a town in Spain). The modern City of San Antonio in the U.S. State of Texas also derived its name from San Antonio de Béjar.
Bexar County Courthouse
Happy Labor Day, to those who are celebrating it. We don't have one until September
As you may or may not know, Texas use to belong to Mexico which, belonged to Spain. Anyway, that's why so many of the historical buildings look like Spanish cathedrals. I was surprised to learn that there was also a settlement of people from the Canary Islands...How did they get to Texas. I'll have to research that and get back to you. Here's a little from the Internet: Bexar County was created on December 20, 1836, and encompassed almost the entire western portion of the Republic of Texas. This included the disputed areas of western New Mexico northward to Wyoming. After statehood, 128 counties were carved out of its area.
The county was named for San Antonio de Béxar, one of the 23 Mexican municipalities (administrative divisions) of Texas at the time of its independence. San Antonio de Béxar—originally Villa de San Fernando de Béxar—was the first civil government established by the Spanish in the province of Texas. Specifically, the municipality was created in 1731 when 55 Canary Islanders settled near the system of missions that had been established around the source of the San Antonio River. The new settlement was named after the Presidio San Antonio de Béjar, the Spanish military outpost that protected the missions. The presidio, located at the San Pedro Springs, was founded in 1718 and named for Viceroy Balthasar Manuel de Zúñiga y Guzmán Sotomayor y Sarmiento, second son of the Duke of Béjar (a town in Spain). The modern City of San Antonio in the U.S. State of Texas also derived its name from San Antonio de Béjar.