Presidio San Antonio de Béxar
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Main and Military Plazas Historic District
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Spanish Military Governor's Palace
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| Location |
San Antonio, Texas United States
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| Coordinates | 29°25′27″N 98°29′37″W / 29.42417°N 98.49361°WCoordinates: 29°25′27″N 98°29′37″W / 29.42417°N 98.49361°W |
| Built | 1718 |
| NRHP Reference # | 79002914 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | June 11, 1979 |
| Designated HD | April 15, 1970 |
Presidio San Antonio de Béxar was a Spanish fort built near the San Antonio River, located in what is now San Antonio, Texas, USA. It was designed for protection of the mission system and civil settlement in central Texas. It also served to secure Spain's claim to the region from French, English and American aggression. It was built by Franciscan priest Antonio de Olivares and the Payaya; and along with the Misión de San Antonio de Valero (the Alamo) and the Acequia Madre de Valero, is the origin of the present city of San Antonio, Texas.
From the Convent of Querétaro, several expeditions were organized to the region of Texas, an area of great strategic importance to the Spanish crown. With that goal in 1675, an expedition formed by Fray Antonio de Olivares, Fray Francisco Hidalgo, Fray Juan Larios, and Fernando del Bosque was sent to explore and describe the country beyond the borders of Rio Grande, to test the possibilities of new settlements in the area.
In 1709, Olivares participated in the expedition headed by Pedro de Aguirre, together with Fray Isidro de Espinosa, exploring the territory between the present-day location of the city of San Antonio and the Colorado River. The same year he traveled to Spain to convince the authorities of the importance of maintaining the territory and establishing new missions on the bank of the San Antonio River. The authorities said "yes"remained in Spain six years (until 1715).
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