San Antonio
Texas |
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San Antonio is the second-most populous city in the state of
Texas after Houston and seventh-most populated in the United
States. San Antonio was named for the Portuguese Saint Anthony
of Padua, whose feast day it was when a Spanish expedition stopped
in the area in 1691. The city of San Antonio has a strong military presence—it
is home to Fort Sam Houston, Lackland Air Force Base, Randolph
Air Force Base, and Brooks City-Base. San Antonio is home to
the South Texas Medical Center, the largest and only medical
research and care provider in the South Texas region. American
Indians originally lived along the San Antonio River in the San
Pedro Springs area, calling the vicinity Yanaguana, meaning "refreshing
waters." In 1691, a group of Spanish explorers and missionaries
came upon the river on the feast day of St. Anthony, hence naming
the river after "San Antonio." The actual founding
of the city took place in 1718 by Father Antonio Olivares, upon
establishing Mission San Antonio de Valero. Hence via the efforts
of Spanish soldiers and Canary Islanders, San Antonio de Béxar
soon transformed into an early Spanish settlement in the Americas.
The Battle of the Alamo took place nearby in 1836, and eventually
the town would grow to encompass the embattled mission. This
was where 189 defenders held the old mission against some 4,000
Mexican troops for 13 days. The cry "Remember the Alamo" became
the rallying point of the Texas Revolution against Mexico.
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