The Alamo: A 300 Year History

In 1718, Martín de Alarcón, governor of "Spanish Texas," founded the first civilian community in Texas. He named the community San Antonio de Bexar (now San Antonio, Texas).

He located San Antonio near a Roman Catholic mission, which he had established to facilitate ministry to Native Americans. He named the mission San Antonio de Valero: after Saint Anthony of Padua, and the viceroy of New Spain, Baltasar de Zúñiga y Guzmán Sotomayor y Sarmiento, Marquess of Valero.

In 1724, Mission San Antonio de Valero, was moved (for the second time) to its current location. At the time, the new location was just across the San Antonio River from the town of San Antonio de Bexar, and just north of a group of huts known as La Villita.

In the 19th century, there was a nearby grove of cottonwood (poplar) trees, known in Spanish as álamo. ("Álamo" is Spanish for "Poplar.")

In 1803, the former Mission 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."

Probably, due to one or both of these associations, the former Mission ultimately became known as "The Alamo."

Of course, today, the Alamo is best known as the site of a pivotal battle in the war for Texas Independence from Mexico.