Looking Back on San Antonio Over 250

On September 14, a forum organized by Sr. Martha Ann Kirk, CCVI, was held at Founders Hall associated with the project Bexar America250 created by the Bexar Heritage Center. Bexar America250 promotes the hidden history of Bexar County's role in the American Revolution.

Guest speakers Gilberto Hinojosa, PhD, UIW emeritus faculty member, and Erika Haskins, PhD, discussed the early history of San Antonio and how the city was shaped nearly 250 years ago. Their presentations provided historical context and highlighted the events, people and ideas that contributed to the development of San Antonio during its formative years.

Hinojosa's presentation on The San Antonio Towns highlighted his expertise in Texas history and explained the origins of the San Antonio missions. When Spain reached the North American mainland in 1519 and conquered the Aztec Empire, Spanish settlers encountered Native Americans living in established towns. This settlement pattern proved advantageous for economic exploitation, governance and religious conversion.

As Spanish expansion moved northward and settlers encountered nomadic and semi-nomadic groups, missionaries sought to bring Native Americans together into organized communities. In the early 1700s, they established five missionary-led Native American towns along the San Antonio River: San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo), Concepción, San José, San Juan and Espada. These communities are commonly known today as the San Antonio Missions. However, as Hinojosa explained, "We call these things the 'missions,' but they were the parish churches of these missionary-led towns. A 'mission' was the whole town." He referenced how ranching became the primary revenue source to fund the development of the missions.

Haskins presented Rancheras: Spanish Texas Women and their Contributions to American Independence. Her program uncovered the overlooked role of women ranchers in eighteenth-century Texas and their influence during the American Revolution.

Haskins, a twelfth-generation Texan, has written extensively about San Antonio's history and focused on the women who were responsible for shaping the growth of San Antonio from the early 1700s through the early 1800s. Haskins is a descendant of a ranchera named Maria Robaina Betencourt. She was considered a Spanish Patriot who owned three large ranches, Rancho de Palo Quemado, Rancho de San Lorenzo de Las Mulas and San Antonio del Cibolo, located in San Antonio in 1780. Betencourt was the social leader of the community of the villa of San Fernando de Béxar.

She recognized an important figure in UIW history, Sister Mary Claude Esparza who was the first Mexican American sister to join the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word Congregation and is the granddaughter of Alamo defender Gregorio Esparza. Peggy Huizar Guerrero, Dolly Morales and Eloise Garza, granddaughters of Gregorio Esparza, were in attendance and are Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Alamo Couriers Chapter. Daughters of the Republic of Texas is a 135-year-old prominent historical organization, well known in San Antonio history for being the caretakers of the Alamo.

You can visit https://www.bexar.org/4046/Bexar-America250 to learn more about the Bexar250 project.