Governor Martin de Alarcon in East Texas
Nacogdoches, Nacogdoches County, Texas
Marker Inscription
Don Martin de Alarcon rose to the position of Governor of Texas in 1716. As governor he aimed to establish a secure presidio along the San Antonio River for the movement of goods to frontier missions and settlements. Despite the imperative nature of his plan, Alarcon remained at Presidio San Juan Bautista del Rio Grande through 1717. In April, he delayed his expedition further to investigate the illicit activities of French trader (and smuggler) Louis Juchereau de St. Denis. Missionaries protested Alarcon's investigation. St. Denis provided the missions with support and goods that Alarcon had yet to supply himself. Alarcon eventually released St. Denis, but his crusade against French trade did not end. Alarcon finally set off on his expedition in April 1718, and established the civil settlement villa San Fernando de Bexar, often called San Antonio, and the mission San Antonio de Valero. After a brief interlude to the gulf, Alarcon toured the province of Tejas where he visited each of the six missions. He met with local leadership, Caddo and clergy, and distributed supplies. Despite Alarcon's gestures, missionaries continued to view Alarcon badly because he also confiscated French trade goods. When he planned to attack the French fort in Natchitoches, East Texas missionaries intervened on behalf of the French. Later, Frenchman Lt. Philippe Blondel attacked the Mission San Miguel in 1719, which caused settlers to flee to San Antonio de Bexar. Despite being unpopular in his day, scholars argue that Alarcon's establishment of the villa San Antonio and the fallout from the subsequent attack in 1719 provided the humble beginnings for the thriving future city along the river. (2015)
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
Martin de Alarcon became governor of Spanish Texas in 1716 with a mandate to plant a secure presidio along the San Antonio River to supply the frontier missions. In 1718 his expedition founded the villa of San Fernando de Bexar—today's San Antonio—along with the mission San Antonio de Valero, later famous as the Alamo. Though missionaries resented his crackdown on French trade, his settlement and the turmoil that followed a 1719 French raid laid the foundations for one of Texas's great cities.
Why it matters
Alarcon's founding of San Antonio created what would become the cultural and civic heart of Spanish—and later American—Texas.
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Related people
- · Martin de Alarcon
- · Louis Juchereau de St. Denis
- · Philippe Blondel
Related events
- · Founding of San Antonio de Bexar (1718)
- · Founding of Mission San Antonio de Valero
Themes & tags
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