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“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Main/Military Plaza in San Antonio in Bexar County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
 

The Canary Islanders

 
 
The Canary Islanders Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., March 31, 2010
1. The Canary Islanders Marker
Inscription.

Earliest civilian colonists of San Antonio, this nucleus of pioneers from the Canary Islands formed the first organized civil government in Texas and founded the village of San Fernando de Bexar in 1731.

Following a sea and land voyage of over a year, these weary travelers arrived at the Presidio (Fort) of San Antonio early on March 9, 1731. Totaling 56 persons, they had emigrated to Texas from the Spanish Canary Islands near Africa, by order of King Philip V.

On July 2 they began to lay out a villa (village), choosing a site on the west side of the Plaza de las Yslas (present Main Plaza) for the church and a site on the east side for the Casa Real (government building). On July 19 the Captain of the Presidio, Juan Antonio de Almazan, read to the Islanders the decree of the Viceroy naming them and their descendants “Hijos Dalgo” – Persons of Nobility.

The heads of the 16 families who settled in San Antonio were: Juan Leal Goraz, Juan Curbelo, Juan Leal, Antonio Santos, Jose Padron, Manuel de Nis, Vincente Alvarez Travieso, Salvador Rodriguez, Jose Leal, Juan Delgado, Jose Cabrera, Juan Rodriguez Granadillo, Francisco de Arocha, Antonio Rodriguez, Lorenzo and Martin de Armas, and Felipe and Jose Antonio Perez.
 
Erected 1971 by State Historical
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Survey Committee. (Marker Number 702.)
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial EraExplorationForts and CastlesSettlements & Settlers. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1905.
 
Location. 29° 25.439′ N, 98° 29.619′ W. Marker is in San Antonio, Texas, in Bexar County. It is in Main/Military Plaza. Marker is at the intersection of Dolorosa and Main Plaza, on the right when traveling east on Dolorosa. Marker is located on the north grounds of the county courthouse. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 Dolorosa, San Antonio TX 78205, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. "The Founders" (here, next to this marker); Sell the Courthouse (a few steps from this marker); Bexar County Commissioners Court (a few steps from this marker); 200th Anniversary of San Antonio Municipal Government (a few steps from this marker); Lasting Peace with the Apache Nation (a few steps from this marker); The Maromeros or Rope Dancers (a few steps from this marker); The West Bank (a few steps from this marker); "Save the Plaza" (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in San Antonio.
 
The Canary Islanders Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., March 1, 2010
2. The Canary Islanders Marker
Bexar County Courthouse in background.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on February 2, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 28, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 2,558 times since then and 177 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on April 28, 2010, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

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Mar. 28, 2024